For the first time in roughly 20 years, the number of immigrants illegally entering the United States has decreased significantly in recent years, according to a report released this week.
According to the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center, about 300,000 immigrants illegally entered the country each year from March 2007 to March 2009. That is about two-thirds fewer than the 850,000 who crossed the border each year from 2000 to 2005, according to the report. During 2009, an estimated 11.1 million illegal immigrants were living in the U.S. representing an 8 percent decline from the 2007 peak of 12 million.
“We’ve seen a reversal in what had been a long-term growth in the unauthorized immigrant population,” Pew demographer Jeffrey Passel, who co-authored the report, told reporters.
The decrease in illegal immigrants has been attributed to increased border security and fewer job openings because of the recession. A spokesman with the Department of Homeland Security said President Obama’s increased efforts to improve border security also was a big help in keeping illegal immigrants out even though he was only in office for two months out of the two years the study reviewed.
“This administration’s unprecedented commitment of manpower, technology and infrastructure to the Southwest border has been a major factor in this dramatic drop in illegal crossings,” DHS spokesman Matt Chandler said in a statement.
Pew researchers also said the top five states to see the largest decreases in illegal immigration in 2008 and 2009 were Florida, New York, Arizona, New Jersey and California. Pew estimated California had 2.55 million illegal residents, down by 100,000, but had the second largest share of immigrants in the labor force at 9.3 percent – Nevada was first at 9.4 percent.
This report comes at a time when the debate over immigration has left those on the left pushing the president for comprehensive immigration reform and those on the right claiming the president is not doing enough to protect our borders. In the wake of Arizona’s new controversial immigration law, some Republicans have even been calling for the examination and possible repeal of the 14th Amendment, which allows children born in the United States to become U.S. citizens regardless of the citizenship status of the parents.
The immigration issue has made its way into the midterm political season and California Senate candidates Democrat Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina talked about the issue during their televised debate Wednesday night.
During the debate Fiorina said the government and Boxer increased illegal immigration by not securing the borders – obviously this report contradicts those claims. She also said she supported Arizona’s law requiring a person to show proof of citizenship if asked by police whereas Boxer said she did not support the law. Boxer said she supported comprehensive immigration reform while Fiorina said she did not want to give amnesty to people already in the U.S. illegally. Both candidates could agree on one thing: the Dream Act. The Dream Act is a proposed federal measure that would allow children who arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors to get a pathway to citizenship if they complete college or two years of military service.
The Pew report will probably intensify the debate even further but while that happens the first wave of 1,200 National Guard troops Obama ordered to deploy are making their way along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. As part of the $600 million border security funding Congress authorized last month, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also said a Predator drone was set to begin patrolling the skies along the border this week.
This study along with the increased guards and drone surveillance is a boost for Obama and his pledge to secure our borders. It shows that the security measures he is continuing and the new ones he is implementing are working. There is a long way to go to fix the immigration problem, but this report is an encouraging sign things are going in the right direction.
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Only 50 miles of the mandated double fence have been built, reducing incursions by 95%. Not one more foot is scheduled by this administration through 2011. Obama has bent over backwards to prevent the border from being secured. Now parts of Arizona have been posted for Americans to keep out because armed militant invaders control parts of Arizona to within 30 miles of Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the U.S.
Estoban, Besides your one way thinking that the Poor Migrants Destroyed and are destroying our Economy, Why don't you get EDUCATED and state the REAL FACTS, Not IGNORANCE.
Here are facts that you and your likes are not saying.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy...
This week, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) came out with a report entitled, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers, which discusses the costs of unauthorized immigration to the United States. As usual, FAIR has put out a highly misleading fiscal snapshot of the costs allegedly imposed on U.S. taxpayers by unauthorized immigrants and completely discounts the economic contributions of unauthorized workers and consumers. Moreover, FAIR inflates their costs in a variety of ways and conveniently ignores any contributions that would offset these costs.
While the publication is long and deals with a wide range of issues that warrant more dissection by credible economic experts, the trade publication Education Week has already begun the deconstruction with an item that sheds light on their misleading claims about providing English language services in schools.
