Thread: Legal vs illegal immigration isn`t clear cut , study shows

Legal vs illegal immigration isn’t clear cut, study shows
June 5th, 2008, 3:47 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Amy Taxin
About two in five legal immigrants to the United States have also spent time here illegally in what is a more complex immigration system than many Americans recognize, according to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The report, which looked at interviews with immigrants who obtained their green cards in 2003, highlighted the often fluid nature of the U.S. immigration system and rebuffed the notion that immigrants are always legal or illegal.

According to the PPIC’s research, nearly 38 percent of immigrants who obtained their green cards in 2003 had never been here before. In contrast, 20 percent of newly-minted green card holders had crossed a border illegally into the United States at some previous point and 22 percent had overstayed a prior visa.

In California, fewer people had overstayed visas than the national average but more people - 35 percent - had illegally crossed a border to get here at some point in their lives, the report said.

Anti-illegal immigration advocates often argue that legal immigration should be encouraged and illegal immigration discouraged. Immigrant rights advocates have long said it’s not that simple, noting some relatives of legal immigrants may be ineligible for a green card because of the dates they came here or their age.

Laura E. Hill, a PPIC research fellow who co-authored the report, said the goal was to gain a better understanding of how the current immigration system actually works and provide that insight to policymakers grappling with different proposals for reform. “So much of the debate we feel like is really removed from fact,â€

Does the PPIC study change your views on illegal immigration?

* Yes, I see it is more complicated than I thought.
7% of all votes

* No, I still oppose illegal immigration -- even if people can get legal papers later.
30.% of all votes

* No, I always knew the immigration system worked like this and I think it's just fine.
3% of all votes

Total Votes: 40 Started: June 5, 2008