IMMIGRATION POLICY/LATINOS IN THE U.S.

THE NUMBERS GAME(S)

• Flows• Stocks• Proportions• Costs and benefits• Rates of assimilation• Key issue: Diversity or melting pot?

Undocumented Immigrants in the United States

2 000 4 000 6 000 8 000

10 000 12 000 14 000 16 000 18 000 20 000 22 000 24 000 26 000 28 000

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2002 2003

Mill

ones

Mexican-Origin Population in United States, 1900-2003

Mx-born (9.9)

Geographical Concentration of Mexican Migrants

2 000

4 000

6 000

8 000

10 000

12 000

14 000

16 000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Años

Remittances to Mexico, 1990-2003

Border Patrol Agents

Effects of Border Enforcement

1. Shifting routes (toward Arizona)

2. Increased use of coyotes (smugglers)

3. Reduced “circularity” (more permanent stays)

4. More women and families

5. Increased loss of life (> 500 per year)

Migration and the Global Economic Crisis (2008+)

• Context: joblessness everywhere• New entries down (not due to border

enforcement, since 95% of migrants without papers get through)

• Return migration growing (despite concern in Mexico about major increase)

• Net migration from Mexico ~ zero

OBAMA AND THE CIR

• Path to citizenship: Apply for green card in 10 years, citizenship 3 years after that; pay $1,000 fine plus back taxes; stay employed and learn English (faster track for Dream Act youth)

• Border patrol: DHS to receive $3 billion for improved border security, including use of surveillance drones and 3,500 additional agents, plus $1.5 billion for fencing. Within 5 years DHS must achieve 100 % surveillance of border and apprehend 90% of illegal crossers in “high-risk” (densely populated) areas

• Skilled workers: visas for skilled engineers and computer programmers to increase from 65,000 per year to 110,00, with an eventual cap as high as 180,000

• Guest workers: new program of 20,000 for low-skilled workers, rising to 75,000 by 2019; limitation on farm workers

• Family visas: tighter restrictions on family unification; point system based on family ties and work skills by 2015

What Would You Do?