Another argument FAIR makes, which makes it hard to glean what their solution would be is the high cost of deporting undocumented workers which FAIR blames on the immigrants themselves. It's a somewhat circular argument to say that the cost of undocumented immigrants includes the cost of failing law enforcement efforts. So, in essence, FAIR is saying that the deport-them-all approach costs too much money and doesn't work. Yet their "solution" is to spend even more money on enforcement.
FAIR's data is meant only to reinforce their vision of "attrition through enforcement." It is not rooted in an effort to move the immigration debate forward. Therefore, passing comprehensive immigration reform - which would yield a cumulative $1.5 trillion in added U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years - is the only sound economic decision the United States can make.
SOURCE Immigration Policy Center
Who’s behind these laws?
The Immigration Reform Law Institute, or IRLI, the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, drafted the Arizona law and most of the copycat bills. The Southern Poverty Law Center designated FAIR a hate group because of its founder’s writings, its repeated participation with white nationalist groups, and its receipt of major funding from a racist organization.
Copycat laws frequently rely on the work of attorney Kris Kobach, who works for IRLI. Kobach’s lawyering has cost localities who have hired him millions of dollars while the laws have been found unconstitutional. The Arizona law was brought forth by State Senator Russell Pearce, who the Arizona press has described as having a history of associating with neo-Nazis and sending anti-Semitic emails.
The economics of immigration, Stephen C. Goss, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration and someone who enjoys bipartisan support for his straightforwardness, said that by 2007, the Social Security trust fund had received a net benefit of somewhere between $120 billion and $240 billion from unauthorized immigrants.
That represented an astounding 5.4 percent to 10.7 percent of the trust fund's total assets of $2.24 trillion that year. The cumulative contribution is surely higher now. Unauthorized immigrants paid a net contribution of $12 billion in 2007 alone, Goss said.
Previous estimates circulating publicly and in Congress had placed the annual contributions at roughly half of Goss's 2007 figure and listed the cumulative benefit on the order of $50 billion.
The Social Security trust fund faces a solvency crisis that would be even more pressing were it not for these payments.
Adding to the Social Security irony is that the restrictionists are mostlyOLDER AND RETIRED WHITES from longtime American families. The very people, in other words, who benefit most from the Social Security payments by unauthorized immigrants.
THE FACTS ARE THAT JAN BREWER AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE DOING THIS TO GET REELECTED, HERE ARE FACTS.
1, HOW MUCH MONEY $$$$$$$ IS ALLOCATED TO ENFORCE THIS LAW?? NONE.
2, HOW MANY NEW POLICEMEN / WOMEN SHES HIRED TO HOLD AND PROCESS THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS? NONE.
3, HOW MANY NEW IMMIGRATION JUDGES SHES HIRED TO PROCESS THE THOUSANDS OF DEPORTATION CASES?? NONE.
4, HOW MANY NEW JAILS SHES BUILT TO HOLD THE THOUSANDS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS? NONE.
5, HOW MANY BUSES / PLANES SHES BROUGHT TO DEPORT THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE ORDERED BY THE IMMIGRATION JUDGES TO BE DEPORTED?? NONE.
CAN ANYONE ANSWER THESE FACTS? THE REPUBLICAN STATES ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS THEIR PLATFORM, THEY WILL LOSE BIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG TIME.
ALL ARE GODS CHILDREN. NO HUMAN IS ABOVE ANOTHER. ALL ARE CREATED BY ONE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO LOVES ALL HIS CHILDREN.
I AM NOT SAYING DON'T CLOSE THE BORDERS I AM SAYING STOP THE FOOLISH HATE AND IGNORANCE.
