Illegal Immigration and California

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Illegal Immigration and California
Everyone has an opinion on the immigration crisis gripping the nation. From border security restructuring to a complete overhaul of the system, anyone in this country has an idea to handle the ordeal. In preparing for this paper, this author spoke to family and friends for their opinions. One relative suggested the United States ratify Mexico as the 51st State, leaving the seated president in power as governor, turning each state into a county with the respective governors retitled as mayors. The working theory holds that the United States could then intervene and lend aid to the more impoverished areas of the newly formed state. Resulting from this, illegal Mexican immigration becomes a nonissue, Mexican citizens see improved living conditions within a few short years, and the United States gains a large tax-paying citizenship. Admittedly, without benefit of research or a visit to the country, this family member’s theory consists of stereotype and over-generalization. Even so, it illustrates the point. With unemployment rates soaring, and the economy in a tailspin, many blame illegal immigration for current turmoil, and many theories abound.
California
If considered as an independent nation, California would rank among the world’s 10 largest economies (Hutchinson Encyclopedia, California, 2009). From rural to metropolis; from dry desert to lush forest to sand beaches; from unemployed or destitute to upper class, noteworthy, or famous, California’s diversity makes the state in ideal cross-section and case study for the United States. In realms of the judicial, the political, and the commercial, what happens in California sets precedent for what is possible elsewhere. California voters approved Prop 187 in 1994, denying illegal immigrants social services (California Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 10000-10002), a first for the nation. California’s San Diego County border remains one of the most popular crossing routes, second only to Tucson, Arizona (CALIFORNIA; Arrests of illegal immigrants, Marosi, 2009). The eyes of the nation are on California to set the example once again.
The Stigma As of 2006, an estimated 11.6 million illegal immigrants resided in the United States. Roughly estimated, 56.9% of those immigrants were Mexican born. About 24.5% of the 11.6 million illegal immigrants, or just over 4.7 million, resided in California (Immigration, World Almanac p.11, 2008). Clearly Mexican born illegal immigrants are only a portion of the problem. Possibly, because the majority of illegal immigrants are Hispanic, in conjunction to Mexico’s proximity to the United States, Mexican immigrants receive the most attention. According to a study done by The Urban Institute in 2007, California has the largest immigrant population of any state, with 43% being foreign born, well over the 32% national average.
Figure 1
At best estimates, roughly 13 million illegal immigrants resided in the United States as of 2008, over 62% of which reside in six states.

Using the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) website for more recent data, by 2008, an estimated 13 million illegal immigrants resided within United States borders, with California still holding the majority of them. Illegal immigrants shoulder the blame for taking from legal citizens. The study revealed that over 25% of low-skilled workers within California were indeed illegal immigrants, though their household income amounted to only half of a household headed by a United States born citizen. During a conference for the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Joanna Ender recorded the following observation: “The tendency of immigrants to move into neighborhoods with slower growing house prices explains some of the relationship between lower appreciation and the concentration of immigrants.” Later in the conference, it was also noted that “poor immigrants are clustering together to take advantage of public transportation, and are occupying neighborhoods served by public transportation that natives have left behind.” In simpler words, immigrants lower housing value by living in proximity to each other. Even so, the neighborhoods they populate are not heavily populated, nor are they forcing existing residents out on the streets.
Illegal Immigration In a recent study by Scott Borger, on behalf of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, he documented the patterns of illegal immigrants based on previous research. Using several mathematical equations along with the previous research, he estimated probability of arrest of illegal immigrants per crossing attempt as well as likelihood to re-attempt. Many of those that cross the border illegally are repeat offenders. They are seasonal workers who earn a higher wage in the United States than they could in their own country. A similar study through the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, this one by Wayne Cornelius., shows evidence of this. Furthermore, Cornelius demonstrates the likelihood that, over time, many illegal immigrants will eventually take up permanent residency on United States soil. In many ways, these immigrants are not unlike many commuting breadwinners within the households of United States citizens.
Symptom, not Cause The stigma suggests illegal immigration contributes to the economic climate of California, and of the United States. According to The LA Times (Marosi, 2009), states a 25% decline in border arrests in the 2009 fiscal year (October-September) as compared to 2008, and a steady decline since 2000. Comparing this article with the annual arrest online reports generated by the Department of Homeland Security (Figure 2), this is indeed the case.
Figure 2
The United States has seen a steady decline in illegal immigrant arrest along the Mexico border over the past 10 years.

