"Technology writer Robert X. Cringely has a column on the use of credit reporting data to get a fix on the number of illegal aliens in the U.S.:
While politicians and the U.S. Census Bureau may disagree on how many illegal aliens are living in the United States, the big credit reporting agencies have a pretty solid handle on the number and it is 17 million. That's 17 million adults of unproved nationality who have ongoing financial relationships with businesses or - believe it or not - governments.
It's likely that there is some duplication in this total number, that is an illegal alien who is counted twice because he has, for example, a different relationship with his electric utility than he does with his phone company. But since the 17 million figure doesn't include children, the two are likely to wash out and 17 million is probably pretty darned close to the real number."
sw
Thank you for posting something that actually resembles evidence. I have no great problem with 17M, which is roughly 50% more than the the “official” number. My beef is with those who claim 20M, 30M or 40M without bothering to post anything resembling proof to back up their extravagant assertions.
I am aware that children of illegals are not typically included in the count, but since those born in this country are considered native-born Americans under present interpretation of the law, many children of illegal aliens actually aren’t illegal themselves.
Whether this interpretation should be changed is a whole other issue.