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Debate: Undocumented Persons in the United States Should be Granted Amnesty.

 

Facts and Figures

Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures The Urban Institute

Executive Summary: Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: 1990 to 2000 (January 2003)

Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population: 2005 (PDF - 7 pp, 218 KB)
This report provides estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population residing in the United States as of January 2005 for periods of entry and leading countries of birth and states of residence.

Background Information

REF 973 A Annals of American History Vol. 21, pp 44-52 This includes the argument for amnesty submitted to Congress by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 as well as a pro and 2 con responses to Carter's proposal.

Immigration Reform
George W Bush. Vital Speeches of the Day. New York: Jun 2006. Vol. 72, Iss. 16/17; p. 466 (3 pages)

The Immigration Debate NPR Series

Government Agencies and Research Organizations on the web

U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service This includes Laws and Regulations.

Center for Immigration Studies A "non-partisan, non-profit research organization ... devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States."

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Undocumented Immigrants : An Annotated Bibliography
   
"This annotated bibliography, divided in two sections provides a list of various articles, documents and books on [ illegal immigration]. The first section... shows an estimate of the geographic distribution of unauthorized immigrants across California counties in 2000 and 2005. The second section is an annotated bibliography on recent research concerning the size of the unauthorized immigrant population (in California and the United States) as well as the costs and benefits of providing services to both illegal and legal immigrants."
 

Pew Hispanic Center See the 2006 National Survey of Latinos:The Immigration Debate.

Center for Immigration Studies Publications: This includes announcements, op-ed pieces, magazine articles, speeches and more.

Public Policy Institute of California The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is "a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to independent, objective, nonpartisan research on California's economic, social, and political issues.

Open CRS: Congressional Research Reports for the People

Yearbook of Immigration Statistics

Immmigation Law

Immigration law: An Overview

National Immigration Law Center

Journal, Magazine and Newspaper Articles


This is just a sampling of the articles available from JSTOR and Proquest. To perform an exhaustive search, search JSTOR, Proquest and Project Muse using the keywords "amnesty", "undocumented persons", "aliens", "immigration", "unauthorized immigration", "policies". After searching Proquest look at the "suggested topics" at the top of the page for more suggestions.

From JSTOR :

  1. The Undocumented Alien and His Aftermath (in Legislative and Judicial Developments of Interest) Austin T. Fragomen, Jr. International Migration Review , Vol. 11, No. 2. (Summer, 1977), pp. 241-243.

  2. Do Amnesty Programs Reduce Undocumented Immigration? Evidence from IRCA Pia M. Orrenius; Madeline Zavodny Demography , Vol. 40, No. 3. (Aug., 2003), pp. 437-450. Abstract: This article examines whether mass legalization programs reduce future undocumented immigration. We focus on the effects of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which granted amnesty to nearly 2.7 million undocumented immigrants. We report that apprehensions of persons attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally declined immediately following passage of the law but returned to normal levels during the period when undocumented immigrants could file for amnesty and the years thereafter. Our findings suggest that the amnesty program did not change long-term patterns of undocumented immigration from Mexico

  3. Providing Medical Services to Undocumented Immigrants: Costs and Public Policy (in Documentation) Fred Arnold International Migration Review , Vol. 13, No. 4. (Winter, 1979), pp. 706-715.

  4. Illegal Immigrants in Texas: Impact on Social Services and Related Considerations (in Part IV: Empirical and Survey Research Findings) Sidney Weintraub International Migration Review , Vol. 18, No. 3, Special Issue: Irregular Migration: An International Perspective. (Autumn, 1984), pp. 733-747. Abstract: A survey conducted of undocumented aliens and providers of public services showed that the state of Texas receives more from taxes paid by undocumented persons than the cost of the state to provide them with public services, such as education, health care, corrections, and welfare. The same survey showed that six cities in the state (Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, McAllen and San Antonio) together expended more to provide services to undocumented aliens than they received in taxes. The survey concentrated on undocumented persons not detained by the immigration authorities and found that this group constituted a distinct population from those in detention centers in that the former exhibited normal characteristics of settled families while the latter were predominantly the familiar young, single and peripatetic male.