Compare the decline of border arrests to the United States unemployment rates for the same period. How very startling the way these two graphs move in almost directly opposite paths. It becomes painfully obvious why arrests declined across the U.S.-Mexico Border over the last decade. Illegal immigration has suffered the same blow by the economy.
Figure 3
Shown are United States unemployment rates in the month of October from 2000 to 2010.

A Broken System The Cornelius study also lays bare the dysfunctional aspects of the current temporary and permanent resident application process. Current law limits the number of issuable temporary and permanent resident visas. As an example, the permanent visas granted for employment are restricted to 140,000 per year. The United States Government reserves 10,000 of those for workers of a lower skill set, such as farm workers and general construction. Therefore, without a specialized skill set, many seeking employment-based residency likely face rejection, even with sponsorship of a United States employer. This example illustrates only one scenario. Often those seeking permanent entry into the United States do so to remain connected with their family. The supply of visas, with limited amounts offered per-country, simply outnumbers the demand for them. The per-country limit ensures diversity in admitted immigrant parties. The result penalizes applicants from higher demand countries, whereas many other countries never even approach their annual limit.
If ever evidence existed that existing laws must change, these heart breaking statistics are it. From the date of application, each applicant receives a ranking by priority for processing and approval. Ranked first is the unmarried minor of a United States citizen. These children face an average of 12 years to reunite legally with their parents. The second priority falls to the families of Legal Residents; First to spouses and (minor) children of a Legal Permanent Resident, facing an average delay of 6.5 years, and second to an unmarried child, age 21 or older, facing an astronomical 192-year delay to gain legal admittance as a family member. Third priority falls to unmarried children, age 21 or older, of United States citizens. Siblings of adult United States citizens claim fourth, and final, priority. These final two groups still face 12 to 13 years before gaining admittance to this country as a Permanent Legal Resident (Cornelius, 2008). Facing these potential hardships, many immigrants choose to enter the country illegally in hopes of forgiveness after the fact instead of drowning amid the bureaucratic red tape of legal admittance.
Multiple other facets compound delays such as these. United States Immigration suffers from a lack of staff and computer resources. Current immigration law prohibits admissibility for several reasons due in large part to a bill enacted by Congress in 1996. This bill redefined a large group of misdemeanor offenses as felonies, effectively barring some applicants for life. Many believe that bill took things too far.

Fiscally Irresponsible
According to a The Costs of Mass Deportation, a study by the Center for American Progress, itemizes the amount needed per person to deport illegal immigrants en masse. Based on results from fiscal year 2008, it cost roughly $18,310 to locate and arrest one illegal immigrant. To keep this person detained an average of 30 days, awaiting legal proceedings and deportation, cost another $3,355. Legal proceedings add $817 to the running tally. Finally, roughly $1000 funded the transport of the individual back to the country of origin. This means the United States spent $23,148 for every person deported. Within the study, estimates resulting in an astounding $285 billion to deport every known illegal immigrant on United States soil, regardless of the nation of origin. Using the per-person figure in terms of previously stated figures on page three, this totals to nearly $108.8 billion needed to remove forcibly and deport existing Mexican illegal immigrants residing in California. To fund this expenditure would require $351.96 in new taxes from every Californian.
If given the opportunity to gain legal admittance, and even be naturalized, illegal immigrants residing on United States soil hold the potential to increase the nation’s Gross Domestic Product by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, through increased consumer spending and higher tax receipts. Respectively, enforcing a mass deportation leaves a potential $2.5 trillion deficit against the GDP over the next 10 years (Fitz, 2008). Restricting these figures to California illegal immigrants alone translates to a $652.8 billion GDP surplus against a $1.08 trillion GDP deficit.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Realistically, many of the illegal immigrants have resided here for many years. Studies show 63% came to the United States prior to 2000. Though the largest majority of immigrants reside in traditional immigrant states, Figure 1 clearly shows a growing percentage is settling in other parts of the country. Many have taken root and boast of families and active involvement in at least a place of worship. Evidence of this comes in the form of 73% of children of illegal immigrants are United States citizens by birth. Deportation potentially means removing one or both parents from roughly four million children. This would leave incalculable social consequences that would leave this nation in a moral quagmire (Fitz, 2008).
Economically, illegal immigration poses no more a threat than United States citizens migrating between states do. Despite decreased, or slowed, market values to housing in predominantly residentially migrant areas, their living in said areas keeps the housing market alive. By taking advantage of the public transportation systems in these residential areas, they further support local economy. Lower income migrant families, larger in number, do pose a potential stress to already troubled public assistance programs. It remains hypocritical to hold this against immigrant families when there are United States citizens in the same position. Granting permanent residency helps guarantee illegal immigrants spend more of the money they earn here as well, instead of finding its way to another country to for spending there.
Comprehensive and decisive reform is necessary. To prevent the cycle from continuing, enforcing more flexibility with regard to per-country visa limits is necessary. While repealing the 1996 bill would be severe, amending it seems far more practical. Placing accountability and penalties on businesses and work sites that hire illegal immigrant workers will deter border crossing far more effectively than current border security tactics. Moreover, expedite the legalization of illegal immigrant workers already here. This is far less expensive than deporting and potentially arresting them again later. Finally, although not exclusively tied to immigrants, legal, or illegal, focusing on improving employment opportunities will garner better results than current efforts to improve quality of life. As the Chinese proverb goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Clearly, illegal immigration is symbiotic with California’s economy, not a causing factor in its decline. Existing immigration laws and methods have done more harm than good. While ideas such as ratifying Mexico as the 51st State of the Union are unrealistic, perhaps this type of unconventional thinking will bring about a long overdue resolution. Offering legal residency to existing immigrants, while revamping current immigration law and enforcement, shows the most promise of success. Contact elected officials and petition to fix what is clearly broken.

