Where refugees in Texas are arriving from
Robsonphoto // Shutterstock
Where refugees in Texas are arriving from
Shadows of group of people walking through the sunny streets with painted United States of America flag on the floor.
During the past five decades, the U.S. has resettled over 3 million refugees, making it one of the leading countries for finding new homes for people fleeing violence, persecution, and war.
In 2021, then-President Donald Trump lowered the annual cap of refugees that could be admitted into the country to 15,000. Even as the Biden administration has raised the ceiling to 125,000, the annual number of refugees arriving in the U.S. didn’t immediately bounce back to pre-Trump administration levels. The numbers are increasing though, with over 25,000 refugees arriving in the U.S. in the 2022 fiscal year, twice the 2021 total.
Refugee arrivals during the 2023 fiscal year dramatically outpaced the prior two years, reaching over 60,000 from October 2022 to September 2023.
In February 2024, the greatest number of refugees admitted by the U.S. came from Congo, Syria, and Afghanistan. Each nation faces a unique set of circumstances that can make their citizens unsafe if they stay in their home country.
For the last three decades, Congo, also called the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been struggling with a series of civil wars and internal battles that have left millions of people displaced, both internally and externally, with many people fleeing to neighboring countries. Syria has seen more than 5 million refugees flee to neighboring nations since 2011 while a longstanding civil war rages, with an additional 6.8 million people forced from their homes and seeking refuge elsewhere in the country. Afghan refugees have been fleeing to neighboring countries for decades, especially to Pakistan and Iran, which combined host over 8 million Afghans.
Stacker referenced data from The Refugee Processing Center to compile statistics on the number of refugees and their countries of origin resettled in Texas in February 2024.
February refugee statistics
Countries where refugees arrived from in February
To Texas:
#1. Congo: 168
#2. Afghanistan: 165
#3. Venezuela: 147
#4. Burma: 133
#5. Syria: 125
#6. Guatemala: 75
#7. El Salvador: 30
#8. Sudan: 29
#9. Republic of South Sudan: 23
#10. Eritrea: 20
#11. Somalia: 16
#11. Nicaragua: 16
#13. Colombia: 15
#14. Burundi: 13
#15. Honduras: 12
#15. Rwanda: 12
#17. Central African Republic: 11
#18. Iraq: 10
#19. Cambodia: 8
#19. Pakistan: 8
#21. Nigeria: 7
#22. Ethiopia: 5
#23. Iran: 4
#24. Sri Lanka: 3
#25. Senegal: 2
#25. Cameroon: 2
#25. Ukraine: 2
#28. Cuba: 1
To the U.S. as a whole:
#1. Congo: 2,426
#2. Afghanistan: 1,299
#3. Venezuela: 1,230
#4. Syria: 981
#5. Burma: 826
States that accepted the most refugees in February:
#1. Texas: 1,062
#2. California: 572
#3. Florida: 554
#4. New York: 507
#5. Arizona: 450
Read on to see the countries that Texas has accepted the most refugees from since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023.
Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock
#1. Congo
Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.
Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Texas: 804
To the U.S. as a whole: 9,929
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Kentucky: 893
#2. Texas: 804
#3. Arizona: 747
#4. Ohio: 645
#5. New York: 600
Canva
#2. Afghanistan
Afghan women in burkas pass by a man outside a market
Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To Texas: 542
To the U.S. as a whole: 5,925
Top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan
#1. California: 1,228
#2. Virginia: 655
#3. Texas: 542
#4. Washington: 440
#5. Maryland: 272
hanohiki // Shutterstock
#3. Syria
People buying spices at a street market in Damascus
Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To Texas: 375
To the U.S. as a whole: 6,818
Top states receiving refugees from Syria
#1. New York: 673
#2. Michigan: 655
#3. Pennsylvania: 465
#4. Texas: 375
#5. California: 361
Chantal de Bruijne // Shutterstock
#4. Burma
A horse-drawn taxi passes through a busy shopping area
Refugees that arrived from Burma since October 2023
To Texas: 327
To the U.S. as a whole: 2,899
Top states receiving refugees from Burma
#1. Texas: 327
#2. Illinois: 297
#3. New York: 266
#4. Georgia: 192
#5. Arizona: 189
Canva
#5. Venezuela
An aerial view of caracas, Venezuela.
Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To Texas: 304
To the U.S. as a whole: 2,504
Top states receiving refugees from Venezuela
#1. Florida: 501
#2. Texas: 304
#3. Georgia: 146
#4. Illinois: 143
#5. Tennessee: 110
Lauren Squire // Shutterstock
#6. Guatemala
Daily scene of tuktuks, street stalls and motorbikes in San Pedro
Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To Texas: 172
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,920
Top states receiving refugees from Guatemala
#1. California: 270
#2. Texas: 172
#3. North Carolina: 148
#4. Florida: 113
#5. New York: 87
amnat30 // Shutterstock
#7. Honduras
Woman and child on busy market street of Copan
Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2023
To Texas: 87
To the U.S. as a whole: 505
Top states receiving refugees from Honduras
#1. Texas: 87
#2. Florida: 65
#3. California: 33
#4. Georgia: 32
#4. New York: 32
Canva
#8. El Salvador
An aerial view of El Salvador.
Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2023
To Texas: 80
To the U.S. as a whole: 691
Top states receiving refugees from El Salvador
#1. California: 84
#2. Texas: 80
#3. Maryland: 76
#4. Virginia: 55
#5. North Carolina: 53
Dave Primov // Shutterstock
#9. Eritrea
Woman crossing road by Medlar Market in Asmara
Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To Texas: 73
To the U.S. as a whole: 735
Top states receiving refugees from Eritrea
#1. Texas: 73
#2. Washington: 68
#3. Maryland: 61
#4. North Carolina: 45
#5. Ohio: 41
punghi // Shutterstock
#10. Republic of South Sudan
Men gathered in the streets with motorcycles in Juba
Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2023
To Texas: 56
To the U.S. as a whole: 610
Top states receiving refugees from Republic of South Sudan
#1. Nebraska: 59
#2. Texas: 56
#3. Connecticut: 53
#4. Colorado: 46
#5. Minnesota: 44
Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock
#11. Sudan
Many people on a dirt street in Shendi
Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To Texas: 55
To the U.S. as a whole: 870
Top states receiving refugees from Sudan
#1. Missouri: 57
#2. Nebraska: 56
#3. Texas: 55
#3. New York: 55
#5. Pennsylvania: 54
Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock
#12. Colombia
Pedestrians on a street in Bogota, Columbia
Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To Texas: 54
To the U.S. as a whole: 685
Top states receiving refugees from Colombia
#1. Florida: 98
#2. North Carolina: 59
#3. Texas: 54
#4. New York: 49
#5. Washington: 46
W_NAMKET // Shutterstock
#13. Pakistan
People walking through the Chitta Gate in the old town area of Lahore
Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2023
To Texas: 53
To the U.S. as a whole: 481
Top states receiving refugees from Pakistan
#1. Pennsylvania: 63
#2. Virginia: 57
#3. Texas: 53
#4. North Carolina: 46
#5. Maryland: 30
Milosz Maslanka // Shutterstock
#14. Nicaragua
People walking by a Cathedral in Granada, Nicaragua
Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2023
To Texas: 48
To the U.S. as a whole: 786
Top states receiving refugees from Nicaragua
#1. Florida: 151
#2. California: 60
#3. Texas: 48
#4. Minnesota: 44
#5. North Carolina: 40
sandis sveicers // Shutterstock
#15. Central African Republic
Group of children playing soccer on a rural road
Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2023
To Texas: 45
To the U.S. as a whole: 395
Top states receiving refugees from Central African Republic
#1. Texas: 45
#2. Missouri: 38
#3. Georgia: 31
#4. Michigan: 24
#4. Massachusetts: 24
Focus and Blur // Shutterstock
#15. Iraq
Elevated view of Baghdad street scene
Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To Texas: 45
To the U.S. as a whole: 762
Top states receiving refugees from Iraq
#1. California: 136
#2. Michigan: 95
#3. Nebraska: 45
#3. Texas: 45
#5. Washington: 38
Rostasedlacek // Shutterstock
#17. Burundi
Burundian people gather at an outside market
Refugees that arrived from Burundi since October 2023
To Texas: 32
To the U.S. as a whole: 217
Top states receiving refugees from Burundi
#1. Texas: 32
#2. New York: 29
#3. Arizona: 28
#4. Pennsylvania: 14
#5. Maryland: 13
Dave Primov // Shutterstock
#18. Somalia
Muslim woman in hijab waking on streets of Hargeisa
Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To Texas: 27
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,283
Top states receiving refugees from Somalia
#1. Minnesota: 419
#2. Ohio: 110
#3. Georgia: 63
#4. New York: 62
#5. Arizona: 61
Andrew V Marcus // Shutterstock
#19. Iran
People gather in a urban park on the streets of Tehran
Refugees that arrived from Iran since October 2023
To Texas: 18
To the U.S. as a whole: 205
Top states receiving refugees from Iran
#1. California: 110
#2. Texas: 18
#3. North Carolina: 10
#4. Washington: 9
#4. Illinois: 9
Oscar Espinosa // Shutterstock
#20. Rwanda
People selling bananas at a street market in Huye
Refugees that arrived from Rwanda since October 2023
To Texas: 14
To the U.S. as a whole: 79
Top states receiving refugees from Rwanda
#1. Texas: 14
#2. North Carolina: 11
#3. South Carolina: 10
#4. Kentucky: 8
#5. Illinois: 6
Canva
#21. Cameroon
A distant view of Mount Victoria in Cameroon.
Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2023
To Texas: 11
To the U.S. as a whole: 88
Top states receiving refugees from Cameroon
#1. Texas: 11
#2. Pennsylvania: 10
#3. South Carolina: 6
#3. Massachusetts: 6
#3. California: 6
Artush // Shutterstock
#21. Ethiopia
People walking on the street in Aksum
Refugees that arrived from Ethiopia since October 2023
To Texas: 11
To the U.S. as a whole: 232
Top states receiving refugees from Ethiopia
#1. Minnesota: 67
#2. Ohio: 25
#3. Washington: 24
#4. Georgia: 21
#5. lowa: 11
Canva
#23. Cuba
A distant view of the Havana skyline in Cuba.
Refugees that arrived from Cuba since October 2023
To Texas: 10
To the U.S. as a whole: 76
Top states receiving refugees from Cuba
#1. Florida: 32
#2. Texas: 10
#3. Tennessee: 7
#4. Washington: 6
#5. New Hampshire: 4
aleksander hunta // Shutterstock
#23. Cambodia
People on a busy street in Phnom Penh
Refugees that arrived from Cambodia since October 2023
To Texas: 10
To the U.S. as a whole: 22
Top states receiving refugees from Cambodia
#1. Texas: 10
#2. North Carolina: 6
#3. Maine: 3
#4. Rhode Island: 2
#5. Oklahoma: 1
Canva
#25. Libya
The skyline of Tripoli, Lybia.
Refugees that arrived from Libya since October 2023
To Texas: 9
To the U.S. as a whole: 9
Top states receiving refugees from Libya
#1. Texas: 9
Canva
#26. Nigeria
A distant view of Ikoyi Lagos, Nigeria.
