Illegal immigration declines sharply in California, across the country, report says

After years of rapid growth, illegal immigration is slowing down in California and across the country, with the state’s share of the nation’s estimated 11.1 million undocumented immigrants dropping to 23% from 42% in 1990, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The slowdown in California mirrors the overall reduction in the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S, according the study by the Pew Hispanic Center. The number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. dropped to 11.1 million in 2009 from a peak of 12 million in 2007 – what the study’s researchers called the “first significant reversal” in illegal immigrant growth over the last two decades.

Fewer illegal immigrants came to the U.S. every year between 2007 and 2009 than in the years in the first half of the decade, the study found. About 300,000 illegal immigrants entered the U.S. each year between 2007 and 2009, a drop from the 850,000 new unauthorized immigrants that entered each year between 2000 and 2005.

The study, which is drawn largely from Census data and labor statistics, cited the recession and increased border enforcement as possible reasons for the slowdown. Several South Atlantic states between Delaware and Georgia that have become new immigrant magnets in recent years have also seen a decline in its illegal migrant population, according to the study.

California still has the largest concentration of illegal immigrants in the nation with 2.6 million, which is about 1 million more living in the state than in 1990, according to the report.

The study echoes the findings of a report issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which concluded that illegal immigration had declined by nearly 1 million between 2008 and 2009. This was the second consecutive year of decline and sharpest decrease in at least three decades.

-- My-Thuan Tran

Comments

[pasquino]

Report and Deport. Time to get rid of the rest of them.

[Matt]

Calif has 2.6 million illegals? Whoever thinks they are not a burden pushing the state into bankruptcy must also think that we can just print money to pay for their EBT cards, welfare, medical benefits, and education. They tried printing money in Zimbabwe and the result was 10,000% inflation. I'm so glad we rejected a parcel tax in Pasadena for the school district and their illegal students.

[emenot]

im sick of hearing Immigrants are the problem to this states recesion if only you guys would offer them job permits they can start paying the state taxes. Its rediculous to blame them for not being able to pay taxes

Posted by: Isaias

Isaias:

I much rather these jobs goes to our teenagers for job expericence with school credit or as pocket change or college fund than to ILLEGALS! OUR YOUNGSTER CAN ALSO PAY TAXES as when I was young!!!

[nosanctuary1]

Illegal immigration may be down but the mix has changed. Way more criminal drug cartel gangs and probably more terrorists proportionately than past years.

Stop the border invasion now. Secure the border with a 2000 mile continuous wall with state of the art systems and 20,000 troops with loaded weapons ready for anything.

[Matt]

It seems like a lot of people just assume every Mexican or dark skinned person for that matter, they see is illegal. Hello, this was Mexico before it was America idiots. Considering the way we apparently feel about one another in America it is no wonder why we suffer. We deserve it!

[KrissinLA]

It's very simple... Enforce laws that are on the books... Actually go and detain illegals when you are called by a concerned citizen who is actually witnessing a crime being commited by an obvious illegal... Deport all, including their anchor babies(sorry they aren't my responsibility, I already paid for them to be born)and we may be on our way to a good start. And while we are at it, let's either jail, or revolk citizenship from the radical LARaza leaders who are preaching their crap at the schools. LaRaza is preaching violence... Nah let's just turn a blind eye as usual.

[Steve]

You have to credit the media coverage of Arizona bill 1070. This made the illegals think twice about whether the tide was going to turn against them. Unfortunately, much of that momentum was lost when the federal court ruled unjustly on the enforcability of it.

[Chris]

California Check your rights.
The so called leaders of California are fighting the new Arizona Immigration Law. Well, take a good look at our laws here in California . We are telling Arizona
that theyare Racists and will be racial profiling. Read California Penal Code 834b. We are violating our own State Laws by not enforcing

California Penal Code 834b.

You have had the same law for many years and NO ONE has been protesting Your law. WHY IS THAT?

834b

. (a) Every law enforcement agency in California
shall fully cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service
regarding any person who is arrested if he or she is suspected of being present
in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.
(b) With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present
in the United States in violation of federal immigration Laws, every law enforcement
agency shall do the following:

(1) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United
States , an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien Lawfully admitted
for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States
in violation of immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall
not be limited to, Questioning the person regarding his or her date and place of
birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate
His or Her legal status.

(2) Notify the person of his or her apparent status as an alien who is present
in the United States in violation of Federal immigration laws and inform him or
her that, apart from any criminal justice proceedings, he or she must either
obtain legal status Or leave the United States .

(3) Notify the Attorney General of California and the United States Immigration
and Naturalization Service of the apparent illegal status and provide any additional
information That may be requested by any other public entity. (c) Any legislative,
Administrative, or other action by a city, county, or other legally Authorized local
governmental entity with jurisdictional boundaries, or By a law enforcement agency,
to prevent or limit the cooperation Required by subdivision (a) is expressly prohibited.

The day we lose our will to fight is the day we lose our freedom! GOD BLESS AMERICA

[Brittanicus]

Is 2010 shaping up to be an Anti-Incumbent, Anti-Liberal or Anti-Democratic year, beginning with First Martha Coakley? Is this the year of anti-tax and spend? Smaller government and returning the power back to each state and the people. Is this the genesis of politicians working for the people and not for the special interests and open border lobbyists. Only time will tell and its inception is the November midterm elections?

Perhaps not the best person to be witted against Sen. Harry Reid, but Candidate Sharron Angle did NOT dismantle E-Verify, illegal worker verification system, implemented by the Social Security administration and Homeland security databases. Reid is also a confirmed Pro-Amnesty lawmaker, when his own state of Nevada is suffering chronic unemployment and a withering state deficit.

