A warning sign at the international boundary between the United States and Canada in Point Roberts, Washington

Illegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals voluntarily residing in the United States in violation of U.S. immigration and nationality law. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a bureau of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the primary federal agency tasked with enforcing the Immigration and Nationality Act of the United States of America. Several news editors and reporters say that illegal immigration to the United States is not a crime, but a civil infraction.^[1][2] Punishment can include fines^[3], imprisonment^[3], and deportation depending on the violation^[3]. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,072 × 2,304 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,072 × 2,304 pixels, file size: 1. ... A geopolitical oddity, Point Roberts is a small unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a bureau in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ... DHS redirects here. ... The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 (Also known as the McCarran-Walter Act) restricted immigration into the U.S. and is codified under Title 8 of the United States Code. ...

Entering the United States illegally is a criminal and civil offense. Smuggling another human into the country is also a crime. ^[4]. Failure to voluntarily leave within the designated time frame incurs a civil offense. If one enters the country legally yet does not leave when directed it is considered a civil court matter and not a criminal court matter^{[5] [6]}.

Definition

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)* USCIS is not an enforcement agency. They do not enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act. They are a service oriented agency only. US ICE, USBP, and CBP enforce the INA*, the primary federal agency tasked with enforcing the Immigration and Nationality Act, defines an "alien" as "any person not a citizen or national of the United States"^[7] The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the primary body of federal immigration law in the United States, also defines the term "alien" as “any person not a citizen or national of the United States.”^[8] The U.S. Department of State defines an "alien" as "a foreign national who is not a United States citizen"^[9] The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 (Also known as the McCarran-Walter Act) restricted immigration into the U.S. and is codified under Title 8 of the United States Code. ...

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service defines an immigrant as "an alien admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident".^[10] The Immigration and Nationality Act defines the term “immigrant” to mean every alien not falling within a set of “classes of nonimmigrant aliens” spelled out in detail by the act, for example: diplomatic personnel, students residing within the US to attend school, athletes attending athletic events, ship and aircraft crew members; and others residing or staying within the United States on a temporary basis. The Act classifies aliens remaining within the US on a permanent basis as immigrants without regards to an individual’s legal status. The U.S. Department of State does not define "immigrant". The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 (Also known as the McCarran-Walter Act) restricted immigration into the U.S. and is codified under Title 8 of the United States Code. ...

Legality

Immigrants are classified as illegal for one of three reasons: entering without authorization or inspection, staying beyond the authorized period after legal entry, or violating the terms of legal entry.^[11]

Under Paragraph (a), Title 8, Section 1325 of the U.S. Code,^[12] "Improper Entry By Alien", any citizen of any country other than the United States who

• Enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers; or
• Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or
• Attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact;

has violated criminal and civil law and can be fined and imprisoned for up to 6 months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison. In addition, persons apprehended while attempting to enter the United States illegally after committing previous crimes in the United States are indictable for the attempt to illegally re-enter the country.^[13]Additional civil fines may be imposed at the discretion of immigration judges, but civil fines do not negate the criminal sanctions or nature of the offense^[14].

In addition a person apprehended attempting to enter the United States without permission by immigration officers receives a civil penalty of;

• At least $50 but no more than $250.
• Twice the amount on the first charge for repeated civil offenses.

Additional civil offenses include:

• Marriage Fraud that is penalized by no more than 5 years in prison and or $250,000.
• Immigration-related entrepreneurship fraud, which can be fined and also penalized for no more than 5 years in prison.^[15]

Unofficial definitions

The Associated Press Stylebook, the primary style and usage guide for most newspapers and newsmagazines in the United States, recommends using "illegal immigrant" rather than "illegal alien" or "undocumented worker"^[16]. According to Voice of America's^[17], a weekly analysis of American English from the official international radio and television broadcasting service of the United States federal government, "The most common term by far, though, at least as reflected in the news media, is illegal immigrants" in reference to people who are in the United States without following immigration laws.^[18] AP Stylebook, 2004 edition The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is the primary style and usage guide for most newspapers and newsmagazines in the United States. ... An Identity Standards Manual page—for the graphic design branch of corporate identity design and branding. ... A newsmagazine, sometimes called news magazine, is a usually weekly magazine featuring articles on current events. ... Voice of America logo Voice of America (VOA), is the official external radio and television broadcasting service of the United States federal government. ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... News media satellite up-link trucks and photojournalists gathered outside the Prudential Financial headquarters in Newark, New Jersey in August, 2004 following the announcement of evidence of a terrorist threat to it and to buildings in New York City. ... Nationality law is the branch of a countrys legal system wherein legislation, custom and court precendent combine to define the ways in which that countrys nationality and citizenship are transmitted, acquired or lost. ...

At the 1994 Unity convention, the four minority journalism groups – the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists , the Asian American Journalists Association and the Native American Journalists Association – issued a joint statement on the term illegal aliens: "Except in direct quotations, do not use the phrase illegal alien or the word alien, in copy or in headlines, to refer to citizens of a foreign country who have come to the U.S. with no documents to show that they are legally entitled to visit, work or live here. Such terms are considered pejorative not only by those to whom they are applied but by many people of the same ethnic and national backgrounds who are in the U.S. legally."^[19][20] Press releases from these minority journalism groups in 2006 reaffirmed this position and recommended using "undocumented immigrant" and avoid the term "illegal" as a label^[21][22][23]. The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), was founded in 1975 by 44 men and women in Washington, D.C. Headquartered at the University of Maryland, College Park and with 3300 members, it is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation. ... The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic journalists in the United States. ... The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) was founded in 1981 by several Asian American journalists who felt a need to support greater participation by Asian Americans in the news media. ...

General profile of illegal immigrants

• "A high proportion of illegal immigrants are sojourners: they come to the United Stated for several years but eventually return to their home country." ^[24]

• Most illegal immigrants live in families where the adults are undocumented, but the children are U.S.-born. As of June, 2005, an estimated 13.9 million people -- including 4.7 million children -- live in families in which the head of household or the spouse is an unauthorized immigrant.^[25]

• Illegal immigrants continue to outpace the number of legal immigrants -- a trend that's held steady since the 1990s. While the undocumented continue to concentrate in places with existing large communities of Hispanics, they are also increasingly settling throughout the rest of the country.^[26]

• Illegal immigrants arriving in recent years tend to have more education than those who've been in the country a decade or more. A quarter have at least some college education. Nonetheless, undocumented immigrants as a group are less educated than other sections of the U.S. population: 49 percent haven't completed high school, compared with 9 percent of native-born Americans and 25 percent of legal immigrants.^[27]

• Illegal immigrants can be found working in many sectors of the U.S. economy. According to National Public Radio, about 3 percent work in agriculture; 33 percent have jobs in service industries; and substantial numbers can be found in construction and related occupations (16 percent) and in production, installation and repair (17 percent).^[28] According to USA Today, about 4 percent work in farming; 21 percent have jobs in service industries; and substantial numbers can be found in construction and related occupations (19 percent) and in production, installation and repair (15 percent), with 12% in sales, 10% in management, and 8% in transportation. ^[29]

• Illegal immigrants have lower incomes than both legal immigrants and native-born Americans, but earnings do increase somewhat the longer an individual is in the country.^[30]

Breakdown by state

As of 2006^[31], California had 2,830,000 illegal aliens, or 25% of the total.
Texas had 1,640,000 illegal aliens, or 14% of the total.
Florida had 980,000 illegal aliens, or 8% of the total.
Illinois had 550,000 illegal aliens, or 5% of the total.
New York had 540,000 illegal aliens, or 5% of the total.
Other top ten states for highest percentage of illegal aliens include; Arizona, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Washington.

History

Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The REAL ID Act of 2005 requires people entering federal buildings, boarding airplanes or opening bank accounts to present identification that has met certain security and authentication standards. ...

Present-day countries of origin

In March of 2006 the Pew Hispanic Center (PHC) estimated the undocumented population ranged from 11.5 to 12 million individuals^[54], a number supported by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO)^[55]. Using data from March of 2004, PHC estimated^[56] The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the USA and the world. ... General Accounting Office headquarters, Washington, D.C. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the non-partisan audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress, and an agency in the Legislative Branch of the United States Government. ...

