Your tax dollars:
Someone just brought to my attention an excellent report by Steven Camarata at the Center for Immigration Studies entitled “Immigrants at Mid-Decade.” It includes some useful statistics on refugees too. But, if you had been wondering why in recent years it seems that immigrant numbers have increased dramatically, well its because they have. Here is just a part of Camarata’s conclusion:
The latest data collected by the Census Bureau show that the years 2000 to 2005 are almost certainly the highest five years of immigration in American history. Immigration continues to be the subject of intense national debate. The 1.5 million immigrants arriving each year have a very significant effect on many areas of American life. Immigrants and their young children (under 18) now account for one-fifth of school age population, one-fourth of those in poverty, and nearly one-third of those without health insurance, creating enormous challenges for the nation’s schools, health care system, and physical infrastructure. The low educational attainment of many immigrants, 31 percent of whom have not completed high school, is the primary reason so many live in poverty, use welfare programs, or lack health insurance, not their legal status or an unwillingness to work.