The amazing thing about this statement is that the writer claims to know! With the Census and practically every other agency of USG lying vigorously about every population, crime, or economic statistic that people use to make political and voting decisions, neither the writer nor anyone else can trust government numbers on immigration and demographics.
The real number of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. is much higher than those bruited by the Census Bureau. You have all the persons amnestied in 1986, to begin with, and then all the subsequent illegal immigrants. Including just their first generation descendants, you're talking about upward of 30,000,000 people. That is a hell of a lot of people!
And what do you do with children born in transit or on US soil? They grow up culturally Mexican in Mexican households; just how strong is their claim either to US citizenship or to an American cultural identity? They aren't like fifth- or sixth-generation Mexican immigrants from the 19th- and early-20th-century immigration wave. Much less do they resemble the Spanish populations that became American by reason of Texas independence (Mexico ruled Texas for only 14 years) or, 12 years later, the Mexican War.
The political grito "the border crossed us" applies only to the Spanish settlers in Texas, New Mexico, and California who became US nationals by war and treaty. And, arguably, Florida, the Louisiana Territory, and Puerto Rico. All of whom are long dead!
I agree the exact numbers of the varied nationalities are unknown.
But there can be no doubt that there are MANY illegals here from countries other than Mexico, or even other parts of South America.
I have met/worked with illegal Russians, (white) South Africans, Irish, English, Germans, Koreans, and French.
They did not even bother to hide their status, some virtually bragged of it.
They seemed to feel that since they were “white”, spoke english fluently (even the Korean guy!) and were not involved in drug dealing that they had nothing to fear from INS.
So far as I know none of them were ever deported.
I know the So. African guy married an American gal and then got his green-card.
If the Mexicans (So. Americans) would actually make an effort to become AMERICAN, with the ability to speak clear English, work decently hard instead of mooching everything they can, and not import their criminal culture, most Americans would not be so hostile to them.
Personally, I want them ALL gone, regardless of where they originate, how hard they work, how little crime they commit, etc.
ILLEGAL should = DEPORTED!