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security^[57], the countries of origin for the largest numbers of illegal immigrants are as follows:

For 2005

28% 9% 28% 133% 21%

For 2006^[58]

40% 19% 48% 75% 125%

The Urban Institute, a research group in Washington, D.C., estimates "between 65,000 and 75,000 undocumented Canadians currently live in the United States." ^[59]

Modes of entry

It is estimated that as of 2006 there were between 11.5 and 12 million undocumented immigrants in the US. Their mode of illegal entry into the country is believed to break down as follows: ^[60]

A border crossing card is a card that allows non-immigrants "to commute back and forth each week from Canada and Mexico". ^[61]

Visa overstay

A traveler is considered a "visa overstay" once he or she remains in the United States after the time of admission has expired. The time of admission varies greatly from traveler to traveler depending on what visa class into which they were admitted. Visa overstays tend to be somewhat more educated and better off financially than those who crossed the border illegally.^[62]

To help track visa overstayer the US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) program collects and retains biographic, travel, and biometric information, such as photographs and fingerprints, of foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States. It also requires electronic readable passports containing this information. US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) is a U.S. immigration and border management system. ...

Visa overstays mostly enter with tourist or business visas^[63]

Percent of Illegal Immigrants who are Visa Overstayers

Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Fraudulent marriage

People have long used sham marriages as a way to enter the United States.^[66] One of the most prominent cases was that of Nada Nadim Prouty, a Lebanese immigrant who gained entry into the US as a student, but then married fraudulently to stay in the country, and even became a US citizen and went on to become an employee of the FBI and the CIA, before pleading guilty to conspiracy. ^{[67] [68]} Engaging in a bogus marriage went hi-tech with the case of a Russian woman and an American man arranging a marriage over the Internet. ^[69] Nada Nadim Prouty is a former CIA officer of Muslim Syrian-Lebanese origin who was recruited into the CIA from the FBI and convicted of improperly using FBI computers for obtaining sensitive information about both herself and her family. ... Look up conspiracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Border crossing

Each year, an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 illegal immigrants try to make the 15 to 30-mile (48 km) hike through the wilderness to reach cities in the United States. "That works out to a city the size of Baton Rouge, La., living in the park without a sewage system, without garbage collection, without a grid of dedicated roads or sidewalks. They move where they want in four-wheel-drive cars, ATVs, motorcycles, bicycles and their own feet."^[70]

The unfenced rural mountainous and desert border between Arizona and Mexico has become a major entrance area for illegal immigration to the United States, due in part to the increased difficulty of crossing illegally into California.^{[citation needed]} Often, the people that choose to sneak across the border employ expert criminal assistance - smugglers who promise a safe passage into the United States. ^[71] These smugglers are called "coyotes" and are paid thousands of dollars per person they assist in crossing the border.^[72]

The tightening of border enforcement has disrupted the traditional circular movement of many migrant workers from Mexico by increasing the costs and risks of crossing the border, thereby reducing their rate of return migration to Mexico. The difficulty and expense of the journey has prompted many migrant workers to stay in the United States longer or indefinitely. ^[73]

Entry by sea ports

In 1993, 283 Chinese immigrants attempted entry into the United States via a sea vessel. Ten of them arrived dead. ^{[74] [75]}

Dangers

There are significant dangers associated with illegal immigration including potential death. Since the implementation of Operation Gatekeeper immigrants have chose more dangerous routes to get into the country.^[76] Most deaths are due to dehydration caused by the intense heats of the Arizona desert and the treacherous desert roads. In 2005 the death toll was over 450 a year. ^[77] Deaths also occur while resisting arrest. According to the US Border Agency, there were 987 assaults on US Boder Agents in 2008 and there were a total of 12 people killed by agents in 2007 and 2008.^[78]

Slavery

Indian, Russian, Thai, and Chinese women have been reported brought to the United States under false pretenses to be then used as sex slaves. “As many as 50,000 people are illicitly trafficked into the United States annually, according to a 1999 CIA study. Once here, they're forced to work as prostitutes, sweatshop laborers, farmhands, and servants in private homes.” US authorities call it “a modern form of slavery.” ^{[79] [80]}

Prostitution

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women has reported scores of cases where women were forced to prostitute themselves. “Trafficking in women plagues the United States as much as it does underdeveloped nations. Organized prostitution networks have migrated from metropolitan areas to small cities and suburbs. Women trafficked to the United States have been forced to have sex with 400-500 men to pay off $40,000 in debt for their passage.” ^[81] At least 45 thousand Central American children attempt to illegally immigrate to the United States every year and many of them finish in brothels as sex slaves, according to Manuel Capellin, director in Honduras of the humanitarian organization House Alliance^[82].

Death

Death by exposure has been reported in the deserts, particularly during the hot summer season. ^[83] “Exposure to the elements” encompasses hypothermia, dehydration, heat strokes, drowning, and suffocation. Also, illegal immigrants may die or be injured when they attempt to avoid law enforcement. Martinez, points out that engaging in high speed pursuits while attempting to escape arrest can lead to death. ^[84]

Causes

See also: causes for illegal immigration.

Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argues that "[illegal immigrants] are going to get here as long as they have economic incentives to come."^[85] Illegal alien and Illegal aliens redirect here. ... Tamar Jacoby (b. ... The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is an influential New York City-based free market think tank established in 1978. ...

The Rockridge Institute asks, "What role have international trade agreements had in creating or exacerbating people's urge to flee their homelands? If capital is going to freely cross borders, should people and labor be able to do so as well, going where globalization takes the jobs?... Such a framing of the problem would lead to a solution involving the Secretary of State, conversations with Mexico and other Central American countries, and a close examination of the promises of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to raise standards of living around the globe.^[86] The Rockridge Institute is an American non-profit research and progressive think tank located in Berkeley, California. ... A trade pact is a wide ranging tax, tariff and trade pact that usually also includes investment guarantees. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... NAFTA redirects here. ... The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is a free trade agreement between the United States and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and Canada, and Mexico. ... -1... IMF redirects here. ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ...

Reasons for leaving home country

Mexico

The Pew Hispanic Center has estimated that 56% of illegal immigrants come from Mexico.^[87] The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the USA and the world. ...

Poor fiscal management, NAFTA, and lack of competitiveness

The Mexican government failed to follow through on promises to the United States to invest billions of dollars in roads, schooling, sanitation, housing, and other infrastructure to accommodate new "maquiladoras" (border factories) that had been envisioned as a way to reduce illegal immigration as a part of NAFTA.^[88][88] As a result few were built,^[88] and China was able to out-compete Mexico for manufacturing goods for the United States market.^[88] Rather than increasing as planned, the number of manufacturing workers in Mexico dropped from 4.1 million in 2000 to 3.5 million in 2004.^[88] Also, price pressure from more efficient United States corn producers and the elimination of tariffs under NAFTA^[89] caused the price of maize to fall 70% in Mexico between 1994 and 2001, and the number of farm jobs to decrease from 8.1 million in 1993 to 6.8 million in 2002.^[90] A maquiladora (or maquila) is a factory, that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing. ... Nafta or NAFTA may refer to: an acronym for the North American Free Trade Agreement an acronym for the New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement the town/Tokyo of Nafta, Tunisia This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Inequality of wealth

Mexico has the highest income per capita in Latin America,^[91][92] but her wealth is centralized in the hands of a minority. It had a gross domestic product (in terms of PPP) of more than US$1.3 trillion in 2007,^[93] and more billionaires than Switzerland^[94] (including Carlos Slim whom Time Magazine^[95][96], ABC News, ^[97] and CNN Money ^[98] claim is the world's richest man and who owns 8% of the country's GDP^[99]). Yet according to the World Bank 17.6% of Mexico's population lives in "extreme" poverty, while 30.1% live in "moderated" poverty, for a total of 47.7%.^[100] GDP redirects here. ... Carlos Slim Helú (born January 28, 1940 in Mexico City) is a Mexican businessman of Lebanese Arab heritage[2] and the worlds richest person as of August 2007, according to Fortune magazine and the Wall Street Journal. ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ...

