Surprising Immigration Statistics
The national discussion about immigration is an important one to have, yet people should be careful to base their arguments based on accurate information. Too often we see incorrect facts and figures on social media that can create false and negative perceptions of immigrants.
For example, a recent pollshowed that 42 percent of Americans incorrectly believe that most immigrants are here illegally. In truth, 75 percent of the 33.7 million immigrants in the United States are here legally. Some people also incorrectly believe that immigrants bring high crime rates to the U.S., but studies showthat the crime rate among first-generation immigrants is significantly lower than native-born Americans.
Here are a few other interesting immigration statistics that might surprise you.
- Foreign-born people make up 13.5 percent of the U.S. population. The current record for the highest percentage of immigrants in the U.S. stands at 14.8 percent. This high was set in 1890 when a flood of Northern Europeans, particularly Italians and Irish, began immigrating to the United States in search of better work opportunities.
- More people are in the country unlawfully due to overstaying their visa rather than illegally crossing the border. According to an NBC news report, citing the Center of Migration Studies, the number of people in the unlawfully in the U.S. due to visa overstays has surpassed those entering the country illegally every year since 2007. This trend is expected to continue.
- Among new immigrant arrivals, Asians outnumber Latinos. The Pew Research Centerreports that since 2010, more Asian immigrants have come to the United States than Latino immigrants. In recent years, the number of Mexican immigrants has decreased. Asians are forecast to become the largest immigrant group, surpassing Latinos, by 2055.
- Immigrants are twice as likely to start a new business in the U.S. than native citizens. Not only do these new businesses help create jobs, but they generate taxes. According to Anti-Defamation Leagueimmigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion in U.S. taxes each year. Even undocumented immigrants paid about $11.8 billion in taxes in 2012.
- The immigrant population in some European countries jumped over 1 percent in less than a year. From July 2015 to May 2016, over 1 million people applied for asylumin Europe. The populations of Sweden, Austria, Norway saw a 1 percent gain. In contrast, the immigrant population in the United States saw a 1 percent increase in over a decade.
The experienced immigration attorneys at Zanes Law are eager to help immigrant families live in the United States. If you are in need of immigration help, please contactus or call us at 844-666-8181for a private consultation today.
To learn more about immigration attorney Doug Zanes, please visit his personal injury website at zaneslaw.com.
