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The number of undocumented immigrants entering Texas has reached its lowest pint in two decades.

Immigration advocates believe that the unprecedented drop in the number of undocumented immigrants entering Texas may have a lot to do with the struggling U.S. economy, as well as increased border security. According to a demographic study released by the Center for Migration Studies and just published in the journal International Migration Review, 2000 was the biggest year for immigration in the state; more than 180,000 immigrants illegally entered Texas in that year.

As of 2010, the number of undocumented immigrants dropped to barely 55,000, a number so low, it had last been seen in the 1980s. The study tracked similar trends nationally, is one more factor for politicians unable to decide on the best approach for immigration reform. Fewer people are entering the state and more people are leaving, researchers found. The state of Texas is currently in a position of net zero growth, which may be seen as a positive atmosphere for pro-immigration reform advocates.

The study is similar to others which looked at population flux for undocumented immigrants for the past few years. But this study is one the first that offers concrete data on the choices made by the more than 1.6 million illegal residents that have left the U.S. since 2007. The census showed researchers that some 50 percent of those who left stated that they did so intentionally (i.e., not deported), while 27 percent were removed by immigration authorities. Others either were able to obtain legal residency or passed away.

Texas has an estimated 1.6 million undocumented residents curtly residing in the state, second in population only to California. And even as the U.S. economy continues to rebound, researchers have found that immigrants are still returning to their own countries or searching out new places outside the U.S. in record numbers. What will these new numbers do to affect the immigration reform debate? Advocates hope that they can make the argument that present budget estimates should cover current border security. Contrary to some arguments, say advocates, the net zero population statistics indicate that the border has never been more secure. But critics contend that as the U.S. economy continues to improve, immigrants will once again find coming to the county attractive, whether by legal or illegal means.

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an immigration lawyer in Houston Texas, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled web site at https://www.visatous.com.

A national immigration reform summit was held on March 16 at UC Riverside in Southern California.

The summit was organized by UCR AIR, a student-led Alliance for Immigration Reform, and helmed by a UCR professor of ethnic studies, Armando Navarro. the immigration summit is deigned to allow hundreds of human rights advocates work together; the invited include legislators, human rights representatives, immigrant groups and immigration policy scholars to come together to discuss on depth the issues surrounding immigration reform in the U.S.

According to Navarro, the U.S. is at a critical juncture when it comes to immigration reform not unlike the way the country struggled with immigration issues leading up to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. That Act legalized millions of undocumented people who were residing in the U.S.

The National Leadership Summit for Immigration Reform invited attendees to learn about current proposals on immigration policy as put forth by Congress and the White House. They were asked to discuss the recent proposals and then attempt to reach a widespread consensus on what legislation should be enacted to move immigration reform forward. They were also asked to hammer out the best approach for that legislation, and make compelling arguments for the approach.

Speakers scheduled included legislative representatives from across California, as well as California former state senators, the ACLU staff attorney, representatives from the Texas Immigration Law Enforcement Monitory Project, attorneys for the Coalición de Derechos Humanos, based in Arizona, the Committee on Chicano Rights, California, and a representative from Justice for Immigrants Coalition-Inland Empire.

The summit was the brain child of students enrolled in one of Navarro’s courses, “Chicano Contemporary Issues.” The students decided to launch the summit as a “practicum in political change,” and is the only event of its kind in the U.S., inviting a wide range or immigration reform leaders to debate and discuss the issue in an open forum.
The UC Riverside campus is situated in Riverside, California, and is known for the diverse student population.