Participation of authorities

There it has been some accusations from U.S. groups that the Mexican government is collaborating to make illegal immigration to the United States easier:

• It plans to produce 70,000 maps marking main roads and water tanks for people wanting to cross illegally into the US. According to Mauricio Farah of Mexico's Human Rights Commission, "The only thing we are trying to do is warn them of the risks they face and where to get water, so they don't die," But Russ Knocke, a spokesman for US Homeland Security said maps would not improve safety for those trying to cross the border, "It is not helpful for anyone, no matter how well intended they might be, to produce road maps that lead aliens into the desolate and dangerous areas along the border, and potentially invite criminal activity, human exploitation and personal risk,"^[101]"In response to the growing concern over these immigrant deaths, the INS [Immigrantion and Naturalization Service] launched "Operation Lifesaver" ...using patrol flights and search-and-rescue missions to find migrants in distress."^[102]

• The Yucatan government (a state of Mexico) also produces educational materials (a handbook and DVD) about the risks and implications of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. According to some groups, this guide tells immigrants where to find health care, how to get their kids into U.S. schools and how to send money home. Sara Zapata Mijares of the Los Angeles Yacatecan Club and officials in Yucatan say illegal immigration is a reality and the guide is a necessity to save lives. Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform says, "This is really the way they keep their corrupt system afloat, by sending their excess workers to the United States and getting billions of dollars in remittances every year ... so for them this is a worthwhile investment".^[103]

• The Mexican government distributes a comic book which warns illegal immigrants about illegal passing across the border. ^[104] That comic book recommends to illegal immigrants, once they've safely crossed the border, "Don't call attention to yourself. ... Avoid loud parties. ... Don't become involved in fights." The Mexican government defends the guide as an attempt to save lives. "It's kind of like illegal immigration for dummies," said the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, Mark Krikorian. "Promoting safe illegal immigration is not the same as arguing against it." However, on the last page of the comic book, it is clearly stated the Mexican government doesn't promote illegal crossing at all and only encourage visits to the U.S. with all required documentation.

Sending wages back to Mexico

In 2003, then-President of Mexico, Vicente Fox stated that remittances "are our biggest source of foreign income, bigger than oil, tourism or foreign investment" and that "the money transfers grew after Mexican consulates started giving identity cards to their citizens in the United States." He stated that money sent from Mexican workers in the United States to their families back home reached a record $12 billion.^[105].

Two years later, in 2005, the World Bank stated that Mexico was receiving $18.1 billion in remittances and that it ranked third (behind only India and China) among the countries receiving the greatest amount of remittances.^[106]

Corruption

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, a survey of international businessmen that ranks countries from least to most corrupt, ranks Mexico at 72nd place out of 179 countries^[107]. (The Index ranks the U.S. in the 20th place. Lower ranking indicates less corruption.) According to Global Integrity's 2006 Mexico Country Report, corruption costs the Mexican economy as much as $60 billion per year^[108]. A survey by the Center for the Study of Private Sector Economics (Centro de Estudios Económicos del Sector Privado), a Mexican research firm, estimates that 79 percent of companies in Mexico believe “illegal transactions” are a serious obstacle to business development^[109], . The 1994 economic crisis in Mexico associated with rampant government corruption ^[110] resulted in a greatly decreased U.S. dollar value of Mexican wages relative to U.S. production workers^{[111][112][113][88]}. The 1994 economic crisis in Mexico, widely known as the Mexican peso crisis, was triggered by the sudden devaluation of the Mexican peso in the early days of the presidency of Ernesto Zedillo. ...

Other countries and regions

Central America

Many of the same issues that apply to Mexico also apply to the countries of Central America."The proportion of Mexican immigrants will almost surely shrink over time...If high immigration continues...Mexico will run out of Mexicans."^{[114][115][116][117]} For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...

Demand/pull factors

Family reunification

The U.S.'s failure to enforce immigration policy assisted a "network effect" - furthering immigration as Mexicans moved to join relatives already in the U.S.^[88], often through Chain migration. Chain migration refers to the mechanism by which foreign nationals are allowed to immigrate by virtue of the ability of previous immigrants to send for their adult relatives. ...

Availability of jobs

The continuing practice of hiring unauthorized workers has been referred to as “the magnet for illegal immigration.” ^[118]

Matrícula Consular identification cards

The Matrícula Consular ("Consular Registration") is an identification card issued by the Government of Mexico through its consulate offices. The purpose of the card is to demonstrate that the bearer is a Mexican national living outside of Mexico. Similar consular identification cards are issued to citizens of Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, and Honduras^[119]. This document is accepted at financial institutions in many states and, in conjunction with an IRS Taxpayer Identification Number, allows illegal immigrants to open checking and saving accounts.^[120] The Matrícula Consular (Consular Registration) is an identification card issued by the Government of Mexico through its consulate offices. ... The United Mexican States are a federal presidential representative democratic republic whose government is based on a congressional system, whereby the president of Mexico is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party electoral system. ... The rule of Napoleon Bonaparte after his coup detat in France had conducted the manners of French governmant under dictatorship and in a consulate. ... A national identification number is used by the governments of many countries as a means of tracking their citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents for the purposes of work, taxation, government benefits, health care, and other governmentally-related functions. ...

Impacts

Economic

Main article: Economic impact of illegal immigrants in the United States

Those who find positive economic effects focus on added productivity and lower costs to consumers for certain goods and services. ...

Impact on poverty

"In North Carolina, where the immigrant share of workers with a high school degree or less doubled in the past five years, surging immigration has depressed wages for low-skilled native workers and cost some their jobs, says John Kasarda, a professor at the University of North Carolina's business school." ^[121]

"Supporters of a crackdown argue that the U.S. economy would benefit if illegal immigrants were to leave, because U.S. employers would be forced to raise wages to attract American workers. Critics of this approach say the loss of illegal immigrants would stall the U.S. economy, saying undocumented workers do many jobs few native-born Americans will do."^[122]

Most Americans would not see any wage increases if illegal immigrants disappeared. However, high school drop outs would expect to see an average of 25 dollar a week raise if illegal immigrants disappeared. On the other hand, they would also see an increase in the costs of some goods and services [12]. Illegal immigrants are thought to have disproportionately affected certain groups of American citizens such as black and Hispanic poor. Research by George Borjas, Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at Harvard University, shows that the average American's wealth is increased by less than 1% by illegal immigration. The effect on wages for middle class individuals was an overall wealth increase. However, illegal immigrants had a long-term reduction of wages among American poor citizens during the 1980s and 1990s by 4.8% ^[123]. Harvard redirects here. ...

Paul Samuelson, Nobel prize-winning economist from MIT asserts that there is no unitary, singular effect, good or bad, that arises from illegal immigration, but instead a variety of effects on Americans depending on their economic class. Samuelson posits that wealthier Americans tend to benefit from the illegal influx, while poorer Americans tend to suffer.^[124][125] "There are obviously great advantages to the winners socioeconomically to have immigrants doing work cheaply," Samuelson adds. ^[126] Paul Anthony Samuelson (born May 15, 1915) is an American neoclassical economist known for his contributions to many fields of economics, beginning with his general statement of the comparative statics method in his 1947 book Foundations of Economic Analysis. ... The Nobel Prize (Swedish: ) was established in Alfred Nobels will in 1895, and it was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901. ... Percent below each countrys official poverty line, according to the CIA factbook. ...

Impact on black Americans

Research by George J. Borjas (Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at Harvard University), Jeffrey Grogger (the Irving Harris Professor in Urban Policy in the Harris School at the University of Chicago), and Gordon H. Hanson (the Director of the Center on Pacific Economies and Professor of Economics at UCSD) found that a 10-percent immigrant-induced increase in the supply of a particular skill group reduced the black wage by 4.0 percent, lowered the employment rate of black men by 3.5 percentage points, and increased the incarceration rate of blacks by almost one percent. ^[127] George J. Borjas (b. ...

“We're being overrun,” says Ted Hayes of Choose Black America, which has led anti-illegal immigration marches in south-central Los Angeles, California. “The compañeros have taken all the housing. If you don't speak Spanish they turn you down for jobs. Our children are jumped upon in the schools. They are trying to drive us out.”^[128] He also touts illegal immigration as the biggest threat to blacks in America since slavery.^[129] Hayesâ Crispus Attucks Brigade and the American Black Citizens Opposed to Illegal Immigration Invasion have organized protests against illegal immigration.^[130] Ted Hayes is an American homeless advocate and Republican Party activist. ...

Impact on social services

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.^[131] reviewed 29 reports published over 15 years to evaluate the impact of unauthorized immigrants on the budgets of state and local governments. It found the following The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government. ...

