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Immigration drives highest US population growth in over 2 decades

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Immigration drives highest US population growth in over 2 decades

The influx of migrants into the U.S. in 2024 drove the population to its highest rate of increase in 23 years, as the nation’s population surpassed 340 million, according to a report Thursday from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Between 2023 and 2024, the U.S. population grew by nearly 1%, the highest increase since 2001. In contrast, the 0.2% growth rate in 2021 was a record low at the height of pandemic restrictions on travel into the U.S., the annual population estimates show.

This year, immigration increased by almost 2.8 million people, in part due to a new method of counting that adds people who were admitted for humanitarian reasons.

Net international migration, which the Census Bureau says refers to any change of residence across U.S. borders, was a critical component of the change driving growth in the residential population.

REPUBLICANS SLAM BIDEN MIGRANT PAROLE PROGRAM: ‘RIFE WITH FRAUD’

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This photo shows migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (U.S. Border Patrol)

Net international migration accounted for 84% of the nation’s 3.3 million person increase last year.

The increase reflects a continued trend of rising international migration, with a net increase of 1.7 million in 2022 and 2.3 million in 2023.

“Improved integration of federal data sources on immigration has enhanced our estimates methodology,” Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections, said. “With this update, we can better understand how the recent increase in international migration is impacting the country’s overall population growth.”

Last year, births outnumbered deaths in the U.S. by almost 519,000, which was an increase over the historic low of 146,000 in 2021, but still well below the high points of the previous decades.

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BORDER PATROL CHIEF THRILLED WITH TRUMP BORDER CZAR PICK AFTER ‘EXHAUSTING’ BIDEN-ERA CRISIS: ‘I’M EXCITED’

migrants boarding bus

A Haitian migrant approved for humanitarian parole cheers as he boards a bus taking migrants into the U.S. at the Senda de Vida shelter Aug. 30, 2022, in Reynosa, Mexico. (Michael Nigro/Getty Images)

The U.S. Census Bureau did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the report.

Along with immigration statistics, the report showed that the south was the fastest-growing region in the U.S. in 2024, adding 1.8 million people, more residents than all other regions combined.

Texas saw the biggest increase with 562,941 new residents, followed by Florida, which gained 467,347 new residents.

Washington, D.C., had the nation’s fastest growth rate at 2.2%.

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COLORADO REPUBLICANS SOUND OFF ON IMPACT OF MIGRANT SURGE ON CITIZENS: ‘THEIR SOULS ARE CRUSHED’

Migrants CBP One

Migrants wait in line to enter a shelter set up by authorities for migrants as migrants wait for an appointment through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, May 23, 2023.  (Christian Torres Chavez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Some states — Mississippi, Vermont and West Virginia — lost population in 2024, though in small amounts ranging from 127 to 516 people.

Those included in the international migration estimates this year are a group of people who entered the U.S. through the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole, which has been harshly criticized by Republicans.

The Migration Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C., reported last week that over 5.8 million people were admitted under various humanitarian policies from 2021 to 2024.

But capturing the number of new immigrants is a challenging aspect of U.S. population estimates.

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The bureau’s annual calculation of how many migrants entered the United States in the 2020s has been much lower than the numbers cited by other federal agencies, such as the Congressional Budget Office. The Census Bureau estimated 1.1 million immigrants had entered the United States in 2023, while the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate was 3.3 million people. 

With the revised method, last year’s immigration figures are now recalculated by the Census Bureau to almost 2.3 million people, or an additional 1.1 million people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Vigil held to honor L.A. firefighter lost at sea in free dive off Long Beach

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Vigil held to honor L.A. firefighter lost at sea in free dive off Long Beach

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (KTLA) – Family, friends and colleagues gathered Sunday in Seal Beach to honor the life of Connor Lees, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department who died earlier this month during a recreational free dive.  

The Dec. 5 incident occurred when Lees, 29, and three other divers in their 20’s went for a free dive, which entails a person holding their breath for as long as they can while diving without scuba gear, in the waters off Long Beach, the Los Angeles Times reported.  

Long Beach Fire spokesperson Brian Fisk told The Times one of the men was presumably piloting the small watercraft while the others were free diving, adding that only two of the three returned from the dive.  

The three men called for emergency help just before 10 a.m., launching a multi-agency search with divers from the U.S. Coast Guard, LAFD, L.A. County Fire, LBPD and the L.A. Port Police.

  • Connor Lees Vigil

More than 19 hours after the search began, officials made the difficult decision to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery mission.  

“The decision to transition operations to a recovery mission is not taken lightly,” LBFD said in a post to Instagram. “As we make this transition, our thoughts and prayers continue for the family of the missing diver and for our brothers and sisters at the Los Angeles City Fire Department.”  

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Officials told The Times that investigators did not suspect foul play, and that Lees was believed to be lost at sea.  

Lees, who grew up in Seal Beach and was a six-year veteran of LAFD, was remembered Sunday night as something of an institution in the community, one whose untimely and tragic death has affected so many that knew him.  

