How many illegal immigrants live in the USA and what is known about them

The issue of illegal immigrants has been the focus of American elections since the 2016 year, causing heated debate in all parts of the political spectrum. Here are a few facts to know about undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

Фото: Depositphotos

It is difficult to determine the number of illegal residents of the United States. Estimates vary depending on the methodology used. Although anti-immigrant groups claim that the flow of illegal immigrants has increased, estimates show that over a longer period their number has declined. Also, as notes Policy 2020 BrookingsIt is often overlooked that many illegal immigrants pay payroll taxes and sales taxes.

According to people who are in the country illegally

It is difficult to determine the true size of the illegal population because people in the United States without legal status are reluctant to report it. The first step researchers use to estimate is to obtain data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS survey). It surveys more than 2 million households a year, asking people where they were born and whether they are U.S. citizens, but not asking whether they are in the country illegally. This gives an understanding of the total "foreign" population.

The next step is to subtract from this sum the number of foreign-born residents who are known to be in America legally. These include naturalized citizens, green card holders and refugees. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) keeps careful records of the first two groups, and the Department of Health and Human Services keeps an equally careful record of the third. As a result, it becomes possible to estimate the number of US residents without legal status.

Of course, not all illegal residents take surveys, and for good reason - they don't want to be found out. Thus, most estimates suggest that there is an "undercount." Pew Research relies in part on survey and census data from Mexico. They estimate that the undercount ranges from 5 to 15 percent, which is added to the resulting number of undocumented immigrants. DHS estimates the undercount to be 10% and adjusts its estimates accordingly.

The size of the count is a matter of debate. Opponents of illegal immigration, such as the FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform), argue that there are actually more underestimates. To get their grades, they analyze other data, such as the percentage of migrants who did not attend the immigration hearings, and those who had expired their visas.

On the subject: Interesting statistics: how the number of illegal immigrants in the USA has changed in 2019

So what are the numbers?

The number of illegal immigrants varies depending on the methodology used, and there is also a lag in estimates because accurate data takes time to obtain. The most recent estimate released by DHS's Office of Immigration Statistics was received in December 2018. According to these data, as of January 1, 2015, there were 11,96 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Pew Research's latest estimates put the total number of unauthorized immigrants at 10,5 million in 2017. Overall, this represents a minority of the foreign-born population, which numbered 2017 million in 44,5, 45% of whom are naturalized citizens and 27% are legal permanent residents.

Although anti-immigrant groups claim that the flow of illegal immigrants has increased, estimates show that over a longer period, the number of illegal immigrants has decreased from 12,2 million in 2005 to 10,5 million in 2017, according to Pew Research estimates. DHS data does not go beyond the 2015 year, but according to their estimates, the number of undocumented immigrants increased by 70 000 people per year from 2010 to 2015 year compared to 470 000 people per year from 2000 to 2007 year.

Who are they

Immigrants from Mexico recently made up less than half of the undocumented population for the first time since 1990. In 2017, about 4,95 million of the 10,5 million undocumented immigrants were from Mexico, 1,9 million from Central America and 1,45 million from Asia, according to Pew Research. About two-thirds of undocumented immigrants stay in the United States for 10 years or longer. In 2017, only 20% of undocumented adult immigrants had lived in the United States for 5 years or less.

Although U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric has focused largely on building a wall on the Mexican border, illegal migration since 2010 has shifted from border crossings to visa overstays—the latter accounting for a larger share than border crossings since 2010. The Center for Migration Studies estimates that in 2016, 62% of illegal immigrants were in the U.S. after their visas expired, versus 38% of those who crossed the border illegally.

Another controversy is how much illegal immigrants cost the system. It is often overlooked that illegal immigrants are taxpayers. The anti-immigrant lobby tends to ignore the money that immigrants often pay in the form of wages and sales taxes, considering the money spent on educating children of immigrants born in the United States. Numbers vary widely depending on the source, but illegal immigrants are not eligible to participate in most federal benefit programs, including supplementary nutrition programs. When assessing the cost of illegal immigration, you need to make sure that the argument takes into account both the benefits consumed and the taxes paid.

On the subject: 'Despair is everywhere': in the 2019 year in the USA, they were separated from their parents and 70 000 illegal children were detained

What about Dreamers?

President Obama has introduced the Deferred Arrival of Children (DACA) Program to allow many illegal immigrants who have arrived in the U.S. before the 16 anniversary to work in the U.S. and to postpone any immigration activities for a renewable two-year period. Around 800 000 immigrants have been covered by the DACA since its implementation; 690 000 currently remain in the program. According to Pew Research, the gap is approximately 70 000 people who decided not to renew the program or their applications were rejected, and 40 000, who were able to get a green card. Currently, USCIS does not accept any new applications, so the number of Dreamers is unlikely to increase.

Read also on ForumDaily:

The fate of the 'dreamers' in the balance: what the US Supreme Court thinks about the abolition of DACA

'Despair is everywhere': in the 2019 year in the USA, they were separated from their parents and 70 000 illegal children were detained

They tried to help, and now they face prison: stories of volunteers who saved immigrants

USCIS raises immigration prices: application for naturalization will almost double in price

Interesting statistics: how the number of illegal immigrants in the USA has changed in 2019

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.