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November 29, 2007

New Data Released on the Illegal Immigration Crisis

nearly one third of the nation's 37.9 million immigrant residents are here illegally, says the Center for Immigration Studies in a new report that examines the size, growth, and characteristics of the nation's immigrant, or foreign-born, population as of March 2007, based on new Census data.

The report, "Immigrants in the United States, 2007: A Profile of America's Foreign-Born Population," provides a detailed picture of overall immigrant population, and of the illegal immigrant population specifically. One key finding: half of all Mexican and Central American immigrants in the United States are here illegally; and one third of South American immigrants are here illegally.

The CIS analyzed data collected in early 2007 by the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey 2007. The CIS stresses that the data is considered reliable as it relates to illegal immigrants because, "There is agreement among policy experts, including the Department of Homeland Security, that roughly 90 percent of illegal immigrants respond to Census Bureau surveys of this kind." That fact, says CIS, "allows for separate estimates of the size and characteristics of the illegal immigrant population."

Take note, Republican presidential candidates: The report breaks out detailed data on immigrants and health insurance, welfare usage, education attainment, poverty and other indicators for 14 states - Texas, California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Washington, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. Nine of those states - California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey and Nevada - have presidential primaries on or before "Super Tuesday" on Feb. 5.

The report doesn't break out that kind of data for Tennessee, but does say that Tennessee now is home to 286,000 immigrants. Nationally, one third of immigrants are here illegally, which would suggest that Tennessee has somewhere around 95,000 illegal immigrants. Also nationally 64 percent of illegals lack health insurance - which suggests that Tennessee has arond 60,000 uninsured illegals.

There are illegal immigration apologists who claim illegals don't put a big strain on public health services and hospital emergency rooms, but 60,000 uninsured illegals is a lot of uninsured illegals relying on public health services and emergency-room care, driving up the cost of healthcare for all of us and likely forcing more legal residents onto the taxpayer-funded TennCare rolls.

Some key data follows...

Among the report’s findings:

The immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached a record of 37.9 million in 2007.

Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years.

Overall, nearly one in three immigrants is an illegal alien. Half of Mexican and Central American immigrants and one-third of South American immigrants are illegal.

Since 2000, 10.3 million immigrants have arrived - the highest seven-year period of immigration in U.S. history. More than half of post-2000 arrivals (5.6 million) are estimated to be illegal aliens.

Of adult immigrants, 31 percent have not completed high school, compared to 8 percent of natives. The share of immigrants and natives with a college degree is about the same.

33 percent of immigrant-headed households use at least one welfare program, compared to 19 percent for native households. Among households headed by immigrants from Mexico, the largest single group, 51 percent use at least one welfare program.

The poverty rate for immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) is 17 percent, nearly 50 percent higher than the rate for natives and their children.

34 percent of immigrants lack health insurance, compared to 13 percent of natives. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children account for 71 percent of the increase in the uninsured since 1989.

The primary reason for the high rates of immigrant poverty, lack of health insurance, and welfare use is their low education levels, not their legal status or an unwillingness to work.

Of immigrant households, 82 percent have at least one worker, compared to 73 percent of native households.

Immigrants make significant progress over time. But even those who have been here for 20 years are more likely to be in poverty, lack insurance, or use welfare than are natives.

There is a worker present in 78 percent of immigrant households using at least one welfare program.

Immigration accounts for virtually all of the national increase in public school enrollment over the last two decades. In 2007, there were 10.8 million school-age children from immigrant families in the United States.

Immigrants and natives have similar rates of entrepreneurship - 13 percent of natives and 11 percent of immigrants are self-employed.

Recent immigration has had no significant impact on the nation's age structure. Without the 10.3 million post-2000 immigrants, the average age in America would be virtually unchanged at 36.5 years.

Update: The New York Times story on the CIS report.

Posted in Immigration

Comments

Lower income level earners basically pay no income taxes under our progressive tax bracket structure. The chief cause of the rise in poverty is immigration of lower educated, low earning workers. They represent a disproportionate usage of tax supported social services. Explain to me again how it is possible that illegal immigrants yield a net economic benefit to the country.

Posted by: in_awe at November 29, 2007 10:34 AM

The Center for Immigration Studies is cautious and conservative in its estimates, relying on low-ball Census data. Some economics researchers and labor analysts report that the number of illegal aliens in the U.S. is double to triple the number reported by the Census Bureau and CIS. I tend to think the Census figures are underestimates, because of the estimates reported by the Border Patrol of the numbers of illegal entrants who slip by them in comparison with the number apprehended (four to seven people slip past for every one apprehended, BP agents say). And factor in the number of foreigners who overstay their visas (as many as half), becoming illegal aliens.

In Georgia, we looked at data on Emergency Alien Medicaid and other services to likely illegal aliens and concluded the number in that state is much higher than what the Census estimates.

Posted by: Donna Locke at November 29, 2007 3:54 PM