US Economy Affects Immigrants

After more than three decades of steady increases, data reveals that the number of immigrants coming to the US has decreased, likely due to the economy.

The US Census Bureau released data from their American Community Survey late last year that shows the number of immigrants living in the US dropped from 12.6 percent to 12.5 percent. The American Community Survey only focuses on approximately 3 million people, so the margin of error is high enough for it to be possible that, rather than declining, the immigrant population simply leveled off.

Despite the possible margin of error, the survey numbers still indicate a dramatic change in immigration levels. California, home to many legal as well as undocumented immigrants, showed a 1.6 percent drop in foreign-born residents as the unemployment rate climbed.

“This is clearly a consequence of the economy, with the biggest impact on Mexican and low-skilled immigrants,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institute, in an article in the Los Angeles Times. “It shows that these immigrants respond to the economy.”

US-Mexico Border Crossings Decline

In another indication of immigrants affected by the economy, the Wall Street Journal reported a drop in arrests made at the US-Mexico border.

Federal funding for the border patrol reached nearly $11 billion last year, and 20,000 border agents contributed to the arrests of just over 556,000 people trying to enter the US illegally.

The number of arrests is down 23 percent from last year, when 723,825 were arrested. This number has been declining ever since 2000, when over 1,675,000 were apprehended at the border.

The struggling economy means there are fewer jobs in fields where undocumented immigrants find work. This makes the dangerous journey across the border less appealing to potential migrant workers.

Mexicans Are Assisting Relatives in the US

In November, The New York Times reported an unprecedented new trend: Instead of immigrants sending money to their families in Mexico, Mexican families were sending money to assist their immigrant relatives in the US.

Employees at some banks in Mexico were seeing more money being wired to the US for the first time, while the amount of money coming in from the US steadily decreased.

In the first nine months of 2009, the Central Bank of Mexico reported that Mexicans living in the US sent under $17 billion to their families in their home country. This is down from about $25 billion in 2008.

Immigration in 2010

Last year, the US government cracked down on workplaces hiring undocumented immigrants and increased support for the US-Mexico border patrol.

No legislation to reform the immigration system has been introduced yet, but President Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano have made several statements promising firm but fair immigration reform before the end of the year.

While the government tightens security at the borders and the US economy sits somewhere between recession and recovery, the number of immigrants may continue to stall.

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