What both these Republicans FORGOT to Mention in their SPIN POLITICS is that
It’s all about economics! Removing undocumented workers from the U.S. would total a loss of $1.8 trillion in annual spending and $651.5 billion in annual economic output, according to a study by the economic analysis firm The Perryman Group. It would cost about $28 billion per year to apprehend illegal immigrants, $6 billion a year to detain them, $500 million for extra beds, $2 million to judicially process them and $1.6 billion to transport them home. $230 Billion is the estimated amount it would cost over the next five years to enact the scenario of the mass-deportation caucus and deport the undocumented population, according to a report by the Center for American Progress. Legalization of undocumented immigrants would significantly expand the economy—by a cumulative $1.5 trillion in gross domestic product over 10 years. A deportation approach, by contrast, would have the cumulative effect of draining $2.5 trillion over 10 years from the U.S. economy. Illegal immigrants are paying their share of taxes, they pay the same taxes as you and me when they purchase anything, They don't carry a card that says Undocumented Immigrant, DON'T CHARGE TAXES
Start looking at FACTS & NUMBERS.
Who’s behind these laws?
FOLLOW THE MONEY$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Many may want them gone, but illegal immigrants in Oklahoma can be good business.
So say county officials who handle the purse strings of some sheriff's departments in the state. Millions in revenue for transporting and detaining immigrants for the federal government have financed jobs, departments and, in some cases, entire jails.
"It's a good business plan,” said Tim Albin, chief of the services division that oversees the budget for the Tulsa County Sheriffs Department. "It allows us to bank and put money back and carry over for other things.”
Read more: http://newsok.com/jailing-immigrants-adds-funds-for-some-counties/articl...
The Immigration Reform Law Institute, or IRLI, the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, drafted the Arizona law and most of the copycat bills. The Southern Poverty Law Center designated FAIR a hate group because of its founder’s writings, its repeated participation with white nationalist groups, and its receipt of major funding from a racist organization.
Copycat laws frequently rely on the work of attorney Kris Kobach, who works for IRLI. Kobach’s lawyering has cost localities who have hired him millions of dollars while the laws have been found unconstitutional. The Arizona law was brought forth by State Senator Russell Pearce, who the Arizona press has described as having a history of associating with neo-Nazis and sending anti-Semitic emails.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy...
This week, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) came out with a report entitled, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers, which discusses the costs of unauthorized immigration to the United States. As usual, FAIR has put out a highly misleading fiscal snapshot of the costs allegedly imposed on U.S. taxpayers by unauthorized immigrants and completely discounts the economic contributions of unauthorized workers and consumers. Moreover, FAIR inflates their costs in a variety of ways and conveniently ignores any contributions that would offset these costs.
While the publication is long and deals with a wide range of issues that warrant more dissection by credible economic experts, the trade publication Education Week has already begun the deconstruction with an item that sheds light on their misleading claims about providing English language services in schools.
Another argument FAIR makes, which makes it hard to glean what their solution would be is the high cost of deporting undocumented workers which FAIR blames on the immigrants themselves. It's a somewhat circular argument to say that the cost of undocumented immigrants includes the cost of failing law enforcement efforts. So, in essence, FAIR is saying that the deport-them-all approach costs too much money and doesn't work. Yet their "solution" is to spend even more money on enforcement.
FAIR's data is meant only to reinforce their vision of "attrition through enforcement." It is not rooted in an effort to move the immigration debate forward. Therefore, passing comprehensive immigration reform - which would yield a cumulative $1.5 trillion in added U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years - is the only sound economic decision the United States can make.
SOURCE Immigration Policy Center
Who’s behind these laws?
The Immigration Reform Law Institute, or IRLI, the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, drafted the Arizona law and most of the copycat bills. The Southern Poverty Law Center designated FAIR a hate group because of its founder’s writings, its repeated participation with white nationalist groups, and its receipt of major funding from a racist organization.
Copycat laws frequently rely on the work of attorney Kris Kobach, who works for IRLI. Kobach’s lawyering has cost localities who have hired him millions of dollars while the laws have been found unconstitutional. The Arizona law was brought forth by State Senator Russell Pearce, who the Arizona press has described as having a history of associating with neo-Nazis and sending anti-Semitic emails.
Before you Scream and show Ignorance and Hate at least read the Immigration Law regarding Undocumented Immigrants. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c111807rby:e428513:
The Undocumented immigrants paying more taxes than you think!!
http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/ImmigrationCSR26.pdf
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/images/File/factcheck//EconomicsofCIRFu...
