The number of undocumented Mexican immigrants in the United States has dropped by 500,000 during the past three years likely as a result of the slowdown in the U.S. economy and tighter border enforcement, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington D.C.
"What seems to be going on is that people in Mexico look at the U.S. economy and see no opportunity there and they weigh that against the cost of hiring somebody to get them across the border, the risk of violence on the Mexican side, exposure to the elements," said Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center.
The size of the nation's undocumented immigrant population has declined from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to about 11.2 million last year, largely as a result of fewer Mexicans settling into the United States without permission. Mexicans remain the largest undocumented immigrant group in the nation, accounting for 58 percent of the total unauthorized population.
The Pew Hispanic Center report, called "Unauthorized Immigrant Population: National and State Trends, 2010," noted that the total undocumented immigrant population grew slightly last year from 11.1 million in 2009.
Some states saw declines in the size of their undocumented population, notably Colorado, Florida, New York and Virginia. Increases were found in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, according to the report. The authors believe there was a decline in California but weren't sure.
Undocumented immigrants account for 28 percent of the nation's foreign-born population of 40.2 million, according to the report.
The majority of undocumented immigrants in the nation are in the work force though that percentage has dropped also in recent years.
About 8 million undocumented workers are in the labor force, down from 8.4 million in 2007, according to the report.
Undocumented immigrants make up 3.7 percent of the nation's population and 5.2 percent of its labor force, according to the report.
Births to undocumented immigrant parents, meanwhile, accounted for 8 percent of newborns from March 2009 to March 2010, according to the report.
Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com
