Illegal Immigration Facts

Did you know that the man who made the line 'I'll be back' the cult phrase it is today was accused of being an illegal immigrant? In fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger may have actually admitted to a status violation in his autobiography, which in today's time and according to the legalities applicable, would have made him liable for deportation and a possible revocation of his citizenship. Illegal immigration is one of the biggest problems in the United States with almost 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States as of 2008. A brief overview of illegal immigration facts will tell you how this is a significant decline from the illegal immigration population in 2007 which stood at 12 million. But the fact remains that having individuals, who are unaccounted for, living in a country can lead to several problems which can affect the social and economic framework of a country.

How do you define an illegal immigrant? According to US policies, any citizen of another country who enters the United States and stays there without proper permission and in violation of the immigration policies of the United States is an illegal immigrant. Suspects of illegal immigration are classified under three different categories, non-immigrant visa overstayer (someone who overstays his visa permit), border crossing card violator or a suspect who has evaded the immigration inspectors and border patrol. According to estimates about illegal immigration in the United States, almost half a million people enter the country every year as illegal immigrants. The most common method of entering the country illegally is by hiring professionals who help you cross the border. Facts about illegal immigration will always show that the main cause behind illegal immigration into the United States is the promise of a better economic future. Chain immigration (people who follow their relatives into the country) also contributes to illegal immigration largely. Other than these causes, the unnecessarily long delay in issuing a visa by the United States, and government inefficacy in their own countries are reasons that contribute to illegal immigration problems.

Pros and Cons of Illegal Immigration

While it is difficult to look at a positive to the problem of illegal immigration, there are actually two sides to the coin. In this section we elaborate on the pros and cons involving the situation that is illegal immigration.

Admittedly there are many problems that result from illegal immigration, of which the main problem is the easy transit route that it becomes for terrorist groups looking to enter the United States. Massive crime rise is another problem that has been attributed to illegal immigration as many illegal immigrant purportedly resort to criminal activities when in need of a job. These also lead to huge judicial problems as it becomes difficult to trace them. The increased population of illegal immigrants, combined with the indigenous population of the United States, results in huge stress on the public transportation system and other such public amenities. Also, there is increased financial burden on the state. Several experts have also pointed out to a possible situation where in multiculturalism will be overshadowed by a single ethnic diversity leading to dominance of a single culture. These are just some of the problems that result from illegal immigration.

On the other hand there are some experts that have actually pointed out the good that results from illegal immigration. Many illegal immigrants fulfill the demand for low wage laborers that exists in the country. One of the irrefutable facts is that they contribute to the tax system by paying not only sales tax but also real estate taxes if they possess real estate. If they are a part of the banking system of the country, then they also contribute to the banking services by paying interests and dividends. While most people believe that the pros of illegal immigration are outdone by the problems caused by it, the promise of a better future as compared to the places they immigrate from, is something that should definitely be considered while tackling the issue at hand.

Illegal Immigration Statistics

In order to understand how big a problem illegal immigration can be, let us take a look at some statistics regarding illegal immigration. These numbers are from the year 2006 and compare changes from the year 2000 to 2006.

Facts about Illegal Immigrant
Native Country	Number of Immigrants	Total Percent	Change in % (From 2000 - 2006)
Mexico	6,570,000	57%	69%
El Salvador	510,000	4%	9%
Guatemala	430,000	4%	8%
Philippines	280,000	2%	4%
Honduras	280,000	2%	5%
India	270,000	2%	5%

Now that we know which countries most illegal immigrants come from and what the numbers are, let us take a look at some other facts about illegal immigrants.

• While experts hold up their contribution to the tax system as a benefit to the country, the fact remains that tax payments from illegal immigrants is equal to only 28% of the total tax paid by citizens.
• According to the Center for Immigration Studies, illegal immigration statistics points towards a rise of almost 56% in the population of the country, primarily due to rise in the number of immigrants.
• According to the Center for American Progress, an astronomical amount of USD 41 billion is spent on the deportation of illegal immigrants ever year.
• Estimates will tell you that almost 40% of illegal immigrants have been held for violent crimes.
• Estimates also suggest that cities that have the most inflow of illegal immigrants tend to have an unemployment rate that is twice the rate as in other cities, have a crime rate that is 40% higher, and have 40% more people under the poverty line.
• Almost one in every ten people living in the United States is an illegal immigrant.
• In 2008 7.7 million illegal immigrants were hired by American employers. For every 100 illegal immigrants hired for the job, 65 Americans lose theirs.

These were just some of the numbers and illegal immigration facts quoted according to different studies and research papers on the problem of illegal immigrations that continues to haunt the country of United States. The impact of this problem is being felt widely from the increasing costs of education to the rising fear that the country is becoming primarily bilingual. Unless the policies become stricter and certain strategies are applied to nip this problem in the bud, illegal immigration is going to continue being one of the main problems faced by the US.