Eight million Undocumented immigrants pay Social Security, Medicare and income taxes. Denying public services to people who pay their taxes is an affront to America’s bedrock belief in fairness. But many “pull-up-the-drawbridge” politicians want to do just that when it comes to Undocumented immigrants.
The fact that Undocumented immigrants pay taxes at all will come as news to many Americans. A stunning two thirds of Undocumented immigrants pay Medicare, Social Security and personal income taxes.
Yet, nativists like Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., have popularized the notion that illegal aliens are a colossal drain on the nation’s hospitals, schools and welfare programs — consuming services that they don’t pay for.
In reality, the 1996 welfare reform bill disqualified Undocumented immigrants from nearly all means tested government programs including food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare-funded hospitalization.
The only services that illegals can still get are emergency medical care and K-12 education. Nevertheless, Tancredo and his ilk pushed a bill through the House criminalizing all aid to illegal aliens — even private acts of charity by priests, nurses and social workers.
Potentially, any soup kitchen that offers so much as a free lunch to an illegal could face up to five years in prison and seizure of assets. The Senate bill that recently collapsed would have tempered these draconian measures against private aid.
But no one — Democrat or Republican — seems to oppose the idea of withholding public services. Earlier this year, Congress passed a law that requires everyone who gets Medicaid — the government-funded health care program for the poor — to offer proof of U.S. citizenship so we can avoid “theft of these benefits by illegal aliens,” as Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., puts it. But, immigrants aren’t flocking to the United States to mooch off the government.
According to a study by the Urban Institute, the 1996 welfare reform effort dramatically reduced the use of welfare by undocumented immigrant households, exactly as intended. And another vital thing happened in 1996: the Internal Revenue Service began issuing identification numbers to enable illegal immigrants who don’t have Social Security numbers to file taxes.
One might have imagined that those fearing deportation or confronting the prospect of paying for their safety net through their own meager wages would take a pass on the IRS’ scheme. Not so. Close to 8 million of the 12 million or so illegal aliens in the country today file personal income taxes using these numbers, contributing billions to federal coffers.
No doubt they hope that this will one day help them acquire legal status — a plaintive expression of their desire to play by the rules and come out of the shadows. What’s more, aliens who are not self-employed have Social Security and Medicare taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks.
Since undocumented workers have only fake numbers, they’ll never be able to collect the benefits these taxes are meant to pay for. Last year, the revenues from these fake numbers — that the Social Security administration stashes in the “earnings suspense file” — added up to 10 percent of the Social Security surplus.
The file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year. Beyond federal taxes, all illegals automatically pay state sales taxes that contribute toward the upkeep of public facilities such as roads that they use, and property taxes through their rent that contribute toward the schooling of their children.
The non-partisan National Research Council found that when the taxes paid by the children of low-skilled immigrant families — most of whom are illegal — are factored in, they contribute on average $80,000 more to federal coffers than they consume. Yes, many illegal migrants impose a strain on border communities on whose doorstep they first arrive, broke and unemployed.
To solve this problem equitably, these communities ought to receive the surplus taxes that federal government collects from immigrants. But the real reason border communities are strained is the lack of a guest worker program.
Such a program would match willing workers with willing employers in advance so that they wouldn’t be stuck for long periods where they disembark while searching for jobs. The cost of undocumented aliens is an issue that immigrant bashers have created to whip up indignation against people they don’t want here in the first place.
With the Senate having just returned from yet another vacation and promising to revisit the stalled immigration bill, politicians ought to set the record straight: Illegals are not milking the government. If anything, it is the other way around.
The Undocumented Immigrants pay the exact same amount of taxes like you and me when they buy Things, rent a house, fill up gas, drink a beer or wine, buy appliances, play the states lottery and mega millions . Below are the links to just a few sites that will show you exactly how much tax you or the Undocumented Immigrant pays , so you see they are NOT FREELOADERS, THEY PAY TAXES AND TOLLS Exactly the same as you, Now if you take out 10% from your states /city Budget what will your city/state look like financially ?
