I read news articles all day long, and have never read any reporting on the reason for this number: 12 million. Still looking for an explanation. It reminds me of the numbers thrown around about homeless in America. In many cities, an accurate survey could be done any night when the temperature goes below freezing. Every agency and charitable group who house the homeless on these occasions could report the exact number that they sheltered during the severe weather.
The police could check "under bridges" for hard-core street sleepers. Et voila: an accurate number. No one seems interested in doing this bit of practical census-taking.
That 11 or 12 million number defies common sense, as if they weren't pouring over the border every day. Closer to double those numbers.
The Republican platform in either 1980 or 1984 (you can find it on PatriotPost) references 12 million illegal immigrants. If it was 12 million over 20 years ago it must be at least twice that now.