After Crackdown, Number of Illegal Immigrants Declines

Washington Post ^ | July 30, 2008 | N.C. Aizenman

[3AngelaD]

The flow of illegal immigrants into the country appears to have declined over the last year, at least partly due to the chilling effect of stepped-up enforcement, according to a report released today by a Washington think tank that advocates stricter limits on immigration. The study by the Center for Immigration Studies based its findings on Census data indicating that the number of less-educated, working-aged Hispanic immigrants--defined as 18- to 40-year-olds with a high school diploma or less--has dropped by more than 10 percent, or about 830,000 people since last August.

Previous research suggests that a large share of less-educated foreigners are in the country illegally, and that they make up the bulk of the illegal immigrant population. Furthermore, while earlier declines in the number of these Hispanic immigrants have been linked to a rise in their unemployment rate, the current drop-off began last year almost immediately after the Congress abandoned legislation to legalize undocumented immigrants and six months before there was any significant rise in their unemployment rate.

During the same period, the number of foreigners who were more educated or non-Hispanic--and therefore far less likely to be illegal immigrants--continued to rise or hold steady.

"The evidence is consistent with the idea that at least initially more robust enforcement caused the number of illegal immigrants to decline significantly," said Steven A. Camarota, one of the study's authors. "Some people seem to think illegals are so permanently anchored in the United States that there is no possibility of them leaving. . . . This suggests they're not correct. Some significant share might respond to changing incentives and leave...."

[Slapshot68]

Ahhh...Ahhh....AHHHHH...BULLSH-T!!! Excuse me.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“...at least partly due to the chilling effect of stepped-up enforcement...”

Wow! Actually enforcing existing laws work? Who knew? ;)

[snowman1]

Thats still just a drop in the bucket, there’s still too many illegals in the country.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

I think the economic slowdown has more to do with it than the meager enforcement actions of ICE.

There are fewer and fewer jobs...at least that what Pedro is writing back home about.

Dohne come...ees no hobs for djoo.

[Clemenza]

They've been declining in the outer boroughs of NYC over the past five years, but that has more to do with high rents, even in the ghetto, than anything else.

Here in Central NJ, the population looks stable, but we are not having a continued influx.

[surely_you_jest]

“And, in other news, scientists have found that the sun rises in the east. Film at eleven.”

[Oldeconomybuyer]

“It’s the economy, stupid”.

[AbeKrieger]

I heard Mexico was running low on their primary export - felons.

[ArmstedFragg]

We've been seeing a noticeable reduction in the stupid sector of the populace around here. The weekly hit-and-run accidents at my intersection have become monthly hit-and-run accidents. One of the local police departments did a license check last week, though, and discovered one out of 12 had no license, pretty much all of them illegals. Still too high if you ask me.