BY: ERIN VOIGT

Illegal Immigration

A warning sign at the international boundary.

Prevention

Stricter enforcement of the border in the cities has failed significantly curb illegal immigration, instead pushing the flow into more remote regions and increasing the cost to taxpayers of each arrest from $300 in 1992 to $1,700 in 2002 to $2,000 in 2009.

The cost to immigrate illegally has also increased, encouraging longer stays to recoup the cost.

Relation to the Book

The book First Crossing is a whole bunch of stories about families and people crossing the United States border either legally or illegally.

Percentages as of 2008

In 2008, the illegal immigration population of the United States estimated that about 11 million immigrants are here illegally.

Mexico- 56%Latin America

Countries- 22%Asia- 13%Europe & Canada- 6%Africa & the Rest of

the World- 3%

Immigration in 2009

Country of Origin

Raw Number Percent of Total

Mexico 6,650,000 62 %

El Salvador 530,000 5 %

Guatemala 480,000 4 %

Honduras 320,000 3 %

Philippines 270,000 2 %

India 200,000 2 %

Korea 200,000 2 %

Other 2,145,000 20 %

The Urban Institute estimates between 65,000 and 75,000 undocumented Canadians currently live in the United States.

Immigration Laws

The maximum prison term is 6 months for 1st offense and 2 years for 2nd offense.

Section 1325 in Title 8 of the United States Code, "Improper entry of alien", provides for a fine, imprisonment, or both for any immigrant who:

1. enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration agents, or

2. eludes examination or inspection by immigration agents, or

3. attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact

Detention

About 40% of illegal immigrates enter legally and then overstay.

About 31,000 people who are not American citizens are held in detention on any given day including children, in over 200 detention centers, jails and prisons nationwide.

Deportation

An individual deportation is determined in removal proceedings, administrative proceedings under United States immigration laws.

Removal proceedings are typically conducted in Immigration Court (the Executive Office for Immigration Review) by an immigration judge.

Deportations from the United States increased by more than 60% from 2003 to 2008, with Mexicans accounting for nearly two-thirds of those deported.