EXACT NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS STILL A MYSTERY
Amidst the debate on the Immigration Bill, the big question that refuses to fade is how many undocumented immigrants are in the US? There are stark variations in many of the estimates. While Pew estimated 11.1 million undocumented immigrants and the number remained unchanged since 2009.
In 2011, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics gave a number at 11.5 million, higher than what Pew studies found. Another study by demographer Robert Warren and John Robert Warren pegged the number around 11.7 million in January 2010.
The Warren study addressed the question how many undocumented immigrants are in the US? and covered 1990-2009 period. He found that an estimated 7.5 million unauthorized immigrants having left that population for reasons like having gained legal status or removed by DHS or died.
Impact of Recession
Some analysts attribute to the decline in immigrant influx of 2007 to 2009 to the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble. It affected illegal immigrant workers employed in construction and many of them returned home.
According to Department of Home Security, younger undocumented immigrants are mostly male and women comprise 47 percent of the total undocumented population and a majority of those older than 45.
An analysis of 2010 numbers shows that Mexicans make up 58 percent of the undocumented population. Overall Latin American countries account for 23 percent and Asians 11 percent in the illegal population list. DHS data put individuals born in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador making up a combined 70 percent of the undocumented population in 2011.
Focus on Tax
The excessive focus on enforcing a 11 million undocumented immigrants into paying fines totaling $2,000 and back taxes put the spotlight on the immigration tax issue. In an amendment Republican Senator Hatch wanted workers to show they have paid taxes for all work since they entered the country. The bill is also benign to allow undocumented immigrants to gain temporary legal status within six months. Its road map suggests that after 10 years an illegal immigrant would be eligible for permanent legal status and can gain citizenship in three years. The provisions in the Bill mandate that people applying for legal status to pay back taxes that the Internal Revenue Service thinks they owe.
Onus on Immigrant
An amendment even puts the burden of calculating back taxes on the worker than the IRS. As per the current bill, post immigration tax newly legalized immigrants have a long wait of minimum of 10 years before becoming eligible for federal subsidies and health insurance under Obama's 2010 health law.
Constraints
The requirement for back taxes would scare away people from gaining legal status. Computing taxes would be difficult because many employers see no incentive in helping workers compile their records.
This cuts into the whole purpose of legalization program to give these people a tough time as a reasonable way to earn lawful residency and due compliance with the law.
Enforcement
The Bill vows spending billions to bolster security along southern border and expanding the number of visas available for high-skilled workers and devise new visa programs for workers such as janitors, construction workers and farm workers.
Republicans will extract a price of their vote as they want to be tougher for those seeking legal status. But Democrats want to ensure that the route to legalization is workable while not being overly lenient.
In 2011, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics gave a number at 11.5 million, higher than what Pew studies found. Another study by demographer Robert Warren and John Robert Warren pegged the number around 11.7 million in January 2010.
The Warren study addressed the question how many undocumented immigrants are in the US? and covered 1990-2009 period. He found that an estimated 7.5 million unauthorized immigrants having left that population for reasons like having gained legal status or removed by DHS or died.
Impact of Recession
Some analysts attribute to the decline in immigrant influx of 2007 to 2009 to the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble. It affected illegal immigrant workers employed in construction and many of them returned home.
According to Department of Home Security, younger undocumented immigrants are mostly male and women comprise 47 percent of the total undocumented population and a majority of those older than 45.
An analysis of 2010 numbers shows that Mexicans make up 58 percent of the undocumented population. Overall Latin American countries account for 23 percent and Asians 11 percent in the illegal population list. DHS data put individuals born in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador making up a combined 70 percent of the undocumented population in 2011.
Focus on Tax
The excessive focus on enforcing a 11 million undocumented immigrants into paying fines totaling $2,000 and back taxes put the spotlight on the immigration tax issue. In an amendment Republican Senator Hatch wanted workers to show they have paid taxes for all work since they entered the country. The bill is also benign to allow undocumented immigrants to gain temporary legal status within six months. Its road map suggests that after 10 years an illegal immigrant would be eligible for permanent legal status and can gain citizenship in three years. The provisions in the Bill mandate that people applying for legal status to pay back taxes that the Internal Revenue Service thinks they owe.
Onus on Immigrant
An amendment even puts the burden of calculating back taxes on the worker than the IRS. As per the current bill, post immigration tax newly legalized immigrants have a long wait of minimum of 10 years before becoming eligible for federal subsidies and health insurance under Obama's 2010 health law.
Constraints
The requirement for back taxes would scare away people from gaining legal status. Computing taxes would be difficult because many employers see no incentive in helping workers compile their records.
This cuts into the whole purpose of legalization program to give these people a tough time as a reasonable way to earn lawful residency and due compliance with the law.
Enforcement
The Bill vows spending billions to bolster security along southern border and expanding the number of visas available for high-skilled workers and devise new visa programs for workers such as janitors, construction workers and farm workers.
Republicans will extract a price of their vote as they want to be tougher for those seeking legal status. But Democrats want to ensure that the route to legalization is workable while not being overly lenient.
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