  5. President Carter's Amnesty and Sanctions Proposal (in Legislative and Judicial Developments) Austin T. Fragomen, Jr. International Migration Review , Vol. 11, No. 4. (Winter, 1977), pp. 524-532.

  6. Undocumented Immigration Jeffrey S. Passel Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , Vol. 487, Immigration and American Public Policy. (Sep., 1986), pp. 181-200. Abstract: One important characteristic that distinguishes contemporary immigration from previous waves of immigration is the presence of significant numbers of undocumented, or illegal, immigrants. The dearth of sound information on undocumented immigrants makes formulating and implementing policy concerning this clandestine segment of the population extremely difficult. The first part of this article presents up-to-date empirical studies of the numbers of undocumented aliens in the country. The principal conclusion to be drawn from these studies is that the size of the undocumented immigrant population is substantially smaller than the figures most often cited. Although the largest numbers of undocumented immigrants are from Mexico, virtually every area of the world contributes some undocumented immigrants. The available evidence regarding the social, economic, and demographic characteristics of undocumented immigrants is reviewed in this article. The various arguments concerning the economic and social consequences of undocumented immigration are reviewed, together with the contradictory evidence used to support them. Finally, the consequences of research findings for policy alternatives are presented and various options for dealing with undocumented immigration are discussed.
  7. The "Amnesty" Aftermath: Current Policy Issues Stemming from the Legalization Programs of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act Susan Gonzalez Baker International Migration Review , Vol. 31, No. 1. (Spring, 1997), pp. 5-27. Abstract: The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) created two one-time only legalization programs affecting nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants. Legalization has produced important changes among immigrants and in immigration policy. These changes include new patterns of immigrant social and economic adaptation to the United States and new immigrant flows through family ties to IRCA-legalized aliens. The heightened salience of immigration, produced in part by legalization, has also generated a wave of "backlash" policymaking at the state and local levels in high-immigration sites. This article combines data from a longitudinal survey of the IRCA-legalized population with qualitative field data on current immigration issues from key informants in eight high-immigration metropolitan areas. It reviews the political evolution and early implementation of legalization, the current socioeconomic position of legalized aliens, and changes in the immigration "policy space" resulting from legalization. Although restrictive policies have again captured public attention, legalization has also sparked renewed efforts at immigration advocacy, particularly where immigrants who adjust to U.S. citizenship hold the potential for influencing local politics

  8. Undocumented Immigration and Unemployment of U.S. Youth and Minority Workers: Econometric Evidence C. R. Winegarden; Lay Boon Khor The Review of Economics and Statistics , Vol. 73, No. 1. (Feb., 1991), pp. 105-112. Abstract: We use Census-based data on the state distribution of the undocumented-alien population in analyzing the relationship between that population and unemployment among youth and minority workers. Regression results from our two-equation models do not support commonly-expressed fears that undocumented immigration has caused any substantial increases in joblessness among these presumably vulnerable groups, although small amounts of displacement are indicated. A sizeable reverse effect is evident: undocumented immigrants tend to concentrate in states where labor markets for these marginal groups are most favorable. Remove from List

  9. Legislative Developments of Current Interest in Immigration and Nationality Law (in Legislative and Judicial Developments) Austin T. Fragomen, Jr. International Migration Review , Vol. 10, No. 1. (Spring, 1976), pp. 103-106.
  10. Unauthorized Immigration to the United States Thomas J. Espenshade Annual Review of Sociology , Vol. 21. (1995), pp. 195-216.Abstract: This paper surveys research on the size of the undocumented immigrant population in the United States, the causes and consequences of illegal migrant flows, public attitudes toward unauthorized migrants, and the history of attempts to control the volume of undocumented migration. It concludes that there are powerful push and pull factors that create and sustain the volume of unauthorized migration, that there is little evidence that undocumented migrants have negative labor market consequences despite what the general public thinks, that US policy has been largely powerless to make a permanent dent in undocumented immigration, and that the current level of clandestine US immigration may not be far from what society might view as socially optimal.