• State and local governments incur costs for providing services to unauthorized immigrants and have limited options for avoiding or minimizing those costs
• The amount that state and local governments spend on services for unauthorized immigrants represents a small percentage of the total amount spent by those governments to provide such services to residents in their jurisdictions
• The tax revenues that unauthorized immigrants generate for state and local governments do not offset the total cost of services provided to those immigrants
• Federal aid programs offer resources to state and local governments that provide services to unauthorized immigrants, but those funds do not fully cover the costs incurred by those governments.

Michael D. Antonovich, a board member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, has said that welfare costs for illegal immigrants in LA County were over $37 million in September 2007 and that they had increased $2 million over the previous two months. He also said that 25% of all welfare and food stamp benefits go directly to children of illegal aliens and that the projected annual cost in welfare and food stamps for illegal aliens would be $444 million - including public safety and healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to the County exceeded $1 billion a year - not including the millions of dollars for education. ^[132]

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico and current Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, asserts that illegal immigrants are only a drain on government services when they are incapable of paying taxes; and that this incapacity is the result of restrictive federal policies that require proof of citizenship. He further argues that the US economy has "crucial" need for migrant workers, and that the current debate must acknowledge this rather than just focus on enforcement.^[133] Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (born December 27, 1951) was President of Mexico from 1994 to 2000. ... The Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, or YCSG, is a research centre at Yale University at New Haven, Connecticut. ...

Robert E. Rector, a leading national authority on poverty, the U.S.welfare system and immigration, points out that poor immigrants strains public services such as local schools and health care. He points out that "from 2000 to 2006, 41 percent of the increase in people without health insurance occurred among Hispanics"^[134], although he makes clear that these facts are true of legal as well as illegal immigrants. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, 25.8% of Mexican immigrants lived in poverty — more than double the rate for natives in 1999.^[135] In another report, The Heritage Foundation notes that from 1990 to 2006, the number of poor Hispanics increased 3.2 million, from 6 million to 9.2 million.^[136] The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is a nonpartisan immigration reduction-oriented, non-profit research organization and was founded in 1985. ... The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank located in Washington, D.C., is widely regarded as one of the worlds most influential public policy research institutes. ...

Professor of Law Francine Lipman ^[137] writes that the belief that undocumented migrants are exploiting the US economy and that they cost more in services than they contribute to the economy is "undeniably false". Lipman asserts that "undocumented immigrants actually contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services" and "contribute to the U.S. economy through their investments and consumption of goods and services; filling of millions of essential worker positions resulting in subsidiary job creation, increased productivity and lower costs of goods and services; and unrequited contributions to Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance programs."^[138]

Aviva Chomsky, a professor at Salem State College, states that "Early studies in California and in the Southwest and in the Southeast...have come to the same conclusions. Immigrants, documented and undocumented, are more likely to pay taxes than they are to use public services. Illegal immigrants aren't eligible for most public services and live in fear of revealing themselves to government authorities. Households headed by undocumented immigrants use less than half the amount of federal services that households headed by documented immigrants or citizens make use of."^[139] Aviva Chomsky is a professor at Salem State College and former professor at Harvard University, specializing in history of Latin America and the Caribbean. ...

Health care

Almost $190 million or about 25 percent of the uncompensated costs southwest border county hospitals incurred resulted from emergency medical treatment provided to undocumented immigrants^[140] However, according to a phone survey in which Alexander Ortega and colleagues at the University of California asked illegal immigrants how often they receive medical care, illegal immigrants are no more likely to visit the emergency room than native born Americans ^[141]. A study performed by the RAND Corporation in 2006 interviewed over two thousand people in Los Angeles, asking them what their citizenship status was and how often they received medical care. That study also found that only a small fraction of America's health care spending is used to provide publicly-supported care to undocumented immigrants. The study found that overall, immigrants to the United States use relatively few health services, primarily because they are generally healthier than their American-born counterparts.^[142] Alternate meanings: See RAND (disambiguation) The RAND Corporation is an American think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the U.S. military. ...

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) continues to bring injured and ill undocumented immigrants to hospital emergency rooms without taking financial responsibility for their medical care.^[143]

In 2006, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority estimated that it would spend about $9.7 million on emergency Medicaid services for unauthorized immigrants and that 80 percent of those costs would be for services associated with childbirth.^[144]

Because of the federal Emergency Treatment and Active Labor Act established in the mid-1990s, any illegal alien may receive medical treatment and an interpreter at a hospital without divulging their insurance, citizenship, or employment status. This generates a significant financial burden on the US economy that remains generally ignored in the lay press.

To reduce the risk of diseases in low-incidence areas, the main countermeasure has been the screening of immigrants on arrival. Prior to being awarded a green card, legal immigrants over the age of 15 must have a chest x-ray or skin test to check for tuberculosis.^[145][146] Illegal immigrants are not screened in this manner. In medicine, infectious disease or communicable disease is disease caused by a biological agent (e. ... A United States Permanent Resident Card (green card) A United States Permanent Resident Card, also green card, is an identification card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the United States of America. ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or Tuberculosis) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ...

However, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)], tuberculosis (TB) cases among foreign-born individuals remain disproportionately high, at nearly nine times the rate of U.S.-born persons. Immigration from areas of high incidence is thought to have fueled the resurgence of tuberculosis (TB), chagas, hepatitis, and leprosy in areas of low incidence. In 2003, nearly 26 percent of foreign-born TB patients in the United States were from Mexico. Another third of the foreign-born cases were among those from the Philippines, Vietnam, India and China, the CDC report said.^{[147][148][149]} The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services based in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia adjacent to the campus of Emory University and east of the city of Atlanta. ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or Tuberculosis) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ... Chagas disease (also called American trypanosomiasis) is a human tropical parasitic disease which occurs in the Americas, particularly in South America. ... Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to liver characterised by presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue. ... For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see Tzaraath. ...

Education

Using the U.S. INS statistics on how many illegal immigrants are residing in each country and the U.S. Dept of Education's current expenditure per pupil by state, the estimated cost of educating illegal alien students and U.S.-Born Children of Illegal Aliens in 2004 for the top five states was as follows^[150] Old INS building in Seattle The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a part of the United States Department of Justice and handled legal and illegal immigration and naturalization. ...

Spending for public education of undocumented children and U.S.-born children of undocumented parents in K-12 public education in Minnesota for 2003-2004 was a total of $118.14 million to $157.53 million ^[151] For the same time period, total spending in New Mexico at the state and local levels for illegal immigrant schoolchildren was about $67 million ^[152] According to the newsbrief, "the enormous impact of large-scale illegal immigration cannot be ignored." ^[153]

Law enforcement costs

According to Edmonton and Smith in The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration ^[154], "it is difficult to draw any strong conclusions on the association between immigration and crime". Almost all of what is know about immigration and crime is from information on those in prison. But not all crimes are detected, and many perpetrators are never apprehended. Incarceration rates do not necessarily reflect differences in current crime rates. Some reasons these researchers offer are

• For many minor crimes, especially crimes involving juveniles, those who are apprehended are not arrested. Only a fraction of those who are arrested are ever brought to the courts for disposition
• Immigrants may be apprehended by federal, state, or local authorities for criminal acts, but many illegal immigrants are apprehended by the Border Patrol and other enforcement officers of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Many illegal immigrants who are apprehended by Border Patrol agents are voluntarily returned to their home countries and are not ordinarily tabulated in national crime statistics. If immigrants, whether illegal or legal, are apprehended entering the United States while committing a crime, they are usually charged under federal statutes and, if convicted, are sent to federal prisons. Throughout this entire process, immigrants may have a chance of deportation, or of sentencing that is different from that for a native-born person.
• Except data on noncitizens in the federal criminal justice system, we lack comprehensive information on whether arrested or jailed immigrants are illegal immigrants, nonimmigrants, or legal immigrants. Such information can be difficult to collect because immigrants may have a reason to provide false statements (if they reply that they are an illegal immigrant, they can be deported, for instance). And the verification of these data is troublesome because it requires matching INS records with individuals who often lack documentation or present false documents.
• Noncitizens may have had fewer years residing in the United States than citizens, and thus less time in which to commit crimes and be apprehended.

