Immigration Increases Reach Non-Border States

By Joe Guzzardi
May 27, 2014

Earlier this month, the Pew Hispanic Center released its new report titled “15 States with the Highest Share of Immigrants in Their Population.” Pew ranked the states according to their 1990 immigrant populations and then compared them to 2012.

California remains solidly at the top with 27 percent. Far behind came New York, 22.7; New Jersey, 21.2; Florida, 19.5 and Nevada, 19 percent. On the list of 15 states, some have shifted in order during the last two decades, but all including many that aren’t border states registered significant increases. Maryland for example went from 6.6 to 14.1 percent. Others with substantial immigration bumps are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Virginia. The study excludes the District of Columbia, with 14. 3 percent foreign-born.

From 1990 to 2012, the nation’s total immigration population soared from 19.8 million to 40.7 million, a total that includes at least 12 million illegal aliens. Measured as a percentage of the total U.S. population, foreign-born residents rose from 7.9 to 13.0 percent. And, an alarming statistic found in Census Bureau data as the endless comprehensive immigration reform debate grinds on: the number of immigrants in the U.S. increased more than five times as much as the U.S.-born population, 106.1 percent versus 19.3 percent. 

According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the House immigration bill H.R. 15 passes, nearly 10 million more immigrants would come to the U.S. legally during the first decade after the bill became law. This would add to the resident immigrant community as well as the total populace, and further accelerate the not so gradual demographic transformation of historic America. 

Here are a few thoughts on ongoing structural changes in the U.S. First, the huge, constant and unsustainable immigration growth has taken place with Congress’ blessing but without ballot box support from Americans. Legislation which would create more immigration has never been put to the public for a vote.

If Capitol Hill legislators get their way, millions more overseas workers will be authorized, and 12 million illegal immigrants will be legalized which will eventually allow them to petition for their families living abroad to join them—more people on their way to an already overcrowded, underemployed America. 

Second, making a successful argument that more immigration contributes to the common American good is hard to justify. In California, my home state, the unemployment rate was 8 percent or higher for nearly six consecutive years. But the official rate is deceptive; California’s U-6 unemployment is 16.7 percent. Temporary jobs in low paying service sectors are the most readily available. The steady flow of more immigrant workers is good for employers but not for struggling Californians.  A prior Pew report that studied immigration from Mexico found “no evidence” that significant numbers of migrants return home once they enter the U.S.

Third, California’s K-12 students are at or near the barrel’s bottom in national annual reading and math scores. Teacher turnover is high, in part because a diverse student body with multiple linguistic requirements creates a difficult classroom environment.

Instead of promoting more immigration, as President Obama’s much touted non-deportation policy does, and Governor Jerry Brown’s endless entitlements like driver’s licenses for illegal aliens does, enforcement should be prioritized. 

Population and immigration realists like to think that the foreign-born surge soon will end. But signs that stabilization and enforcement will replace open borders politics haven’t popped up on the radar screen yet.

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Joe Guzzardi is a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow whose columns have been syndicated since 1987. Contact him at [email protected]