January 27, 2026
Census tea is piping hot
US population growth slows as immigration declines
America’s Growth Hits the Brakes as Immigration Dips — Comment Section Explodes
TLDR: The Census says U.S. growth slowed to 0.5% as immigration dropped sharply, with Florida’s in‑migration fading and California shrinking. The comments erupted into a brawl over whether immigration crackdowns save security or strangle the economy, complete with memes, “dog whistle” callouts, and a moderator stepping in to restore order.
America’s headcount just tapped the brakes: the U.S. grew only 0.5% (1.8 million people) to 341.8 million, as net immigration fell by half, per fresh Census numbers. Births and deaths stayed steady, Florida’s “U-Haul parade” slowed to a crawl, South Carolina kept booming, and California shrank. But the real story? The comments lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler.
One fiery camp says the crackdown on immigration under President Trump (with more ICE funding) will “backfire” by starving the economy of workers and pushing America toward a gray, Japan-style future. User Mistletoe came armed with charts and a link, declaring immigration the only lifeline—then dropped the “fascist regime” bomb, igniting replies.
Others showed up with sarcasm and memes. Cyanydeez lobbed a “no u” at D.C., while csto12 snapped “dog whistle for 500, Alex?”—a Jeopardy mic drop that had the thread howling. Meanwhile, meta-drama took center stage when moderator tomhow arrived with the rulebook, warning bans for bad behavior. Suddenly, it was less census data, more etiquette cage match.
A smaller faction cheered the slowdown as delivering a “secure and harmonious homeland,” which only fueled more “dog whistle” callouts. And hovering over it all: backlash to recent ICE shootings—turning a population chart into a full-blown culture clash.
Key Points
- •U.S. population grew 1.8 million (0.5%) to 341.8 million in the year ending June 2025, the slowest rate since the pandemic.
- •Census Bureau attributes slower growth primarily to a sharp decline in net international migration, with births and deaths stable.
- •Every state except Montana and West Virginia saw their rate of population growth slow.
- •South Carolina led state growth; Idaho, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah followed. Populations declined in CA, HI, NM, VT, and WV.
- •Florida’s domestic in-migration fell sharply to 22,517, down from 183,646 in 2023 and 310,892 in 2022.