In 1999, law enforcement activities involving unauthorized immigrants in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas cost a combined total of more than $108 million. This cost did not include activities related to border enforcement. In San Diego County, the expense (over $50 million) was nine percent of the total county's budget for law enforcement that year.^[155]

A study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has found that while property-related crime rates have not been affected by increased immigration (both legal and illegal), in border counties there is a significant positive correlation between illegal immigration and violent crime.^[156]

Identity theft

Identity theft is associated with illegal immigrants who use social security numbers that do not belong to them, in order to obtain fake work documentation.^[157] Identity theft is a term used to refer to fraud that involves stealing money or getting other benefits by pretending to be someone else. ... The promotional Social Security card as distributed by the F.W. Woolworth Company In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a 9-digit number issued to citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . ...

Drug smuggling

According to proceedings from a 1997 meeting of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, "Through other violations of our immigration laws, Mexican drug cartels are able to extend their command and control into the United States. Drug smuggling fosters, subsidizes, and is dependent upon continued illegal immigration and alien smuggling."^[158] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Gang violence

As of 2005, Operation Community Shield had detained nearly fourteen hundred illegal immigrant gang members.^[159] Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ...

"The Salvadoran gang, known to law enforcement authorities as MS-13 because many members identify themselves with tattoos of the number 13, is thought to have established a major smuggling center in Matamoros, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas, from where it has arranged to bring illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico into the United States. MS13 publicly declared that it targets the Minutemen, civilians who take it upon themselves to control the border, to "teach them a lesson", possibly due to their smuggling of various Central/South Americans (mostly other gang members, drugs, and weapons across the border. A confidential California Department of Justice study reported in 1995 that 60 percent of the twenty thousand member 18th Street Gang in California is illegal.^[160]. "Mexican alien smugglers plan to pay violent gang members and smuggle them into the United States to murder Border Patrol agents, according to a confidential Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by the Daily Bulletin."^[161] El Salvador (Spanish for The Savior) is a republic in Central America with a population of approximately 6. ... // When one conjures up an image of street gangs in the U.S. it is usually influenced by media portrayals of gun-toting youths engaged in disputes over territory and disrespect. ... Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13, MS, In the early 1980s, a violent civil war began in El Salvador which would last more than 12 years. ... Mara Salvatrucha is a Los Angeles-based, predominantly Salvadoran, gang that is also active in Central America. ... The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, often confused with The Minuteman Project, Inc. ... 18th Street Gang, also known as Eighteen St. ... This article is about the U.S state. ...

Social Security

Undocumented workers are estimated to pay in about $7 billion per year into Social Security.^[162].

Environmental

Waves of illegal immigrants are taking a heavy toll on U.S. public lands along the Mexican border, federal officials say.^[163] Mike Coffeen, a biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Service in Tucson, Arizona, is quoted as saying, while surveying the area by airplane: "the level of impact is just shocking."^[164] "Environmental degradation has become among the migration trend's most visible consequences, a few years ago, there were 45 abandoned cars on the Buenos Aires refuge near Sasabe, Arizona and enough trash that a volunteer couple filled 723 large bags with 18,000 pounds of garbage over two months in 2002." ^[165] The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ... Nickname: The Old Pueblo Location in Pima County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Pima Mayor Bob Walkup (R) Area    - City 505. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the natural environment. ... Gila Monster, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Sasabe is a small unincorporated border community in the Altar Valley of southern Pima County, Arizona, United States. ...

"It has been estimated that the average desert-walking immigrant leaves behind 8 pounds of trash during a journey that lasts one to three days if no major glitches occur. Assuming half a million people cross the border illegally into Arizona annually, that translates to 2,000 tons of trash that migrants dump each year." ^[166] Fred Patton, chief ranger at Organ Pipe, is quoted as saying: "We've now got 300 miles of illegal roads these people have cut through the desert, and thousands of miles of illegal trails they've created. We collect over 30 vehicles a year, and we measure the trash they leave behind, everything from cans and bottles to clothes, by the ton. And they've fouled the few water sources to the point they are too filthy now even for the animals to drink."^[167]

Illegal immigrants trying to get to the United States via the Mexican border with southern Arizona are suspected of having caused eight major wildfires this year. The fires destroyed 68,413 acres (276.86 km²) and cost taxpayers $5.1 million to fight.^[168] Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ...

Impact on national security

Mohamed Atta al-Sayed and two of his co-conspirators had expired visas when they executed the September 11, 2001 attacks. All of the attackers had U.S. government issued documents and two of them were erroneously granted visa extensions after their deaths ^[169]. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States found that the government inadequately tracked those with expired tourist or student visas. Mohammed Atta al-Sayed (Arabic: محمد عطا السيد) was named by the FBI as the suicide pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response...

Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think-tank that promotes immigration reduction, testified in a hearing before the House of Representatives that Mark Krikorian is the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think-tank that promotes stricter immigration standards and enforcement. ... The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is a nonpartisan immigration reduction-oriented, non-profit research organization and was founded in 1985. ... Immigration reduction refers to movements active within the United States that advocate a reduction in the amount of immigration allowed into the United States or other countries. ...

"out of the 48 al-Qaeda operatives who committed crimes here between 1993 and 2001, 12 of them were illegal aliens when they committed their crimes, seven of them were visa overstayers, including two of the conspirators in the first World Trade Center attack, one of the figures from the New York subway bomb plot, and four of the 9/11 terrorists. In fact, even a couple other terrorists who were not illegal when they committed their crimes had been visa overstayers earlier and had either applied for asylum or finagled a fake marriage to launder their status."^[170] Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... For the second attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, see September 11, 2001 attacks. ...

Vice Chair Lee Hamilton and Commissioner Slade Gorton of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States has stated that of the nineteen hijackers of the September 11, 2001 attacks, "Two hijackers could have been denied admission at the port on entry based on violations of immigration rules governing terms of admission. Three hijackers violated the immigration laws after entry, one by failing to enroll in school as declared, and two by overstays of their terms of admission."^[171] Six months after the attack, their flight schools received posthumous visa approval letters from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for two of the hijackers, which made it clear that actual approval of the visas took place before the September 11 attacks^[172]. Lee Herbert Hamilton is the vice chair of the 9-11 Commission and currently serves on the Presidents Homeland Security Advisory Council. ... Slade Gorton Thomas Slade Gorton III (born January 8, 1928) is an American politician. ... The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks including preparedness for and the immediate response... The September 11, 2001 attacks were carried out by 19 hijackers, with planning and organization of the attacks involving numerous additional members of al-Qaeda. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a part of the United States Department of Justice which used to handle legal and illegal immigration and naturalization. ...

Apprehension & Deportation Expenses

Border control uses the latest technological advances to help capture these immigrants, sometimes detain/prosecute, and send back over the border. According to the US Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol Enforcement Integrated Database, apprehensions have increased from 955,310 in 2002 to 1,159,802 in the year of 2004. "But fewer than 4 percent of apprehended migrants were actually detained and prosecuted for illegal entry, partly because it costs $90 a day to keep them in detention facilities and bed space is very limited. For the remainder of the apprehended migrants, if they are willing to sign a form attesting that they are voluntarily repatriating themselves, they are simply bused to a gate on the border, where they re-enter Mexico." ^[173] "During the summer of 2004, the U.S. government pressured the Mexican government into accepting 'deep repatriation' of as many as 300 apprehended migrants per day to six cities in central and southern Mexico. Each of these 151 chartered flights cost U.S. taxpayers $50,000." ^[174]

Immigration enforcement

Failure to prosecute Employers

Illegal hiring has not been prosecuted aggressively in recent years: between 1999 and 2003, according to the Washington Post, “work-site enforcement operations were scaled back 95 percent by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. ^[175] Major employers of illegal immigrants have included: ... Old INS building in Seattle The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a part of the United States Department of Justice and handled legal and illegal immigration and naturalization. ...

• Wal-Mart. In 2005 Wal-Mart agreed to pay $11 million to settle a federal investigation that found hundreds of illegal immigrants were hired by Wal-Mart's cleaning contractors.^[176]

• Swift & Co.. In December 2006, in the largest such crackdown in American history, U.S. federal immigration authorities raided Swift & Co. meat-processing plants in six U.S. states, arresting about 1,300 illegal immigrant employees. ^[177]

• Tyson Foods. This company has also been accused of actively importing illegal labor for its chicken packing plants; However, the jury acquitted the company after evidence was presented that Tyson went beyond mandated government requirements in demanding documentation for its employees. ^[178]

For decades, immigration authorities have alerted ("no-match-letters")^[179] employers of mismatches between reported employees' Social Security cards and the actual names of the card holders. On September 1, a federal judge halted this practice of alerting employers of card mismatches.^[180] Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Swift & Company is a meat packaging company founded by Gustavus Franklin Swift. ... Tyson Foods, Inc. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The promotional Social Security card as distributed by the F.W. Woolworth Company In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a 9-digit number issued to citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . ...

