Final answer:
The statement is true; the foreign-born population of the U.S. exceeded 38.5 million in 2009 and reached approximately 46 million by 2013.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the U.S. foreign-born population exceeded 38.5 million in 2009 is indeed true. According to Pew Research Center's data, the foreign-born population in the United States reached approximately 46 million by 2013, indicating that the 2009 figures would certainly have exceeded 38.5 million. To provide a bit more context, the U.S. foreign-born population consistently saw growth from 1990 to 2013 and has become a larger share of the total U.S. population.
Further, it is noted that a sizeable portion of this immigration comes from Latin America and Asia. We also see that in 2006, roughly 12.5 percent of the U.S. population was foreign-born, which supports the idea that by 2009, the percentage, and thus the absolute number, had likely grown. This trend underscores the fact that the United States remains a top destination for immigrants worldwide.