  11. Undocumented Residents in the United States in 1990: Issues of Uncertainty in Quantification Karen A. Woodrow-Lafield International Migration Review , Vol. 32, No. 1. (Spring, 1998), pp. 145-173. Stable URL: Abstract: Censuses and national surveys are monitoring net immigration to the United States as the twentieth century closes with high immigration reminiscent of the early decades. These demographic studies inferred the legal-undocumented composition for census and national survey estimates for the foreign-born population. For both net immigration and that portion attributable as net legal immigration, an increasing trend is evident since 1970. Uncertainties are abundant about the measurement of net undocumented migration and change over the past two decades. This analysis presents possible upper and lower boundaries on components for estimating legal migration in 1980-1989 and on the foreign-born population in 1990. Positing ranges for net undocumented immigration; between 2 million and 4 million undocumented residents may have been counted in the 1990 census. The total number of undocumented residents may have been as high as 6 million. To more narrowly specify these ranges, greater exercise of judgment would be necessary but not sufficient.

  12. Wage Mobility of Undocumented Workers in the United States Marta Tienda; Audrey Singer International Migration Review , Vol. 29, No. 1, Special Issue: Diversity and Comparability: International Migrants in Host Countries on Four Continents. (Spring, 1995), pp. 112-138. Abstract: This study addresses two fundamental questions about the economic assimilation of undocumented immigrants in the United States: 1) how different recently legalized immigrants are from all foreign-born persons and native-born whites; 2) whether wages of undocumented immigrants improve as they acquire greater amounts of U.S. experience and, if so, how these improvements are comparable to those of immigrants in general. We analyze the Legalized Population Survey and the Current Population Survey to assess the returns to U.S. experience and find positive returns to U.S. experience for both undocumented migrants and all foreign-born men. Returns to U.S. experience depend on region of origin. Undocumented immigrants from Mexico received the lowest wage returns and men from non-Spanish-speaking countries received the highest returns to U.S. experience.

  13. Attitudes of Mexican Americans toward Irregular Mexican Immigration (in Part IV: Empirical and Survey Research Findings) Jerry L. Polinard; Robert D. Wrinkle; Rodolfo de la Garza International Migration Review , Vol. 18, No. 3, Special Issue: Irregular Migration: An International Perspective. (Autumn, 1984), pp. 782-799. Abstract: This inquiry focuses on the attitudes of Mexican Americans toward issues relating to current U.S. immigration policy. This study is an expansion of research begun last year (Miller, Polinard and Wrinkle: 1984). In the previous study the geographical focus was on Hidalgo County, situated on the Texas-Mexico broder. This study offers us the additional dimension of geography as a variable influencing attitudes.

  14. Geographic Distribution of Undocumented Immigrants: Estimates of Undocumented Aliens Counted in the 1980 Census by State (in Part IV: Empirical and Survey Research Findings) Jeffrey S. Passel; Karen A. Woodrow International Migration Review , Vol. 18, No. 3, Special Issue: Irregular Migration: An International Perspective. (Autumn, 1984), pp. 642-671. Abstract: This article presents estimates of the number of undocumented aliens counted in the 1980 census for each state and the District of Columbia. The estimates, which indicate that 2.06 million undocumented aliens were counted in the 1980 census, are not based on individual records, but are aggregate estimates derived by a residual technique. The census count of aliens (modified somewhat to account for deficiencies in the data) is compared with estimates of the legally resident alien population based on data collected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in January 1980. The final estimates represent extensions to the state level of national estimates developed by Warren and Passel (1984). Estimates are developed for each of the states for selected countries of birth and for age, sex, and period of entry categories. The article describes the origins of the undocumented alien population, as well as some of their demographic characteristics. Some of the implications of the numbers and distribution of undocumented aliens are also discussed.
  15. Policy Influences on Undocumented Migration to the United States (in Symposium on Immigration) Thomas J. Espenshade Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society , Vol. 136, No. 2. (Jun., 1992), pp. 188-207.
  16. Legal Status and the Struggles of Farmworkers in West Texas and New Mexico, 1942-1993 Dennis N. Valdes Latin American Perspectives , Vol. 22, No. 1, Labor and the Free Market in the Americas. (Winter, 1995), pp. 117-137.