Please see main article, United States–Mexico barrier. - Fence barrier on the international bridge near McAllen, TX . ...

El Paso (top) and Ciudad Juárez (bottom) seen from earth orbit; the Rio Grande is the thin line separating the two cities through the middle of the photograph.

NASA photo, taken from space station http://earthobservatory. ... NASA photo, taken from space station http://earthobservatory. ...

Apprehension and Prevention

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is responsible for apprehending individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally. The United States Border Patrol is its mobile uniformed law enforcement arm, responsible for deterrence, detection and apprehension of aliens who enter the United States without authorization from the government and outside the designated ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, is charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. trade laws. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

"If immigrants, whether legal or illegal, are apprehended entering the US while committing a crime, they are usually charged under federal statues and, if convicted, are sent to federal prisons." (Smith and Edmonston. 1997, Page 387)

Activity on the United States-Mexico border is concentrated around big border cities such as San Diego and El Paso, which have extensive border fencing and enhanced border patrols.^{[citation needed]} Stricter enforcement of the border in cities has failed to significantly curb illegal immigration, instead pushing the flow into more remote regions^[181]and increasing the cost to taxpayers of each arrest from $300 in 1992 to $1700 in 2002.^[182]. The cost to illegal immigrants has also increased: they now routinely hire coyotes, or smugglers, to help them get across.^[183] The international border between Mexico and the United States runs a total of 3,141 km (1,951 miles) from San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... This article needs cleanup. ... - Fence barrier on the international bridge near McAllen, TX . ... People smuggling is a term which is used to describe the illegal and organised smuggling of people across international boundaries, usually for financial gain. ...

Apprehension of Visa Overstayers

"Although most of the public attention has been on clandestine crossings on the land border with Mexico, they account for about 60% of illegal immigrants. The rest enter legally and then overstay...Restricting the growth of the illegal immigrant population, therefore, calls also for programs that address this group of would-be residents." ^[184]

Securing the Nation's borders

In December 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to build a separation barrier along parts of the border not already protected by separation barriers. A later vote in the United States Senate on May 17, 2006, included a plan to blockade 860 miles (1,380 km) of the border with vehicle barriers and triple-layer fencing along with granting an "earned path to citizenship" to the 12 million illegal aliens in the U.S. and roughly doubling legal immigration (from their 1970s levels)^{[citation needed]} . In 2007 Congress approved a plan calling for more fencing along the Mexican border, with funds for approximately 700 miles (1,100 km) of new fencing.^{[citation needed]} Separation barriers (separation walls, security fences) are constructed to limit the movement of people across a certain line or border or to separate two populations. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Police and military involvement

There have been extensive efforts on the part of local law enforcement to increase police presence at the border.^{[185][186][187]} However, federal judges have ruled that control of illegal immigration is the exclusive domain of the federal government and have prohibited local communities and states from attempting to enforce ordinances intended to control illegal immigration^[188].

In 1995, the United States Congress considered an exemption from the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits direct participation of Department of Defense personnel in civilian law enforcement activities, such as search, seizure, and arrests.^[189] This exemption would have authorized the United States Secretary of Defense to detail members of the Armed Forces to enforce the immigration and customs laws in border areas. U.S. Army personnel were stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border to help stem the flow of illegal aliens and drug smugglers. These military units brought their specialized equipment such as FLIR infrared devices, and helicopters. In conjunction with the U.S. Border Patrol, they would deploy along the border and, for a brief time, there would be no traffic across that border which was actively watched by "coyotes" paid to assist border crossers. The smugglers and the alien traffickers ceased operations over the one hundred mile sections of the border sealed at a time. Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law () passed on June 16, 1878 after the end of Reconstruction. ... The United States Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is the head of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), concerned with the armed services and military matters. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

In 1997, Marines shot and killed 18 year old U.S. citizen Esequiel Hernandez Jr^[190] while on a mission to interdict smuggling and illegal immigration in the remote Southwest. The soldiers observed the goat herder from concealment for 20 minutes maintaining radio contact with their unit. But at one point, this young man (who the Pentagon says previously had fired shots in the vicinity of Border Patrol agents) raised his rifle and fired shots in the direction of the concealed soldiers. After firing two shots, this young man was, in turn, shot and killed. In reference to the incident, military lawyer Craig T. Trebilock argues that "the fact that armed military troops were placed in a position with the mere possibility that they would have to use force to subdue civilian criminal activity reflects a significant policy shift by the executive branch away from the posse comitatus doctrine."^[191] The killing of Hernandez led to a congressional review^[192] and an end to a nine-year old policy of the military aiding the Border Patrol^[193]. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea,[1] using the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces and is one of seven uniformed services. ... Esequiel Hernandez Jr was an 18 year old US citizen and high school student killed on May 20, 1997 by Marines on the U.S.-Mexico border in Redford, Texas. ... Esequiel Hernandez Jr was an 18 year old US citizen and high school student killed on May 20, 1997 by Marines on the U.S.-Mexico border in Redford, Texas. ... Categories: Stub | U.S. Dept. ...

After the September 11, 2001 attacks the United States again considered placing soldiers along the U.S.-Mexico border as a security measure. ^[194] In May 2006, President George W. Bush announced plans to use the National Guard to strengthen enforcement of the US-Mexico Border from illegal immigrants^[195], emphasizing that Guard units "will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities."^[196] Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said in an interview with a Mexico City radio station, "If we see the National Guard starting to directly participate in detaining people ... we would immediately start filing lawsuits through our consulates,"^[197] American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called on the President not to deploy military troops to deter aliens, and stated that a "deployment of National Guard troops violates the spirit of the Posse Comitatus Act" ^[198]. According to the State of the Union Address in January 2007^[199], more than 6000 National Guard members have been sent to the US-Mexico border to supplement the Border Patrol^[200], costing in excess of $750 million^[201]. The Cato Institute is among the critics who argue that increasing border security is counterproductive. The institute argues that increasing border security reduces the proportion of illegal immigrants caught at the border and increases the length of time illegal immigrants remain in the country. Cato claims that the only significant change on illegal immigrants has been in length of stay due to the cost of returning. The probability of returning within twelve months has gone from around 45% in 1980 to between 25 and 30% from 1998-2002. Also, the average trip duration has gone from 1.7 years to 3.5 years. According to the Cato Institute, the only important change in security has been one of cost. The Border Patrol's budget has gone from $151 million in 1986 to $1.6 billion in 2002. This has caused the cost of apprehending an illegal immigrant to go from around $100 per arrest before 1986 to around $1700 in 2002. A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... The United States National Guard is a reserve forces component of the United States Army (the Army National Guard) and the United States Air Force (the Air National Guard). ... The international border between Mexico and the United States runs a total of 3,141 km (1,951 miles) from San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east. ... The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) consists of two separate non-profit organizations: the ACLU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization which focuses on litigation and communication efforts, and the American Civil Liberties Union, a 501(c)(4) organization which focuses on legislative lobbying. ... State of the Union redirects here. ... The international border between Mexico and the United States runs a total of 3,141 km (1,951 miles) from San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east. ... The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institutes stated mission is to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace by striving to achieve greater involvement...

Public reaction

Importance of the issue

Polls by the LA Times/Bloomberg^[202], CBS News/New York Times^[203], and USA Today/Gallup^[204] show that most Americans consider the issue of illegal immigration a serious one. In both the CBS News/New York Times Poll and the LA Times/Bloomberg Poll, close to 2 out of 3 respondents identified the issue as very serious or important.

Effect on US economy

Polls by NBC^[205], ABC^[206], CBS/New York Times^[207], and the LA Times/Bloomberg^[208] consistently show that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that the overall impact of illegal immigration is one of harming the US economy. But in the same CBS News/New York Times poll, when asked "Do you think illegal immigrants coming to this country today take jobs away from American citizens, or do they mostly take jobs Americans don't want?" by a ratio of 2-to-1 the answer was "Take Unwanted Jobs". ^[209] One of the most important factors regarding public opinion about immigration is the level of unemployment; anti-immigrant sentiment is highest where unemployment is highest and vice-versa.^[210] Below is a comparison of the unemployment rates by state, ranked from highest to lowest. ...

