About 11.5 million illegal immigrants were in the U.S. last year, a figure that was essentially unchanged from 2010, according to the latest estimate the Homeland Security Department released Friday.
Homeland Security’s demographers said recent economic and security trends appear to have halted what had been a steady rise in illegal immigration, but haven’t significantly reversed it.
“It is unlikely that the unauthorized immigrant population increased after 2007 given relatively high U.S. unemployment, improved economic conditions in Mexico, record low numbers of apprehensions of unauthorized immigrants at U.S. borders, and greater levels of border enforcement,” the demographers said in their report.
Of the current illegal population, only 14 percent have entered the U.S. since 2005. That means the vast majority have been in the country for years, putting down the kinds of roots that immigrant-rights advocates say should earn them the chance to achieve citizenship. Those favoring stricter enforcement balk at that, however, saying it amounts to rewarding those who have broken the law the longest.
The data show that Mexicans still account for most illegal immigrants, at 6.8 million, or about 59 percent. But they are a higher percentage of late arrivals, making up 68 percent of those who came here between 2000 and 2011.
The demographers used Census Bureau data to make their estimates for the population, which was measured as of January 2011.
They provided numbers going back into the middle of the last decade, but warned that changes in census numbers make it impossible to do an exact comparison with figures before 2010.
In January 2010 the demographers estimated there were 11.6 million illegal immigrants.
© Copyright 2012 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
By Rep. Allen B. West
Expensive overreach could prove fatal if not struck down
By Dave Boyer - The Washington Times
President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed during a nearly two-hour meeting ...
By Dave Boyer - The Washington Times
President Obama on Sunday said North Korea would bring more misery on itself if it ...
By Sujoy Dhar - Special to The Washington Times
Maoist rebels in the eastern state of Odisha freed an Italian hostage Sunday after 11 ...
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Health care reform, organized medicine, physician practice management, and patient care--a real time look at the challenges facing doctors and patients in America today.
Life Happens and the Law either protects you or foils you. Here you will learn how to stay ahead of the game.
How does the Bible continue to have such an impact on modern American faith?