The Center for American Progress released a report detailing the state of border policing and the projected impact of immigration policies. First, notice that spending on border patrol and the number of border patrol agents in the southwest have increased significantly between 1992 and 2009:
Still, despite this, the number of people illegally crossing the border has increased:
So the policing hasn’t deterred a rise in disallowed border crossings, but it has made it more dangerous:
So, the U.S. is spending a lot of money trying to keep undocumented non-citizens out. Is it worth it?
The report also discusses projected changes in the GDP under three different scenarios: immigration reform, allowing temporary workers only, and mass deportation.
The figure suggests that undocumented workers are making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the U.S. economy, one that would decrease under conditions of mass deportation. Temporary workers are helpful, but real immigration reform that would bring in greater numbers of permanent and temporary workers is the best thing for America.
Hat tip to Graphic Sociology.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 21
Alan B — July 2, 2010
The "Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States" indicates that the total number of immigrants has increased at a more or less constant rate since 1990 (it says "in", not "entering"). This implies that the rate itself has not changed much - your comment on that graph says the opposite. This doesn't really change the overall message of the post, but that one graph doesn't say what you say it does.
Calvin — July 2, 2010
It looks to me the conclusion that "So the policing hasn’t deterred a rise in disallowed border crossings, but it has made it more dangerous:" is a bit of an overstatement.
It could be that heavier policing has only kept up with greater numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the border. Thus, the heavier policing could have curbed an even greater increase.
AO — July 2, 2010
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Except the ones without a green card,
these people must perish in the dark.
pfck62186 — July 2, 2010
I have no problems with any person coming to the United States to find freedom and a better way of life as my family did. The only thing I say is come in legally. There are laws and if one comes here any other way then...it speaks for itself. Can some one explain why it is wrong of me to request they come in legally? If you or I broke a law we would be expected to pay the consequences. So why should they be given special privileges?
Nate — July 4, 2010
Actually doesn't that graph suggest increased spending is working?
Between 1990 and 2000 the number of illegal immigrants rose by 5 million, or at an average rate of .5 million/year.
The next segments shows a rise of 3.4 million in 8 years, or an average of .425 million per year. This means even in absolute numbers the flow of illegal immigration has been slowed. Furthermore the overall population of the world has risen in the intervening years, meaning that the per capita rate of illegal immigration has fallen even more drastically.
The point I'm not trying to make is that this is necessarily good policy, but that the data you present contradict your interpretation of it.
Michaela — July 4, 2010
I am still trying to figure out how they figured GDP projections based on the political decisions. Anyone care to explain? Also, I was always taught that GDP doesn't measure human welfare effectively (for it doesn't consider distribution of wealth, leisure time, etc), so what is the group trying to prove with GDP projections?
links for 2010-07-06 | Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture — July 6, 2010
[...] Immigration and the U.S. Economy | Sociological Images "The figure suggests that undocumented workers are making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the U.S. economy, one that would decrease under conditions of mass deportation. Temporary workers are helpful, but real immigration reform that would bring in greater numbers of permanent and temporary workers is the best thing for America." (tags: via:carleandria immigration statistics) [...]
Waiting Room Reading- 7/9 « Welcome to the Doctor's Office — July 9, 2010
[...] July 9, 2010 Waiting Room Reading- 7/9 IMMIGRATION AND THE U.S. ECONOMY [...]
Alas, a blog » Blog Archive » Open Thread & Link Farm, Baleful Stare Edition — July 12, 2010
[...] Immigration and the US Economy, in graphs. [...]