Enforcement

Most respondents (71%) in a Quinnipiac University Poll^[211] believe that enforcement of immigration laws will require additional measures beyond a border fence.

A CBS News/New York Times poll^[212] indicates that 69% of Americans favor prosecuting illegal immigrants and deporting them for being in the U.S. illegally.^[213] . The same CBS News/New York Times poll, however, asked, "what do you think should happen to most illegal immigrants who have lived and worked in the United States for at least two years?" to which 33% replied they should be deported^[214][215]

A poll by the Manhattan Institute reported that "78% of likely Republican voters favor immigration reform that includes increased border security, tougher penalties for employers who hire illegal workers, a policy that allows illegal immigrants to come forward and register for a temporary worker program that eventually placed them on a path to citizenship. Facing a choice between a registration and earned-legalization plan and a plan that includes deportation and enforcement-only, respondents favored the earned legalization plan 58% to 33%." ^[216] The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is an influential New York City-based free market think tank established in 1978. ...

Most public opinion polls on how to deal with the illegal immigrants already in the country find that the majority of the American public consistently shows support for either a pathway to citizenship or allowing them to stay on as guest workers. ^[217]

A Quinnipiac University Poll^[218] reports that 65% of respondents support employer fines. Yet the Quinnipiac University Poll. Nov. 13-19, 2006, reported that an equal amount of adults (65%) would support creation of a guest worker program that would allow illegal immigrants to register for temporary legal status and employment ^[219]

Employer sanctions

A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll^[220] indicates that 77% of respondents believe employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants should be punished for their actions. When asked "what do you think, if anything, is the most effective measure in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration?", 76% replied either "more border security", "sanctions against employers", or "more arrests and deportations", while 45% replied "pathway to citizenship" or "guest worker program". ^[221][222].

NBC/Wall Street Journal indicates 57% strongly favor employer fines and 17% somewhat favor them. ^[223]

Increased border security

A poll by NBC News/Wall Street Journal^[224] indicates that 44% strongly favor increased border security (a fence and more border patrol agents) while 19% strongly oppose.

Response of government

An ABC News Poll^[225], indicates that most respondents (67%) believe the United States is not doing enough to keep illegal immigrants from coming into the country and, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll^[226] most Americans believe that US immigration policy needs either fundamental changes (41%) or to be completely rebuilt(49%).

Federal response

In choosing a presidential candidate, most respondents to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll^[227] consider his or her stand on illegal immigration to be either an important (66%) or the most important(15%) issue, while a clear minority consider it to be either not too important(16%) or not important at all(2%).

Most respondents (51%) would be upset if Congress does not pass an immigration bill while significantly fewer (22%) would be pleased.

But a Chicago Tribune Super Tuesday exit poll shows that "Experts following the immigration debate claim Republicans had hoped illegal immigration would become a wedge issue between the two parties in the 2008 presidential election." And the report adds, "Voters across the country overwhelmingly and consistently have named the economy as their number one issue, in exit poll data from Super Tuesday and subsequent primaries..."

State response

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll^[228], most respondents (55%) believe state or local police forces should arrest illegal immigrants they encounter who have not broken any state or local laws. However, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2007 reported that arrests and deportations were the least important, with border security, sanctions against employers, path to citizenship, and guest worker program heading the list ^[229].

The previously cited CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll poll indicates that most respondents (76%) are against state governments issues driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. A poll by the Field Institute found that "[California] residents are very much opposed (62% to 35%) to granting undocumented immigrants who do not have legal status in this country the right to obtain a California driver’s license. However, opinion is more divided (49% to 48%) about a plan to issue a different kind of driver’s license that would allow these immigrants to drive but would also identify them as not having legal status." ^{[230] [231]}

Further, most respondents (63%) in a Quinnipiac University poll^[232] support local laws passed by communities to fine businesses that hire illegal immigrants while only 33% oppose it.

A May 2006 New York Times/CBS News Poll shows that 53 percent of Americans feel that “illegal immigrants mostly take the jobs Americans don’t want”^[233]. A related poll was also performed by NBC/Wall Street Journal on April 21-24, 2006. In this poll, when asked " If you had to make a choice, would you favor deporting immigrants in America who are not legal citizens and do not have work permits, or would you favor allowing these immigrants to stay in America as long as they pass a security check, meet certain conditions, and pay taxes?", 61 percent of the U.S. population responded "Allow to stay." ^[234].

However, in a third opinion poll by Zogby International in 2005, voters were also asked, "Do you support or oppose the Bush administration's proposal to give millions of illegal aliens guest worker status and the opportunity to become citizens?" Only 35% gave their support, and 56 percent said no. The same poll noted a huge majority, 81%, believes local and state police should help federal authorities enforce laws against illegal immigration.^[235]

Local response

State and local governments have responded by passing local laws and ordinances to control illegal immigration within their own jurisdictions^[236]. These laws are primarily aimed at (a) limiting an illegal immigrants' ability to obtain jobs, housing, or a legally acceptable form of identification. (b) To empower local law enforcement agencies to inquire into an immigrant's legal status. These law have met with challenges as reported elsewhere in this article.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has argued that since the continued presense of illegal aliens in the United States incurs a civil penalty, that the presence of any undocumented person in the United States is a civil offense, not a criminal offense (the United States code identifies illegal immigration as both a criminal and civil offense^[237]). Therefore, this Sheriff's office claims that the removal of an illegal alien from the United States is an administrative process not a criminal process.^[238] On the other hand, those that traffic persons across the border are in violation of the US law and are committing a crime.

Community-based reaction

The Minuteman Project has been lobbying Congress for stronger enforcement of the border laws and is reported to be organizing private property owners along the U.S.-Mexican border for the purpose of building a fence to discourage illegal border crossings.^[239] The Indian reservations along the US/Mexico border are overwhelmed with illegal aliens passing through their lands, leaving debris and waste, as well as committing crimes on tribal lands. They have asked the US Government to stop the flood of illegal aliens as they are unable to do so. The Minuteman Project is an activist organization started in April 2005 by a group of private United States individuals to monitor the United States–Mexico borders flow of illegal immigrants, although it has expanded to include the United States-Canada border as well. ...

The No More Deaths organization offers food, water, and medical aid to illegal aliens crossing the desert regions of the American Southwest in an effort to reduce the increasing number of deaths along the border.^[240] hop]] Gerald Kicanas, Presbyterian minister John Fife, and leaders of the local Jewish community. ... Border Patrol sign in California warning Caution! Do not expose your life to the elements. ...

According to a 2006 report by the Anti-Defamation League, white supremacists and other extremists are engaging in a growing number of assaults against legal and illegal immigrants and those perceived to be immigrants.^[241] The Anti-Defamation League (or ADL) is an interest group founded in 1913 by Bnai Brith in the United States whose stated aim is to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. ...

Legal issues

Locally mandated immigration policy

A 1986 law pre-empted most existing state immigration policies and forbids states from enacting tougher criminal or civil penalties for illegal immigration than those set by Congress. Further, the US Supreme Court in De Canas v. Bica, 424 U.S. 351 (1976) stated “[The] power to regulate immigration is unquestionably exclusively a federal power.” The supremacy clause (Article VI, Clause 2) of the United States Constitution makes laws passed by Congress “the supreme law of the land”, thus placing the constitutionality of locally passed laws and ordinances in question. Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the United States Constitution is known as the Supremacy Clause: The Supremacy Clause establishes the Constitution, Federal Statutes, and U.S. treaties as the supreme law of the land. ...

Several lawsuits have been filed challenging the constitutionality of locally imposed measures, on the grounds that it is not the place of local government to assume the responsibilities of the Federal government. Two of the most closely watched cases involve ordinances passed in Hazleton, Pennsylvania and Farmers Branch, Texas that include fining landlords that rent to illegal immigrants, and allowing local authorities to screen illegal immigrants in police custody. On July 26, 2007, a federal court struck down the Hazleton ordinance as unconstitutional. The ruling is regarded by many to set a legal precedent that can be used to strike down local immigration ordinances nationwide. Hazleton's mayor has promised to appeal the decision. The Farmer's Branch ordinance remains under temporary restraining order enjoining enforcement of the ordinance pending a final ruling. Civil action redirects here. ... For other places with the same name, see Hazleton (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas County Government  - Mayor Bob Phelps Area  - City  12. ... An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that either prohibits or compels (enjoins or restrains) a party from continuing a particular activity. ...

