Thread: Study shows undocumented immigrants deeper in the shadows

Study shows undocumented immigrants deeper in the shadows

Written by
Elizabeth Aguilera
3:18 p.m., March 26, 2012

Center for American Progress: "Life as an undocumented immigrant, how restrictive local immigration policies affect daily life."

Restrictive local policies aimed specifically at undocumented immigrants have pushed them underground, fostered negative perceptions of law enforcement and created anxiety around the most mundane activities such as driving and walking, according to a new report released Monday focused on North County.

Proponents of the restrictive measures say such laws and partnership are intended to make life uncomfortable for undocumented immigrants and potentially push them to return to their country or, at the very least, leave the area.

The study, “Life as an Undocumented Immigrant, how restrictive local immigration policies affect daily life,” was released Monday by the Center for American Progress, a Washington D.C. think tank that produces in-depth analysis of various issues for the review of policy makers and media. This study is the second in the Center’s “Documenting the Undocumented” series.

“Restrictive policies are not pushing people out of these communities, people continue to emigrate,” said Angela Garcia, co-author of the study and PhD candidate at the University of California San Diego. “They are just more isolated, life is tenuous and there is a lot of everyday fear and anxiety.”

There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, of those two-thirds have been in the country more than a decade and most live in families with legal residents and children who are predominantly U.S. citizens.

“We are not talking about an isolated group that live alone, we are talking about people in our communities,” said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and advocacy at the Center.

Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher is skeptical about the study and says his department is constantly reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community to explain its work with immigration officials as strictly focused on criminal convicts and those who have outstanding deportation orders.

Garcia co-authored the study with fellow UCSD PhD candidate David Keyes. The findings are part of the Mexican Migration Field Research Project of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies. The Mexican Migration project is a years-long study of three immigrant-sending communities including one in Oaxaca that sends many immigrants to north San Diego County. The surveys were taken in North County and in Oaxaca of those who had recently lived in Oceanside, Vista or Escondido during the first three months of 2011.

North San Diego County has a history of various restrictive measures aimed at undocumented immigrants starting with a rental ban ordinance in 2006 in Escondido. It was later rescinded. Other efforts in the area include restrictions on day laborers, required e-verify for certain businesses and a unique collaboration between Escondido police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The study found the top three concerns for undocumented immigrants are driving a car, walking in public and going to the hospital.

Of those surveyed 39 percent said they have been stopped by police and of those 49 percent received a ticket, 38 percent said they were detained and 23 percent of the detained said they were reported to immigration officials and deported.

Study shows undocumented immigrants deeper in the shadows | UTSanDiego.com

The study found the top three concerns for undocumented immigrants are driving a car, walking in public and going to the hospital.

Not in my area. Here they drive without insurance, march in the streets making demands, and use hospital emergency rooms as their primary care.

They are deeper in the shadows but they're still here!!