Thread: More Illegals Leaving Florida

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 9298.story

Florida's illegal immigrants have fled state
Study shows that more illegal immigrants have been leaving Florida.

By Victor Manuel Ramos, Orlando Sentinel
8:19 a.m. EDT, September 2, 2010

The threat of illegal immigration may have been a political flashpoint in the recent Florida primaries, but a new study suggests that fewer undocumented immigrants call the state home.

The analysis by Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C., found that more illegal immigrants have been leaving Florida than have moved in during the past few years. A small percentage have become legalized.

The population of immigrants living illegally in Florida dropped by an estimated 375,000 as the economic downturn worsened from 2007 to 2009, the study said. There were an estimated 675,000 undocumented immigrants in the state in 2009, down from more than a million in 2008.

As such, Florida has the highest decrease in illegal immigration in the country. The population for those who either crossed the border illegally or overstayed their visas dropped nationwide from an estimated peak of 12 million in 2007 to about 11.1 million in 2009.

The drop coincides with the recent economic downturn as well as increased immigration enforcement and a loud debate about more-restrictive immigration bills.

"I'd say that's good news," said David Caulkett, a spokesman for Floridians for Immigration Enforcement, a Pompano Beach group that advocates for stricter enforcement and more immigration restrictions. "We need to continue the effort to enforce the laws. ... There is no reason for us to let off any pressure."

Study authors with Pew's nonpartisan research center said they could not tell from the data, derived from the U.S. Census Bureau population surveys and other government databases, which factors were more important in discouraging illegal immigration. But jobs had been a strong motivator.

"There are a lot of factors that affect people's decisions on where they live and where they are going to move," said Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer at the Pew center. "There's every indication that they [illegal immigrants] are here to participate in the economy. They are here to earn money, and they are somewhat more mobile than the rest of the population."

It's the same reason why crime remains an issue, even though crime has dropped," Moreno said. "It's still such a hot-button issue with most of the public. ... There is still a perception that these workers take jobs away from legal residents and that they use government services, so it ties them to the budget and economic crises."

Caulkett would concur with those concerns. He is shedding no tears about higher unemployment rates of 10 percent among undocumented immigrants compared with 9.1 percent for U.S.-born citizens.

"It's outrageous that there's not 100 percent unemployment for illegal aliens," Caulkett said. "It's outrageous that any of them can work here as it is."

VÃ*ctor Manuel Ramos can be reached at vramos@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6186.

good for fl now may you can get your job back good luck to Fl
it about time they are going back home good luck to all the other State The Bronx NYC it Bad one lady said why don't you Move I said this is My Home Not your you Move Back to mexico she did not like it to bad I told her this is My country not yours

I used to see more of them around than I do now in some areas. There is not much work for them here and I think that is a big contributing factor. There are hardly any construction jobs and not many day laborer jobs as they are competing with Americans for them. There have been numerous calls by the Home Depot at the 163rd St mall involving disputes among those trying to get work as opposed to the ones of customers being harrassed by day laborers. Many people gave up the maid and landscapers and cut back on eating out as well.

Number of illegal aliens in CA., AZ., USA down
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1110850.html

Pew Study: Overall Illegal Immigration Down, but Not in Texas
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-211052.html

Illinois Sees Growth in Illegal Immigrant Population
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-211139.html

Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Leave Nevada
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-211087.html