Like Arizona, Nevada has a very large population of illegal immigrant households that have been continuously nibbling at the public welfare programs across the country. Whereas, Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer along with state Senator Russell Peirce have enacted laws such as SB 1070, to try to inhibit the illegal immigration invasion. The omnibus Consolidated Appropriations bill includes a little-known provision that guts the major provisions of the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This provision -- buried on page 123 of Division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. It is my analysis that if the 2006 Secure Fence act had not been amended, to a single fence the growing occupancy of illegal aliens would not have happened to the 18 and up population. Sen. Reid has done nothing to safeguard his state from being overrun by illegal alien families working in the entertainment and service industries. With 15 million American workers jobless nationwide, why hasn't read made E-Verify permanent?

Senator Reid voted--YES--on Comprehensive Immigration Reform--AMNESTY.(Bill S.1639 ; on Jun 28, 2007) Voted--NO--on declaring English as the official language of the US Government (Bill S.Amdt.1151 to S.1348 ; on Jun 6, 2007) Voted--NO--on building a Fence along the Mexican Border (Bill H R 6061 ; on Sep 29, 2006) Voting--YES--establishes a guest worker program with a path to citizenship for illegal aliens who have worked in the US for 5 years. ( Bill S. 2611 ; vote number 2006-157 on May 25, 2006) Voted--YES--on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security ( Bill S.Amdt.3985 to S.2611 ; vote number 2006-130 on May 18, 2006 )Voted--Yes--on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship.( Bill S.Amdt.3969 to S.2611 ; on May 18, 2006) Voted--YES--on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work ( Bill S.2260 ; on Jul 23, 1998)

Voted--NON--on limiting welfare to Immigrants ( Bill S.947 ; on Jun 24, 1997 ) Reid has an open border immigration record with NumberUSA and Fair and needs to be recognized as a danger to America. Like so many other Liberal Democrats they are selling themselves for votes in the coming midterm election. Like all incumbents’ governors, mayors and elected official he and those advocating Amnesty and a trillion dollar welfare nightmare for taxpayers, needs to be levered from his nice comfy seat in the Senate.

Call your Senator or Representative at 202-224-3121.and inform them you’re watching them on illegal immigration. We better be on our toes in November, because in large illegal alien states they will violate the law and vote for lawmakers such as Sen. Harry Reid.

[Vicki Stanton]

Not good enough. We don't want to see a "decline in the number of illegal aliens coming in", we want to see them moving out! Show us THOSE numbers!

[carol]

THE US PRACTICALLY Had to go bankrupt for this to happen. The Government should do there job, and it should have stopped YEARS AGO.

[John]

You people really are stupid. Don't you understand that immigrants who work in meat packing factories, or out in the fields get paid considerably less, thus lower prices at the grocery store. And immigrants also pay sales taxes if you weren't sure, many also pay income taxes and get much more little in return. Seriously; all you anti-immigrant hate-mongerers are just a bunch of bigots

[Richard Long]

if you pay an american to pick lettuce $20/hr (as opposed to $8/hr to present pickers) the price of lettuce will go up a whopping 12 cents. (if they can pick 10 heads in an hour).

and all of a sudden hundreds of thousands of americans have good paying jobs.

simple.

[JC]

HELLO THE ONLY THING WORKING IS THE RECESSION.... NO JOBS NO REASON TO BE HERE.....WHAT A SMART BUNCH Y'ALL ARE!!!

[samantha]

this is based on recent census data??? if i was here illegally I don't think i would be filling out census data on myself or my family.... so that should tell you just how accurate those figures really are...... why do you think California is broke? been broken for a long time. While the majority works and keeps paying more and more taxes, these illegals can be supported with our programs - If you let people continue to take and take from the "kitty" without them ever contributing to the "kitty" what can be the outcome? You're looking at it.

[emenot]

I have no problem with legal immigrations, infact I welcome them! I do however, am majorly PISSED OFF with ILLEGALS!

AMERICA WAS, IS AND HOPEFULLY WILL WELCOME LEGAL IMMIGRATION. LETS HOPE THE ILLEGALS WILL NOT SPOIL THIS SENTIMENT AND OUR HISTORY!!!

[Juan de la Cruz]

Propaganda. Pure fabrication. Misinformation. They are setting free tens of thousand individuals waiting for deportation. Blanket amnesty is right around the corner!

[Fatdog]

All you need to do is go to any school in any energency room any jail any food bank on any bus, Home Depot,welfare office,DMV,social security administration
(they get SSI) you will see the numbers are going up not down.

[olthadi]

If you're still pressing one for English, it ain't dropped enough.

[Tom Stone]

Thanks to the Dems in Sacremento, the economy in California is finally WORSE than Mexico.

[Tom Stone]

Thanks to the Dems in Sacremento, the economy in California is finally WORSE than Mexico.

[William S.]

If the Times says anything to do with Illegal immigration don't believe it for a second. They'll be the platinum sponsor for the illegal immigration convention and trade show held in their lobby.

[Jack]

Once again I see all the bigotry of Americans with no clue posting here.

Cheers to your $14 orange juice and $200 lawn mowing.

The land of compassion and freedom ?

Not any more. No wonder no one - even tourists don't want to come to such an arrogant country anymore.

Let's watch Arizona crumble into dust and their economy tank into the ocean as "illegals" don't feel like it is home anymore and see how arrogant you all are then.
.

[rjjrdq]

That 10-12 million number has been used since G.W. Bush's first term. Still being used. Get your facts straight.

[AS]

"Pew Hispanic Center"

Ya I'm sure they didn’t fudge the number at all. Less illegal’s means less protest and possibility of easier amnesty. Nice try Pew center, Of course ABC, NBC & CBS will be all over this stating how true it is. and as for the "U.S. Department of Obamaland Security" Whatever....