Several US cities have taken the opposite approach and have instructed their own law enforcement personnel and other city employees not to notify or cooperate with the federal government when they become aware of illegal immigrants living within their jurisdiction. These cities are often referred to as “sanctuary cities” and include Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and other mostly large urban cities. Most of these cities claim that the benefit illegal immigrants bring to their city outweigh the costs. Opponents say the measures violate federal law as the cities are in effect creating their own immigration policy, an area of law which only Congress has authority to alter^[242]. Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

Many cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Jersey City, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Aurora, Colorado, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine, have become "sanctuary cities", having adopted ordinances banning police from asking people about their immigration status.^[243] For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area  - City  515. ... Dallas redirects here. ... Houston redirects here. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... The skyline of Jersey City, as seen from Lower New York Bay. ... This article is about the city in Minnesota. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ... Nickname: Location in Arapahoe County and the State of Colorado Coordinates: , Country United States State State of Colorado Counties Arapahoe County[1] Adams County Douglas County Platted 1891 as Fletcher Incorporated (town) 1903-05-05, as the Town of Fletcher[2] Incorporated (city) 1929 as the City of Aurora[3... Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... Nickname: Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country State Counties Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Type Commission  - Mayor Tom Potter[1]  - Commissioners Sam Adams Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Erik Sten  - Auditor Gary Blackmer Area  - City 145. ... Nickname: Motto: Resurgam (Latin for I will rise again) Coordinates: , Country State County Cumberland Settled 1632 Incorporated 1786 Government  - Mayor Nicholas M. Mavodones, Jr Area  - City  52. ... A sanctuary city is a United States city that follows certain practices that protect illegal immigrants. ... A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code. ...

Deportation complications

Complications in deportation efforts ensue when parents are illegal immigrants but their children are birthright citizens. Such was the case of Mexican Elvira Arellano, who sought sanctuary at a Chicago-area church in an effort to impede immigration authorities from separating her and her eight year old, U.S.-born son whom some have called an Anchor baby. This is also the case in the instance of Sadia Umanzor, an illegal immigrant from Honduras and the central figure of a November 17, 2007, New York Times story. Umanzor was a fugitive from a 2006 deportation order. She was recently arrested, in anticipation of deportation. However, a judge postponed that deportation proceeding. The judge placed her in house arrest, citing her six-month old U.S.-born baby as the factor. ^[244] Deportation is the expelling of someone from a country. ... Elvira Arellano (born 1975) is a Mexican citizen from San Miguel Curahuango, Michoacán, notable for living illegally in the United States. ... Ajax prepares to violate the sanctuary of Athena by abducting Cassandra by force: red-figure vase, c. ... Anchor baby or jackpot baby are terms used to refer to a child born in the United States to illegal immigrants or other non-citizens. ...

Mass Deportation

According to the Washington Post, the liberal Washington think tank, Center for American Progress puts the cost of forcibly removing most the nation's estimated 10 million illegal immigrants at $41 billion a year. Advocates for tougher enforcement of immigration laws did not dispute the study's figures but disputed its assumptions about how law enforcement would work. The study assumed that tougher enforcement would induce 10 percent to 20 percent of undocumented residents in the United States to leave voluntarily. But Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies argued that as many as half would leave voluntarily. He stated, "We do need to know what enforcement costs, but [the study] is a cartoon version of how enforcement would work." [13]</ref> The Center for American Progress is a progressive American political policy research and advocacy organization. ... The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is a nonpartisan immigration reduction-oriented, non-profit research organization and was founded in 1985. ...

Kennedy jurisprudence

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 16, 2008, per ponented Justice Kennedy ruled (5-4) "that someone who is here illegally may withdraw his voluntarily agreement to depart and continue to try to get approval to remain in the United States." The lawsuit is about two seemingly contradictory provisions of immigration law. One prevents deportation by voluntary departure from the country. The other section allows immigrants who are here illegally but whose circumstances changed to build their case to immigration officials, and must remain in the US. In the case, Samson Dada, a Nigerian citizen, overstayed beyond the expiration of his tourist visa in 1998. Immigration authorities ordered him to leave the country as he agreed to leave voluntarily, to allow his legal re-entry than if he had been deported.^[245][246] is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Illegal immigration
• Immigration to the United States
• Operation Wetback
• Immigration reduction
• Nativism (politics)
• Illegal alien
• Sanctuary city
• Mexica Movement
• Minuteman Project
• 2006 United States immigration reform protests
• Matias Documentary film about the death of a Mexican Migrant
• Death at US-Mexico border reflects immigration tensions Guardian Co UK

Illegal alien and Illegal aliens redirect here. ... 2000 Census Population Ancestry Map Immigration to the United States of America is the movement of non-residents to the United States. ... Operation Wetback was a 1954 project of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to remove about 1. ... Immigration reduction refers to movements active within the United States that advocate a reduction in the amount of immigration allowed into the United States or other countries. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into illegal immigration. ... Sanctuary city is a United States political buzzword commonly applied to any city employing a dont ask, dont tell policy towards illegal immigrants. ... The Mexica Movement is the name of a group in the United States who claim their ancestry from Indigenous people of North America as the basis for liberating the North American continent from people of European-descent. ... The Minuteman Project Civil Defense Corps was started in April 2005 by a group of American citizens to deter illegal crossings of the United States–Mexico border. ... In 2006, millions of people were involved in protests over a proposed reform to U.S. immigration policy. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Seattle Times is the leading daily newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the news website, see msnbc. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the news website, see msnbc. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Race relations is the area of sociology that studies the social, political, and economic relations between races at all different levels of society. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Environment & Energy Publishing LLC is a multi-service online media company that covers environmental and energy policy and markets. ... Environment & Energy Publishing LLC is a multi-service online media company that covers environmental and energy policy and markets. ... Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest and primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nations border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security. ...

Further reading

• Barkan, Elliott R. "Return of the Nativists? California Public Opinion and Immigration in the 1980s and 1990s." Social Science History 2003 27(2): 229-283. in Project Muse
• Brimelow, Peter; Alien Nation (1996)
• Cull, Nicholas J. and Carrasco, Davíd, ed. Alambrista and the US-Mexico Border: Film, Music, and Stories of Undocumented Immigrants U. of New Mexico Press, 2004. 225 pp.
• Flores, William V. "New Citizens, New Rights: Undocumented Immigrants and Latino Cultural Citizenship" Latin American Perspectives 2003 30(2): 87-100
• Hanson, Victor David Mexifornia: A State of Becoming (2003)
• Lisa Magaña, Straddling the Border: Immigration Policy and the INS (2003
• Mohl, Raymond A. "Latinization in the Heart of Dixie: Hispanics in Late-twentieth-century Alabama" Alabama Review 2002 55(4): 243-274. ISSN 0002-4341
• Ngai, Mae M. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America (2004),
• Ngai, Mae M. "The Strange Career of the Illegal Alien: Immigration Restriction and Deportation Policy in the United States, 1921-1965" Law and History Review 2003 21(1): 69-107. ISSN 0738-2480 Fulltext in History Cooperative
• Thomas J. Espenshade; "Unauthorized Immigration to the United States" Annual Review of Sociology. Volume: 21. 1995. pp 195+.
• Kennedy, John F. A Nation of Immigrants. New York: Harper & Row, 1964.

Mexifornia or Califaztlán refer to the state that is the result of the accelerated legal, and especially undocumented, immigration of people into California and the rapid transformation of many aspects of the culture of the state. ... A Nation of Immigrants was written by President John F. Kennedy in 1958. ...

External links

• Border Stories- a website devoted to stories from both sides of the U.S. Mexico Border
• Federation of American Scientists: Border Security: Fences Along the U.S. International Border (a report of the Congressional Research Service issued on January 13, 2005)
• University of California, San Diego: Center for Comparative Immigration Studies
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: Immigration and Nationality Act, Title 8 Code of Federal Regulations
• Pew Hispanic Center: The State of American Public Opinion on Immigration in Spring 2006: A Review of Major Surveys
• Matias Documentary film about the death of an illegal immigrant, by Claudine LoMonaco and Mary Spicuzza
• Death at US-Mexico border reflects immigration tensions Guardian Co UK