Thread: Feds say illegal immigration down

Published on: Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Feds say illegal immigration down



But Florida still an attractive destination for many illegals

Despite a significant drop in the U.S. illegal immigrant population in 2008, a boatload of 17 Cuban refugees made landfall on Boca Grande Thanksgiving Day.

Because they weren't stopped by Coast Guard or law enforcement officials at sea, U.S. policy assures them of at least shot at asylum pending background checks.

Wet and cold after swimming ashore in the early hours of the morning, the Cuban refugees were picked up by Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies and taken into custody.

Stepped-up enforcement and a weak economy are credited with an overall decline in the country's illegal immigrant population, according to a report by the Center for Immigration Studies, a non-profit research organization in Washington, DC.

The illegal immigrant population is estimated to have dropped more than 10 percent since the summer of 2007 from a high of 12.5 million, down 1.3 million, the center reported in July.

If the decline is sustained, the illegal population would be reduced by one half in the next five years, according to the report.

The U.S. "wet foot, dry foot" policy for refugees from select countries around the world guarantees that if they can make it to American soil refugees from those nations will be granted a better-than-normal chance for asylum.

"If you come from Cuba, legally speaking there's no such thing as an illegal immigrant if you're on land," said Bryan Griffith, a spokesman for the Center for Immigration Studies.

But despite preferred status, even the number of Cuban refugees has declined in the past few years.

More than 6,000 Cubans came in 2005, about half that in 2006 and in 2007, 2,900.

Cubans represented just over 6 percent of all refugees to the U.S. in 2007, according to U.S. Department of State data. Top countries for refugees include Burma, Somalia, Iran and Burundi.

Cuba is fifth on the list.

Immigration advocates wonder what's next following the disintegration of reform initiatives in Congress last year.

Since then, immigration has fallen below the radar and was barely mentioned by either presidential candidate during the elections.

At her Punta Gorda law practice, immigration attorney Beth Sullivan helps families bring relatives into the country and helps permanent residents get citizenship.

After the comprehensive immigration reform failed to pass, the Bush administration increased the country's border control efforts and focused on enforcement, Sullivan said. The application process for immigration and naturalization, always difficult, has become even harder. Opportunities such as the ability in some states to get a drivers license even if you were illegal, are no longer available.

"As a result, most folks have been deterred," she said. "There aren't as many jobs and they might be leaving on their own."

The last amnesty was in April 2001.

There's a call for another, Sullivan said.

"The comprehensive immigration reform -- they didn't want to call it an amnesty but it would have fixed a lot of problems," she said.

Congressman Vern Buchanan said he hopes any future immigration reform includes implementing a secure identification system to ensure employers hire workers who are legally in the country.

"We need to toughen our border security, add more border patrol agents and make English our official language," Buchanan said.

On the arrival of 17 Cuban migrants who came ashore in Boca Grande on Thanksgiving day, he said this:

"We have an existing judicial process in place to deal with situations like this, and we should follow that process."


Refugee arrivals in the U.S. from 1998 to 2007

Top five countries for 2007

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Burma 186 295 637 543 128 203 1,056 1,447 1,612 13,896

Somalia 2,951 4,320 6,026 4,951 237 1,994 13,331 10,405 10,357 6,969

Iran 1,699 1,750 5,145 6,590 1,540 2,471 1,786 1,856 2,792 5,481

Burundi 24 223 165 109 62 16 276 214 466 4,545

Cuba 1,587 2,018 3,184 2,944 1,919 305 2,980 6,360 3,143 2,922

Source: Center for Immigration Studies, Washington, DC


By DANA SANCHEZ

www.sunnewspapers.net

After the comprehensive immigration reform failed to pass, the Bush administration increased the country's border control efforts and focused on enforcement, Sullivan said. The application process for immigration and naturalization, always difficult, has become even harder. Opportunities such as the ability in some states to get a drivers license even if you were illegal, are no longer available.

I fully expect a reversal of any positive trends that may have recently taken place after Obama takes office. I expect the raids to be greatly reduced or halted, E-verify could be in serious jeopardy, and there will be no more fencing beyond what is already signed into law.

The illegal immigrant population is estimated to have dropped more than 10 percent since the summer of 2007 from a high of 12.5 million, down 1.3 million, the center reported in July.

First off, I think we can all agree that the quoted number of illegal aliens currently residing in the U.S. is way off the mark. Secondly, I have my doubts that the number has been reduced by over 1 million since last summer.

The feds are a bunch of liars and crooks..just like the friggin governor of Illinois