Friends said the 29-year-old loved the ocean and the beach and that the place he grew up was the perfect spot to honor lasting memory.  

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Daughter of notorious 'pom-pom mom' says cheerleading murder plot nearly destroyed her life

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Daughter of notorious 'pom-pom mom' says cheerleading murder plot nearly destroyed her life

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At age 14, Shanna Holloway believed she was going to lose her mother for good.

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“I can’t even step into a courtroom,” the 47-year-old told Fox News Digital. “When my mom was found guilty, I thought I would never see her again. I really believed I would not see her. Well, maybe I would see her, but I wouldn’t be able to touch her for 14 or 15 years.”

NETFLIX’S ‘CRIME SCENE: THE TEXAS KILLING FIELDS’: COULD MULTIPLE MURDERERS BE INVOLVED IN DECADES-LONG CASES?

Wanda Holloway, left, and her daughter Shanna leave the courtroom in Houston on March 6, 1991, after a child custody hearing concerning Shanna and her brother. Wanda was accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill the mother of a girl competing with Shanna to be a cheerleader.  (AP Photo/David Scarbrough)

In 1991, Wanda Holloway was charged with conspiring to kill the mother of her daughter’s cheerleading rival. The case, which rocked Channelview, Texas, and the rest of the nation, is now being explored in a true-crime docuseries on Investigation Discovery (ID), “The Texas Cheerleading Murder Plot.”

A film crew recording a scene in a restaurant.

“The Texas Cheerleading Murder Plot” is currently streaming. (Investigation Discovery)

According to the network, the special aims to illuminate Wanda’s “true emotions” and how Shanna coped with the aftermath of the high-profile trial.

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Shanna, who still lives in Texas, is now a teacher and a mother of two. She described being haunted by her past for decades.

A close-up of Shanna wearing a white and black sweater.

Shanna still resides in Texas, where the case occurred. (Investigation Discovery)

“We had pep rallies at my school when I started teaching,” she recalled. “I remember one time when I was pregnant, I went to a pep rally. I started having contractions. My stomach started tightening just from being triggered.”

“Just the word ‘pom-pom,’ it’s triggering,” she said quietly.

Growing up, Shanna had a close bond with Wanda, who was recognized as a devoted mother in her blue-collar community. Like many girls, cheerleading caught Shanna’s eye. While she eventually lost interest, Wanda reportedly pushed her to still pursue it.

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Wanda Holloway kneeling down next to her daughter Shanna next to two Easter baskets.

Growing up, Shanna had a close bond with her mother. Those in the community said Wanda would have done anything for her daughter. (Investigation Discovery)

“I guess maybe I wasn’t very competitive,” said Shanna. “It’s not in my nature. And this was a period where you had to be very competitive. It wasn’t just for fun. You had to be able to tumble, and you had to be able to cheer, and you had to have the popularity. It was almost like a job.”

Wanda Holloway looking at her daughter Shanna who is surrounded by presents.

It appeared that Wanda, an avid churchgoer, would have gone to great lengths to ensure her daughter Shanna was part of her high school cheerleading squad. (Investigation Discovery)

Authorities said that Wanda attempted to hire a hitman to take out her nemesis, Verna Heath, People magazine reported. Texas Monthly also reported that both women “had the reputation of going all out for her daughter.”

According to reports, investigators believed Wanda came up with the scheme after Shanna failed to make the cheerleading squad. She blamed Heath and her daughter Amber for ruining Shanna’s chances, People revealed.

Shanna wearing a red dress next to her mother Wanda Holloway wearing a blue sweater.

While cheerleading was popular in Texas during the ‘80s and ’90s, Shanna said she lost interest. “I guess maybe I wasn’t very competitive,” she told Fox News Digital. (Investigation Discovery)

If Heath was eliminated, Amber would be too distraught to compete, investigators believed. This would then cement Shanna’s place on the squad.

According to reports, Wanda got in contact with her former brother-in-law, Terry Harper, and asked him if he could arrange the hit. Harper said he would, and then went to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He agreed to wear a wire to gather any evidence against Wanda.

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Wanda Holloways house.

Wanda’s home at the time of the case. (Mark Perlstein/Getty Images)

Texas Monthly noted that the main reason Harper went to the police was that if anything happened to Heath or Amber, he wanted to be certain that he wouldn’t be considered a suspect.

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Wanda Holloway in a striped shirt and skirt posing next to her ex-husband wearing a white shirt and smiling.

The defense argued that Wanda’s ex-husband, Tony Harper, had conspired with his brother to frame her, Newsweek reported. (Investigation Discovery)

Shanna had no idea of what had occurred behind the scenes. The defense would later argue that Wanda’s ex-husband, Tony Harper, had conspired with his brother to frame her, Newsweek reported.

Wanda was arrested before the plot came to fruition. She was quickly labeled “Pom-Pom Mom” by the press. She was convicted of solicitation of capital murder in 1991, but the conviction was overturned due to a mistrial, Texas Monthly reported. 

