- WASHINGTON -- A new report
by the Center for Immigration Studies examines the size, growth, and characteristics
of the nation's immigrant, or foreign-born, population as of March 2007.
The reported provides a detailed picture of overall immigrant population,
and of the illegal immigrant population specifically.
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- The report, "Immigrants in the United States, 2007:
A Profile of America's Foreign-Born Population," is online at <http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/back1007.html>http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/back1007.html
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- Among the report's findings:
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- # The immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached
a record of 37.9 million in 2007.
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- # Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents,
the highest level in 80 years.
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- # 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.
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- # 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.
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- # 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.
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- # 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.
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- # 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.
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- # 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.
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- # 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.
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- # Of immigrant households, 82 percent have at least one
worker, compared to 73 percent of native households.
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- # 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.
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- # There is a worker present in 78 percent of immigrant
households using at least one welfare program.
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- # 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.
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- # Immigrants and natives have similar rates of entrepreneurship
- 13 percent of natives and 11 percent of immigrants are self-employed.
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- # 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.
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- # Detailed information is provided for Texas, California,
Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Washington,
Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland.
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- Data Source: The Current Population Survey provides the
data for the study. It was collected by the Census Bureau in March 2007
and has not been fully analyzed until now. 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. This allows for separate estimates of the size and characteristics
of the illegal immigrant population.
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- For more information, contact the author of the report,
Steven Camarota, the Director of Research at the Center for Immigration
Studies, at (202) 466-8185 or <mailto:sac@cis.org>sac@cis.org .
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- # # #
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- The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent
research institute
- which examines the impact of immigration on the United
States.
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- Support the Center by donating on line here: <http://www.cis.org/support.html>http://www.cis.org/support.html
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- ATTN Federal employees: The Center's Combined Federal
Campaign number is 10298.
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- Center for Immigration Studies
- 1522 K St. NW, Suite 820
- Washington, DC 20005
- (202) 466-8185 fax: (202) 466-8076
- center@cis.org <http://www.cis.org>www.cis.org
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