1990s on Track to Set a Record for Immigration

The United States accepted almost 800,000 legal immigrants during the 1996-97 fiscal year, with slightly more than a quarter of them settling in California, according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

The number of immigrants granted legal status represented a 13% decrease from the previous fiscal year, the INS said in a just-released study.

But officials said that the decline does not signify any real drop in demand. In fact, the queues of would-be immigrants have grown both here and abroad.

The INS--its resources stretched thin on many fronts--has been unable to keep pace with the rising numbers of applications for so-called green cards, or permanent residency permits. The waiting time for those eligible for green cards now routinely runs a year or longer.

The data underscore several trends--including the primacy of family-based immigration; the domination of Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America, especially Mexico, as sources of immigrants; and the continuing attraction of California.

Despite the decrease, the numbers affirm the historic surge of immigration that is expected to make the 1990s the nation’s most immigrant-heavy decade. By decade’s end, the number of legal immigrants arriving during the 1990s is projected to approach 10 million, exceeding the record 8.8 million who entered between 1901-10.

Immigrants now represent about one in 10 U.S. residents, the highest percentage since the 1930s, according to census data. Immigrants accounted for almost 15% of the nation’s population in 1910.

In California, immigrants account for about one in four residents, the highest proportion in the nation.

Barring any legislative action to stem the tide, the first 10 years of the next millennium will likely set another record for immigration.

“Without a change in immigration policy, we can expect that the next decade will be at least as large,” said Stephen A. Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based group that favors reducing immigration levels.

Because of their large numbers, their relative youth and generally high birthrates, immigrants are a major contributing factor to population growth, especially in California.

Immigration and births to immigrant women have accounted for 70% of the U.S. population increase during the 1990s, according to a recent analysis of census data by the Center for Immigration Studies. About 42% of the school-age population in California consists of immigrants or the children of immigrants, the study showed.

Critics of U.S. immigration policy maintain that the growing influx strains local resources, especially public schools, takes jobs from other citizens and promotes cultural strife.

But proponents say immigrants invigorate communities, generate new taxes and provide much-needed workers and entrepreneurial drive.

Relatives Favored

While the controversy bubbles, observers say there is little prospect that Congress will act to cut back on legal immigration. Business groups, ethnic lobbies and others have turned back efforts in Washington to scale back immigration numbers.

The vast majority of legal immigrants are relatives of people already here, either U.S. citizens or legal residents. U.S. policy has long recognized the right of people here to petition for the immigration of relatives from abroad.

Relatives accounted for almost 70% of all legal immigrants accepted during fiscal 1996-97.

California was the destination of 25.5% of all legal immigrants, by far the most of any state.

New York was a distant second, attracting 15.5% of legal immigrants during fiscal 1996-97, the last year for which the INS has complete data. Florida, Texas, New Jersey and Illinois were the next most popular states.

The numbers do not include the estimated 275,000 or so illegal immigrants who settle in the United States each year. California is home to about 40% of the nation’s undocumented population, according to INS estimates.

The latest INS figures once again highlight the importance of Mexico in the nation’s immigrant mix.

Mexico was by far the largest country of origin for legal immigrants, accounting for 18% of the total. Following Mexico were four Asian nations--the Philippines (6.2%), China (5.2%), Vietnam (4.8%) and India (4.8%).