It may be called the Golden State but to illegal immigrants it has fast turned into the “Pewter State” or so it may seem, as California an all-time low growth in the illegal immigrant population. The state always had and still has the largest count of illegal immigrants in the nation but that position is deteriorating fast.

Back in 2000, California was home to 30 % of illegal immigrants in the country. However by 2009, that number had dropped to 24 %. This does not mean that illegal immigrants have left the state, in fact the population numbers are more or less unchanged, but rather that newcomers to the nation prefer to go elsewhere. The fact that California’s illegal immigrant population has grown from 2.5 million in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2009 (only a meager 100,000) is evidence of a lack of attraction.

Experts point out that this is mainly due to the troubles that California and the nation are facing. With recession hitting every part of the nation, California especially has been hit hard as it has been suffering from a recession beginning in the early parts of the nineties. The lack of jobs, steadily increasing cost of living and public services that are deteriorating fast have made the state undesirable for illegal immigrants.

Although other states have seen a boom in their illegal immigrant population, the overall numbers in the nation have actually dropped; from 11.8 million in 2007 the population has fallen to 10.8 million in 2009. Experts point out that the recession is the main cause for the drop as many illegal immigrants have gone back to their native countries due to the lack of jobs.
The data was made available in a report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics.

An Idaho bill, aimed at bringing about hard hitting reforms to combat illegal immigration, has crashed in committee. The bill put forward by Republican Phil Hart is designed to discourage illegal immigrants from seeking jobs in Idaho. The crux of his plan is to dry up jobs for them in the entire state.

The bill proposes a “three strikes” rule, where employers are penalized on increasing levels for each infraction of employing illegal immigrants. On the “first strike”, where an employer is found guilty of employing illegal immigrants they are simply required to terminate the services of those employees and sign a court document declaring that they have done so. The “second strike” causes the employer to lose their business license for a maximum of ten days and a “third strike” would again cause a suspension of the business license, but this time up to a period of a year. Businesses that get hit by the third strike will also not be allowed to shut down and transform into a new business. The strikes can be taken off the records if the business manages to go through a period of three years between their violations.

The bill attempted to bring about a sense of responsibility in the businesses which would see them aid immigration authorities in combating illegal immigration. However, the bill needs to be thought through further as it does not consider the fact that some businesses, like growing fruit, do not require business licenses. This and other facts like what happens to farms that get shut down etc need to be addressed before it becomes a viable bill. So it appears that the bill killing in Idaho was done with good reason.

Surprising as it sounds, the illegal immigrant population has actually reduced. Even more surprising is the amount by which it has reduced - by almost one million. In 2009, the 11.6 million illegal immigrant figures had dropped to 10.8 million, continued the trend experienced in 2008. This has brought up two very interesting questions.

1. What is causing the downturn?
2. What can be done to the remaining numbers?

Steven Camarota at the Center for Immigration Studies, points out that this trend, of the last two years, is a clear indication that the problem of illegal immigration can be solved. However, his belief in the immigration authorities and their capabilities in discouraging illegal immigrants may not be well placed. The chief cause of the downturn is believed to be attributed to the state of the economy. The lack of jobs for millions of U.S. citizens has in turn affected those working in the country illegally. With no means to keep themselves afloat, many have returned to their native countries.

This has led to many fresh calls to reopen an old debate on drying up jobs for illegal immigrants. Those in favor of this move hold the new trend as proof that jobs are the main reason people cross over illegally and that taking away the incentive will more or less solve the whole illegal immigrant problem. The counter argument claims that there are many millions among illegal immigrants who contribute to society and live a positive life in the country. Legalizing them would be the proper thing to do, they argue, pointing out that this population is still here because they have no desire to go back no matter how hard times are.

Guantanamo Bay or “Gitmo”, as it is more infamously known, is in preparation for more human detainees. However this time, it is not an influx of terror suspects but it will be the refugees from the earthquake stricken nation of Haiti.

The quake, which hit Haiti on 12 January, has left over 200,000 dead and over 300,000 injured. An estimated 250,000 homes have also been destroyed resulting in over a million people being rendered homeless. Aid has flooded in from all parts of the world, but the scale of the devastation is such that the efforts at this stage are relegated to stopgap measures. Even basic needs such as drinking water and sanitation are in short supply.

In light of this, U.S. authorities are expecting vast numbers to flee the nation in search of greener pastures, namely the United States. Those who are intercepted at sea will be held at a special site on the opposite side of the Gitmo base that holds almost 200-suspected terrorists. Tents, toilets and supplies have already been set up to hold the influx of Haitians. Strangely, Gitmo may feel like Déjà vu for some of the refugees, where thousands of Haitian boat people were held in the early 1990’s.

The Gitmo base has been prominent in the effort to aid Haiti as it has been used to transport personnel as well as supplies to the grief stricken areas.

Only 38 words were devoted to the subject of immigration reform in President Obama’s State of the Union address. The reasons for this are many and valid but overall what it means to the millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is that reform will not be a priority, at least for this year.

However, that has not stopped lawmakers in Idaho from pushing their ideas to solve certain illegal immigrant issues that affect the U.S. economy. They are proposing two bills that will hold employers punishable by law for employing illegal immigrants as workers. The rationale behind these bills is that if employers are afraid to utilize illegal immigrants this in turn would cause the illegal immigrants to leave the state for “greener pastures”.

Another of the proposed enforcements is the strict adherence to English in the written Driver’s License tests with no interpreters allowed. This would not only affect illegal immigrants but also those who have obtained legal residency but are not thoroughly proficient in the language. Although concerns have arisen over the practicality, functionality and cost-to-state of these laws, many expect one of the bills to be put through. In the face of high unemployment throughout the United States, any vacancies that open up will be a victory for the party that created it. With fines for employers that range from $50 to $50,000 and penalties that range from two-year jail sentences to the revoking of business licenses, illegal immigrants will soon be facing a dilemma.
Both Democrats and Republicans have bills awaiting approval from the Senate.

President Obama is pushing for changes in Immigration reform. One of the suggested amendments is what is known as “The Dream Act”. This is an idea put forward by a few people including Senators Lugar & Durbin from Indiana and Illinois respectively.

The Dream Act proposes that certain individuals be allowed to gain eligibility for U.S. citizenship if stipulated criteria are met. The act aims to allow the children of illegal immigrants who have received education in U.S. schools to become permanent residents of the country. To achieve this they should have entered the country before they turned 16 and lived there for a minimum of 5 years without any interruption. They should also possess a good command of the English language.

Once these criteria are satisfied, the next step is to enroll in higher education or the U.S. Military. At this point, the candidate can apply for conditional residency. To progress to the next stage they must obtain an associate’s degree; if they fail to do so, they can still progress if they obtain a two year equivalent within a six year period starting from the initial application date. The act suggests that 65,000 applicants be allowed to become conditional residents every year with every chance of them receiving permanent residency and citizenship thereafter.

The proposal is designed to help those who were brought over to the U.S. when they were very young and have no desire to return to their own country, due to living a better part of their lives in the U.S. and being accustomed to the way of life they are now living.