According to the outlet, she was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1996. Wanda was released on probation in 1997.

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Shanna Harper, daughter of Wanda Holloway, leaves the court room in Houston after a custody hearing concerning Shanna

Shanna said the high-profile case took a toll on her mental health for years. At one point, she no longer wanted to live. (AP Photo/David Scarborough)

Shanna said for years she struggled with the intense scrutiny she faced in her hometown following the trial.

“We didn’t talk about it… it was swept under the rug,” said Shanna. “I wasn’t allowed to talk about it. I was almost chastised if I brought it up. I couldn’t even speak about it without getting all red and sweaty and my chest getting tight… I had suppressed all that baggage that I hadn’t dealt with.”

Tony Harper in a suit posing and looking serious.

Tony Harper, ex-husband of murder conspirator Wanda Holloway. (Mark Perlstein/Getty Images)

“… I was having suicidal thoughts,” she admitted. “I never acted on it, but I did not want to be here anymore. I didn’t have anything to live for. I… couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was overwhelmed, and I got so stuck in a negative mindset… I was prescribed medication… At some point, I was on seven different pills.”

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Wanda Holloway smiling and posing with her two children.

Wanda believes there are still misconceptions that exist about her family. (Investigation Discovery)

Shanna said that from ages 14 to 33, she didn’t talk about what had happened. It was at age 33 she found herself on her kitchen floor crying.

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“It wasn’t something that I would do — cry,” said Shanna. “I just held it all in. But doing that causes physical damage. It gave me stomach issues, headaches… it affects people differently, but it affected my health. I felt like I couldn’t go on anymore… It eats you alive. It will catch up with you eventually if you don’t deal with it.”

“I couldn’t see a way out of the pain that was always there,” she added.

High school cheerleader Amber Heath, left, and her mother Verna Heath enter a courtroom

High school cheerleader Amber Heath, left, and her mother Verna Heath enter a courtroom in Houston on Sept. 3, 1991. (AP Photo/David Scarborough)

Shanna sought help for her mental health through counseling. For the first time in decades, she was encouraged to speak out about what had happened and how she privately dealt with it. She went on to launch a website, Smile More Worry Less, which offers online courses for others struggling with depression.

“I wanted to heal, and this is part of the healing process,” said Shanna. “I wanted to show that you can go through trauma like I did, be at the lowest of lows, and still make it back if you do the work and talk about it. That’s what the documentary also helped me do — talk about it.”

While Shanna has a relationship with Wanda today, her idea to speak out on camera received “a lot of pushback” from family members.

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A close-up of Wanda Holloway wearing a grey sleeveless dress.

Shanna still has a relationship with her mother, Wanda. (Investigation Discovery)

“I was even threatened with lawsuits,” said Shanna. “I had to explain that this isn’t just me trying to bring this stuff up and hurt everybody. That’s not my goal… There are people out there hurting, and they don’t know what to do.”

Shanna hasn’t spoken to Amber since the incident, the New York Post reported. But today, Shanna hopes that in revisiting her past, others privately battling their own traumas will be encouraged to share their stories.

“I don’t think I’m 100%. I don’t think I ever will be,” she said. “But I can tell you I don’t wake up every single morning with anxiety anymore. I had a constant weight on my chest before I got on medications. I didn’t even know what it felt like to not have that anxiety in my chest because it had been there since I was 14.”

Shanna watching her mother Wanda Holloways trial on TV.

Shanna is seen here watching her mother’s trial on TV. (Investigation Discovery)

“I was so used to it,” Shanna reflected. “… But I didn’t have to feel this way this whole time… I feel like a huge weight or burden has been lifted off of me. And even the relationships with my mom and my dad, we’re starting to heal now because it’s being talked about for once.”

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“The Texas Cheerleading Murder Plot” is available for streaming on Max.



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Los Angeles, Ca

Plane crash on Southern California golf course leaves 2 hospitalized

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Plane crash on Southern California golf course leaves 2 hospitalized

CARSON, Calif. (KTLA) – A small aircraft crash landed onto a golf course Sunday in Carson.  

Details are extremely limited and it’s unclear how the crash occurred, but officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department said crews responded to the Victoria Golf Course, located at 340 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. at around 3:45 p.m., on reports of the downed plane.  

In footage of the crash posted to the Citizen App the damaged aircraft, which appears to be upside down, can be seen beneath a low-lying limb of a nearby tree just off what a practice putting green.  

The area where the plane came to a stop had been cordoned off with yellow tape by deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who were also at the crash site.  

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Not far away, debris from the crash, possibly a part that came off the aircraft, can be seen on the ground.  

The golf course did not appear closed for the investigation as golfers very near to the crash site continued playing even as first responders worked nearby.  

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It’s unclear how many people were in the aircraft when it went down, but at least two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, L.A. County Fire confirmed to KTLA.  

This story will be updated when additional details are made available.

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