Detained immigrants are patted down at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's facility in Broadview, Ill. (Brian Kersey/AP)
by Dave Marcus
A conservative think tank's announcement that illegal immigration to New York and other states is dropping dramatically has ignited a debate about the size of America's population of undocumented workers.
The Center for Immigration Studies, which calls for tighter enforcement of immigration laws, estimated yesterday that illegal immigration plunged across the country by 11 percent in the past year. "This may be due to the economy, or it may be due to the fact that places like Long Island have become more enforcement-oriented," said Steven Camarota, the group's research director.
Organizations that support immigrants' rights criticize the counting methods and deride the report as unscientific. "It's wishful thinking that as the economy gets worse, as we throw more money on the border and as the presidential candidates stop talking about it, somehow that'll solve illegal immigration," said Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
The controversial report, "Homeward Bound," puts the number of undocumented residents nationwide at 11.2 million, 1.3 million fewer than last summer. At that rate, that number would be halved in five years, the report add.
Dave Marcus writes for Newsday. Read the full story on the immigration report at www.newsday.com.
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Comments
I support immigrants' rights too. I guarantee "Zook" isn't Navajo or Sioux. What I don't support is word gymnastics - like "undocumented worker."
Illegal aliens, unwittingly or otherwise, drive down lawful worker pay and benefits. Whether it's the foreigner walking the docks in Fort Lauderdale inbetween crew gigs or the foreigner standing at the corner of the local Home Depot. They both are working here illegally and are working for less because they don't pay taxes. And the people hiring them are just as complicit as the people doing the work. One needs to be deported, the other needs to be prosecuted.
Posted by: Zook | July 31, 2008 8:17 AM
Well of course migration inbound is down.
The economy is in the tank.
Hello.
Posted by: ornery | July 31, 2008 8:46 AM
I get my news on Illegal aliens status from Lou Dobbs, I don't agree with everything he says about others, but he's got this one nailed, this one includes the stuff on Mayor of San FRancisco Gavin Newsom for supporting illegals as he has.
I thought that illegals only took farm jobs so I never gave it much thought, then I find that they have taken all sorts of jobs, including very good paying construction worker jobs. I feel that going after companies who hire, is most of it, but ICE takes care of the crimes aspect of it.
I support the law, people need to go thru the system as everyone else does. I don't have a problem with them fixing that process to help some not have to wait so long, but I think everyone should speak ENGLISH.
Posted by: Pollyanna | July 31, 2008 6:12 PM
Why does this article call the CIS conservative? . How does the conservative label apply? Back when Democrat's were against amnesty and illegal immigration, were they conservative? If so what are Republican's that are for amnesty and illegal immigration?
I'd like to thank CIS for their work, I guess I will take another look at conservativism, it appears to be more appealing then the alternatives now.
The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.
Posted by: win | August 6, 2008 4:16 PM