Where are the illegal immigrants?

A report released Thursday estimates more than 2.5 million immigrants in the country illegally live in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, which have pledged to fight President Trump’s plans to expand deportations.

The study by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center provides a glimpse of where immigrants in the country illegally reside and regions that could be most affected by Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

The Pew report estimates there are 11.1 million immigrants in the country illegally — or 3.5 percent of the overall U.S. population.

About 61 percent of, or six out of 10, immigrants in the country illegally live in 20 metropolitan areas, the report said.

The report underscores the challenges Trump could face in rounding up large numbers of deportees because many areas that are home to large numbers of immigrants lacking legal papers oppose his plans.

Any actions by the new administration could also be widely felt among immigrant communities in regions such as Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and Denver. In these areas, 37 percent of immigrants lack legal status, compared to 26 percent nationwide, the report said.

In Santa Ana, California, acting city manager Gerardo Mouet said fears of the Trump administration’s plans extend far beyond the statistics, especially in Mexican immigrant communities where extended families are often close-knit and frequently made up of relatives who are legally in the country. /