The Washington, D.C-based Migration Policy Institute released “An Analysis of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States by Country and Region of Birth.” It’s based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
Some of the findings may not surprise you. Mexicans represent 56 percent of the total. 15 percent come from Central America and 14% from Asia. The report finds that while the illegal population doubled in the 1990s from 3.5 million to 7 million, peaking at about 12.2 million people in 2007, it has since fallen by about one million (mostly Mexicans). Of the illegal immigrants the greatest number are Central Americans, Africans and Indians.
Meanwhile, Southwestern border apprehensions have fallen 80 percent since 2000 as fewer crossings are attempted. In the view of the Migration Policy Institute “the U.S.-Mexico border is more secure than it’s been in 40 years.” As for potential terrorists, there’s now a high probability of being apprehended at the border, and entering the US there is very risky. Better to enter through, say Dulles airport in the normal way; just don’t crack jokes or draw attention to yourself.
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So much for Trump’s stupid wall!
While I accept that illegal immigration is a problem, and often find it frustrating when Democrats seemingly don’t seen to see the distinction between illegal and legal immigration, I also accept that it’s a relatively minor problem that can be (and is being) solved through increasing funding for immigration services and border patrol.
The bigger problem is America’s ageing population, which will cost the country greatly as the proportion of workers falls and proportion of retirees rises. One of the ways to at least make this less of a problem is by increasing the number of immigrants, which shouldn’t be a problem for America considering how big the country is. But you’ll never hear of that at a Trump rally, despite aging actually being a major contributor to the long term decline in GDP growth rates.