References
California. (2009). In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/heliconhe/california
This is a fair and unbiased resource for a brief overview of California’s history and economy. Capps, R., Fortuny, K., Passel, J.S.(2007). The Characteristics of Unauthorized Immigrants in
California, Los Angeles County, and the United States. The Urban Instisute. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411425_Characteristics_Immigrants.pdf This is a strong resource for identifying economic status of illegal immigrants and their effect on economy at multiple levels —city, state, and country. This article includes several statistics from state and federal agencies, which will prove valuable.

Data360.org. (n.d.). Unemployment Rate US. Retrieved from http://www.data360.org/dataset.aspx?Data_Set_Id=52 This website contains statistical data regarding U.S. Economy.

Ender, J. (2005). Immigration in the U.S.: Economic Effects on the Nation and Its Cities. Business Review, Q4 2005(), 44-51. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&hid=101&sid=8005db6f-6a5e-4d66-90ee-fff8b05a6479%40sessionmgr110 This article is a summary of a two-day conference held at the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia, April 28-29, 2005. Though referring to the nation’s economy in general, the article breaks down, in detail, immigrant effects on several aspects of the economy.

Estimates of the Cyclical Inflow of Undocumented Migrants to the United States. (2009). The
Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, Working Paper 181(), . Retrieved from http://www.ccis-ucsd.org/PUBLICATIONS/documents/WP181.pdf
This article addresses the nature of illegal immigrants, specifically the success rates of crossing the border and the likelihood of arrest based on the number of attempts.

Federation for American Immigration Reform. (n.d.). FAIRUS.ORG. Retrieved from http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16859&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1007 This article gives immigration statistics, by US state, current as of 2007.

Fitz, M., Martinez, G., & Wijewardena, M. (2010) The Costs of Deportation, Center for
American Progress, Retrieved from http://robparal.com/downloads/cost_of_deportation.pdf

Hanson, G. H. (2007). The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration. New York, NY: Council on
Foreign Relations http://books.google.com/books?id=FJoXbhBivAwC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
This book is a report submitted to the Council on Foreign Relations, tackling the logical perspective illegal immigration. The report considers the benefits and costs of illegal immigration as things currently exist. Later in the report, reforming immigration policy is discussed from an economic perspective.

Immigration (2008) World Almanac & Book of Facts, 11. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database
This entry, from a well renowned reference source, contains concrete statistics pertaining to California and the U.S. overall.

Marosi, Richard (2009, November 25). CALIFORNIA; Arrests of illegal immigrants drop 25% near border; Federal officials cite bolstered enforcement and the weak economy as probable reasons. Los Angeles Times, p. A.10. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from Los Angeles Times. (Document ID: 1907516701)
This article contains proof of direct relation between illegal immigration and California’s economy. The interesting argument within the article is that California’s economy effects illegal immigration, not the other way around.

Reforming the management of Migration Flows from Latin America to the United States. (2009).
The Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, Working Paper 181(), . Retrieved from http://ccis.ucsd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/WP-170.pdf
This article addresses the nature of illegal immigrants, specifically the success rates of crossing the border and the amount of immigrants that are repeat offenders. The article’s study focuses on inhabitants of a specific set of regions in Mexico, and the number of successful crossings of their migrant workers. Over time, the study shows an eventual taking of roots within U.S. borders.

US Dept. of Homeland Security. (n.d.). California Border Patrol. Retrieved from http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/apps.ctt/apps.pdf This compiled report gives statistics on border arrests over the last decade.