Refugees that arrived from Nigeria since October 2023
To Texas: 7
To the U.S. as a whole: 77
Top states receiving refugees from Nigeria
#1. Missouri: 14
#2. Arizona: 12
#3. Illinois: 9
#4. Massachusetts: 8
#4. North Carolina: 8
Salvador Aznar // Shutterstock
#27. Senegal
Women beside fishing boats on the beaches of Yoff
Refugees that arrived from Senegal since October 2023
To Texas: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 45
Top states receiving refugees from Senegal
#1. Massachusetts: 13
#2. Texas: 6
#3. Ohio: 4
#4. Illinois: 3
#4. Pennsylvania: 3
alionabirukova // Shutterstock
#28. Sri Lanka
Busy street in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Refugees that arrived from Sri Lanka since October 2023
To Texas: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 9
Top states receiving refugees from Sri Lanka
#1. New Jersey: 4
#1. Texas: 4
#3. Georgia: 1
Beata Tabak // Shutterstock
#29. Ivory Coast
People standing in front of shops by roadside
Refugees that arrived from Ivory Coast since October 2023
To Texas: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 62
Top states receiving refugees from Ivory Coast
#1. Pennsylvania: 10
#2. Minnesota: 8
#3. Massachusetts: 7
#4. Arkansas: 5
#5. Florida: 4
Omri Eliyahu // Shutterstock
#29. Kazakhstan
Pedestrians and traffic on the streets of Almaty
Refugees that arrived from Kazakhstan since October 2023
To Texas: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 104
Top states receiving refugees from Kazakhstan
#1. Washington: 39
#2. California: 19
#2. Pennsylvania: 19
#4. Oregon: 10
#5. Massachusetts: 5
Canva
#29. Yemen
Wide view of traditional, older buildings on a hillside in Yemen.
Refugees that arrived from Yemen since October 2023
To Texas: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 87
Top states receiving refugees from Yemen
#1. Michigan: 16
#2. Georgia: 13
#2. New York: 13
#4. Arizona: 8
#4. Montana: 8
Flightseeing-Germany // Shutterstock
#32. Guinea
Aerial drone shot of Conakry, Guinea.
Refugees that arrived from Guinea since October 2023
To Texas: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 73
Top states receiving refugees from Guinea
#1. Colorado: 15
#2. Georgia: 7
#2. North Carolina: 7
#4. Arizona: 5
#4. Michigan: 5
Vlad Karavaev // Shutterstock
#32. Uganda
Woman walking on busy street in Kampala with basket of mangos
Refugees that arrived from Uganda since October 2023
To Texas: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 39
Top states receiving refugees from Uganda
#1. Massachusetts: 6
#2. Missouri: 5
#2. Ohio: 5
#4. Michigan: 4
#4. Washington: 4
Ruslan Lytvyn // Shutterstock
#32. Ukraine
Woman carrying child to Lviv train station on snowy day
Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2023
To Texas: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 725
Top states receiving refugees from Ukraine
#1. Washington: 249
#2. California: 110
#3. Ohio: 40
#4. New York: 37
#5. Kentucky: 35
YuryKara // Shutterstock
#35. Russia
People crossing a busy street near Moscow’s business center
Refugees that arrived from Russia since October 2023
To Texas: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 184
Top states receiving refugees from Russia
#1. Washington: 51
#2. California: 37
#3. Minnesota: 20
#4. North Carolina: 19
#4. Oregon: 19
Stephen Butler // Shutterstock
#35. Palestine
People walking on busy street with market stalls in Gaza
Refugees that arrived from Palestine since October 2023
To Texas: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 16
Top states receiving refugees from Palestine
#1. Illinois: 9
#2. New Jersey: 3
#3. Georgia: 2
#4. Ohio: 1
#4. Texas: 1
Canva
#35. Mali
An aerial drone view of niarela Bakamo, Mali
Refugees that arrived from Mali since October 2023
To Texas: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 138
Top states receiving refugees from Mali
#1. New York: 24
#1. Pennsylvania: 24
#3. South Carolina: 22
#4. Michigan: 12
#5. Missouri: 11
Canva
#35. Haiti
A distant view of homes on a hillside in Haiti.
Refugees that arrived from Haiti since October 2023
To Texas: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 83
Top states receiving refugees from Haiti
#1. Pennsylvania: 19
#2. Florida: 11
#3. Georgia: 9
#4. California: 8
#5. Missouri: 4
Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock
#35. Congo
Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.
Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Texas: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 9,929
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Kentucky: 893
#2. Texas: 804
#3. Arizona: 747
#4. Ohio: 645
#5. New York: 600
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.