Stop your folly thinking , you are wise USE YOUR WISDOM to see the reality. They pay more taxes than you think, Including FEDERAL INCOME TAX using a ITN Number that is given to them by the IRS, Social Security Taxes and State taxes that are withheld form their paychecks automatically.
Taxes, paid by You & the Undocumented are the same in each state check your state : http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales.html
GAS Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same. Go to and check out your states tax; http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp
Cigarette Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same, check this out in : http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/cigarett.html
Clothing Sales Taxes, are the same paid by you & the Undocumented Immigrant; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States
City Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented, since he pays rent and the LANDLORD pays the city : http://www.town-usa.com/statetax/statetaxlist.html
Beer Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented: http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/beer.html
TAX DATA : http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/245.html
Moments after signing Arizona's tough new immigration law in April, Gov. Jan Brewer was asked WHAT A ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LOOKS LIKE????
The question, posed during a news conference that was broadcast live on TV, seemed to catch Brewer off guard. After a long pause, she said, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT A ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LOOKS LIKE. I can tell you that there are people in Arizona that ASS-U-ME they know what an illegal immigrant looks like. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY KNOW THAT FOR A FACT OR NOT."
Her answer cut to the very heart of the controversy surrounding the law, which takes effect July 29. Although there are many people who assume they know what an illegal immigrant looks like, the fact is, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to tell a person's immigration status by appearance, experts say.
So despite assurances to the contrary, some civil-rights groups and others fear that enforcement of the law will lead to racial profiling. Several lawsuits already raise worries of civil-rights violations, and a group of Arizona law professors concluded the law authorizes enforcement based on ethnicity. That, they allege, would mean officers would end up harassing and possibly detaining people who aren't illegal immigrants.
The vast majority of illegal immigrants are Hispanic. But most Hispanics in Arizona are not illegal immigrants - they are legal residents or U.S. citizens, many with roots dating back generations.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/07/18/201007...
Facts are Facts. The GOP DESTROYED the ECONOMY. Here are the Facts
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy...
Congress should consider the benefits of granting undocumented students a higher education. Most of these students have been in the United States for most of their lives and no other home. They should be granted their wish to give back to their communities. Also many people do not realize that applying for citizenship can be a difficult process that sometimes leaves undocumented immigrants with no other status than that: undocumented. This should be considered before attacking people for their lack of documentation. These students that would benefit from the DREAM Act do not pose a threat to our community. Dreamers are by no means trying to take anything away from anyone. It is a greater cost to the United States to not let so many apt and willing students to continue their education and become beneficial members of society. The DREAM Act should be passed.
the comments were longer than the story.
Every single alien "BROKE THE LAW!" Our Government, has allowed the invasion of 20 to 30 million criminals which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution. They allow the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders children, free medical care, the invaders break numerous laws,massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture & standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens WAKE UP PEOPLE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsH8xvjTAlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btj6IeOFkis&feature=player_embedded
http://immigrationcounters.com/
http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp
http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/
http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frosty580.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KcwIy_fQuU&feature=player_embedded
Every Non-representing representative, up to and including obama and holder need to be IMPEACHED! for not upholding the oath of office that they swore to uphold and defend the Constitution! If these clowns were to do their job, this would all be a Moot point!
Yeah they broke the law for nearly twenty eight years, they slaved here, laboring hard for America, living in poverty yet being happy and proud to be part of "The Greatest Country on Earth."
Many of them saved for years to risk all coming to America. Their Hard Devoted Labor was the Foundation/Bone of America's Total Economy!
This Hard Labor Supports all other American Jobs!
I beleive now "We The People " should put certain Polititians, their White Supremacist and Nazi' Buddies out in the Feilds Working Hard For America.
Then if we could only turn Back Time to before the mid 2007 Beginning of the Mass Exodus of America's Hardest Most Devoted Workers, and the Forclosur Crisis of their dweelings, the now massive excesses of Government Services in these States Our Economy Would Still Be "Strong"!
"Let he who is with out sin cast the first stone." J.C.
To Good and Brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
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