DHS: The number of illegal immigrants in US fell

[DearAbby]

WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department estimates the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. fell about 7 percent to 10.8 million in January 2009.

The drop is the second in two years. The population rose to 11.8 million in January 2007. It fell to 11.6 million in January 2008.

The government says about two-thirds of the illegal immigrants who were in the country in 2009 entered the U.S. before the year 2000. About the same share were from Mexico.

More at link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35321474/ns/politics/?ocid=twitter

[Craftsman]

1. Good just another 10.8 million to go

Maybe then wages can start to go up.

[pampango]

2. San Jose Mercury News: New report says illegal immigration population plummeted last year

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14370889?source=most_viewed

"Some private researchers, however, are questioning the magnitude of the drop.

"It's very clear the undocumented population basically stopped growing after 2006," said Jeffrey Passel, a demographer with the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. "It's plausible that the numbers have gotten smaller. But the way that they're measuring it, if you compare this estimate with the one two years ago, it overstates the degree of decline."

The report cautioned that changes made to the census survey could have affected the results. The report, produced annually since 2005, is the government's official tabulation of immigrants living here illegally.

Most researchers agree that no matter the size of the population, which is notoriously hard to measure, the rate of illegal immigration dropped sharply during the recession. They disagree, however, on the causes.

# Mexico: 6.65 million (up by 42 percent since 2000)
# El Salvador: 530,000 (up by 25 percent)
# Guatemala: 480,000 (up by 65 percent)
# Honduras: 320,000 (up by 95 percent)
# Philippines: 270,000 (up by 33 percent)
# India: 200,000 (up by 64 percent)
# South Korea: 200,000 (up by 14 percent)

# California: 2.6 million (up by 3 percent since 2000)
# Texas: 1.68 million (up by 54 percent)
# Florida: 720,000 (down by 10 percent)
# New York: 550,000 (up by 1 percent)
# Illinois: 540,000 (up by 24 percent)
# Georgia: 480,000 (up by 115 percent)
# Arizona: 460,000 (up by 42 percent)

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

[AllentownJake]

3. No Jobs no reason to come here

Now we need to end our H1-B1 programs till we are at peak employment.

We could have solved this with a 50,000 fine per illegal hired or subcontracted to by any American business, however neither political party would ever go for that besides the identity politics game is easier to play than to solve problems.