The number of undocumented immigrants in the US has remained steady, at around 11 million people, for the eighth consecutive year, in 2016. This is according to a new report, published on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center. It suggests that a change in Latin American demographics, changes to border security by the federal government, and a slow improvement in the Mexican economy have contributed to the illegal immigration freeze, which has continued for almost a decade.
The undocumented immigrant population in the US appears to have stabilized after almost two decades of growth. President Donald Trump is nonetheless increasing the number of deportations, and further cracking down on illegal immigration.
On Fox News, White House counselor, Kellyanne Conway said that the wall on the border between the US and Mexico remains one of Trump’s top priorities but does not necessarily have to be included in this week’s funding bill to ensure that Congress can avoid a government shutdown. But, critics say that the figures in the new Pew report show the misguided nature of those efforts.
The Open Society Policy Center’s senior strategic advisor on immigration, Angela Kelley, says such moves are out of step with what is actually needed by the US at the present time, and that while the border should be vigorously enforced, a border wall should be a considerably lesser priority than a sensible plan to deal with the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country.