Posted on 09/01/2010 10:09:01 AM PDT by freespirited
The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States has plunged by almost two-thirds in the past decade, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to a new report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Between 2000 and 2005, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000.
The sharp drop-off has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 8.9 million came from Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Virginia, Florida and Nevada were among the states with steepest declines in their populations of illegal immigrants.
The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.
Douglas Massey, a Princeton University sociologist who studies migration, said the recession and lack of jobs are major factors in the decline of those entering the country illegally.
The unemployment rate for unauthorized immigrants is 10.4 percent higher than that of either U.S.-born residents or legal immigrants, the Pew report said.
Massey said other likely reasons for the decline include an increase in law enforcement and deportations, and enactment of stricter legislation against illegal immigrants. He also pointed to more guest-worker spots, from 104,000 in 2000 to 302,000 in 2009 -- allowing more immigrants to come to the United States legally.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Not down far enough to suit me.
waaaaaaaaaay too many wetbacks still leach of the USA
They can’t track it, so how do they know?
1. Identify the answer since it can’t be verified.
2. Generate the answer.
BS
The one good thing about Obamanomics I guess.
Pew Research pollster: Are you an illegal alien?
Illegal alien: Si, senor!
It had to slow down eventually. Sooner or later, there won’t be anyone left in Mexico since most of them are already here.
Are there any numbers for how many are leaving???? This still reads like a one-way street map.
I don’t believe they have an accurate way to count them, so the numbers are probably bogus.
If this were true, why is Arizona being taken over by illegals and our government does nothing? It is fast getting to the point that our military will have to go in there and take the state back. In fact, I would like to see them do a clean sweep of the state.
Exactly.
The same guy who came up the 67% was probably the same guy who said there were 89,000 at the Restore America rally.
that means it is up 67%
Yep.
Changing the universe to fit the equation.......
Well thats because everyone is here now...
If it IS down, then now’s the ideal time to militarize the border and build the wall. Once the economy rebounds, the number of those trying to get back in will surely rise.
BS! How would they know that? They don’t get near the borders much less have “checkers”.
The government employees Post is at it again.
No wall required. Build a 1 mile deep mine field.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.