Friday, February 12, 2010
Not only did economic growth and job opportunities plummet during the Great Recession, but so did illegal immigration. The Department of Homeland Security has released new statistics showing the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. fell from 11.6 million in 2008 to 10.8 million in 2009, one of the steepest drops in years.
California, a magnet for illegal aliens, saw its total fall by 200,000 in the same time span. Other states that experienced a drop included Arizona, Florida and New York. Only Georgia witnessed an increase, from 460,000 to 480,000.
Some immigration experts attributed the national drop to the weak economy, which discouraged foreign workers from entering the country. Others say it was due to illegals already in the U.S. leaving the country, either voluntarily or through deportation.
The majority of illegal immigrants have lived in the United States for ten years or more, and the majority are from Mexico.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Illegal Immigrant Population in U.S. Plummets, According to a New Report (by Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times)
Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2009 (Office of Immigration Statistics) (pdf)
U.S. Illegal Immigrant Population Declines for Second Year (by Spencer Hsu, Washington Post)
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