Illegal Immigration on the Rise Again
According to a new report from the Pew Hispanic Center, the illegal-alien population may be back on the rise. The Center had reported that the illegal-alien population in the United States had dropped slightly since the recession that started back in 2009. But new data show that the population is back on the rise with nearly 12 million illegal aliens living in the U.S.
The illegal-alien population peaked in 2007, according to Pew, with 12.2 million illegal aliens calling the U.S. home. That was after a steady increase in the illegal-alien population dating back to 1990. But the population dipped to 11.2 million in 2009 - the height of the jobs recession. While it's mostly remained constant for the next few years, the new Pew estimate sets the population at 11.7 million in 2012.
The report contradicts claims by the Obama Administration that the border is more secure than ever before and a record number of deportations. The Pew data suggest that the poor economy was more likely the reason in the dip in the illegal-alien population and not a more secure border or an increase in reported deportations.
"(The new numbers) mean we obviously do not have secure borders," NumbersUSA's Director of Government Relations, Rosemary Jenks, told USA Today. "Once an illegal alien is in the United States, there is virtually no fear of being caught and removed. This administration has undermined immigration enforcement consistently, and that's having an impact."
For more information, see USA Today.