  17. Human Rights, State Sovereignty and the Protection of Undocumented Migrants under the International Migrant Workers Convention (in Part II: Interpreting the Convention) Linda S. Bosniak International Migration Review , Vol. 25, No. 4, Special Issue: U.N. International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. (Winter, 1991), pp. 737-770.

  18. Outside the Imagined Community: Undocumented Settlers and Experiences of Incorporation Leo R. Chavez American Ethnologist , Vol. 18, No. 2. (May, 1991), pp. 257-278. Abstract: This article argues that, because they accumulate economic and social linkages to U.S. society, many undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants intend to stay in the United States and imagine themselves to be part of the community. However, because the larger society views them as outsiders, undocumented settlers cannot be fully incorporated into the larger society. They remain marginal members of the community, continually seeking an end to their liminal status. [undocumented immigrants, undocumented Mexicans, Central American migration, imagined communities, international migration]

  19. Impacts of the 1986 US Immigration Law on Emigration from Rural Mexican Sending Communities Wayne A. Cornelius Population and Development Review , Vol. 15, No. 4. (Dec., 1989), pp. 689-705.Abstract: From the perspective of traditional labor-exporting communities in rural Mexico, this article examines how the 1986 US Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) has affected perceptions of the US labor market, the propensity to migrate, settlement patterns in the United States, and the economies of migrant families and their home communities. The analysis draws upon sample survey interviews conducted in 1988-89 in three communities located in the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, and Zacatecas. The data reveal that most residents--including prospective first-time undocumented migrants to the United States--continue to view US labor markets as relatively accessible, with or without legal entry documents, even though employer sanctions have increased the perceived difficulty of finding work in the United States. IRCA-mandated legalization programs have augmented the total flow of US-bound migrants from traditional sending communities, while sharply reducing the relative size of the undocumented component. through its "amnesty" programs, the 1986 law is also increasing the representation of women and children in the migrant flow and accelerating the shift from temporary or shuttle migration to permanent settlement in the United States.
  20. Dealing with the Undocumented Alien-An Interim Approach (in Legislative and Judicial Developments) Leonel J. Castillo International Migration Review , Vol. 12, No. 4, Special Issue: Illegal Mexican Immigrants to the United States. (Winter, 1978), pp. 570-577.
  21. Undocumented Mexican Immigrants and the Earnings of Other Workers in the United States (in Ethnicity and Race) Frank D. Bean; B. Lindsay Lowell; Lowell J. Taylor Demography , Vol. 25, No. 1. (Feb., 1988), pp. 35-52. Abstract: This article examines the effects of undocumented Mexican immigrants on the earnings of other workers in geographical labor markets in the Southwest. The number of undocumented Mexicans included in the 1980 census in southwestern SMSAs is estimated. We then estimate the parameters of three specifications of a generalized Leontief production function with various demographic groups as substitutable factors. The statistically significant effects of undocumented Mexicans on the earnings of other groups are positive, but of slight magnitude. Legal immigrants' effects on native white earnings, however, are small and negative. The results are consistent with the possibility that undocumented Mexican immigrants' jobs complement those of other workers. The implications for public policy concerns about the effects of illegal Mexican immigration are discussed. Remove from List

  22. The New Era of Mexican Migration to the United States (in Migrants and the Nation-State) Jorge Durand; Douglas S. Massey; Emilio A. Parrado The Journal of American History , Vol. 86, No. 2, Rethinking History and the Nation-State: Mexico and the United States as a Case Study: A Special Issue. (Sep., 1999), pp. 518-536.

From Proquest (includes newspaper articles):

Amnesty is not a four-letter word; [HOME EDITION]
Tamar Jacoby. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Jul 29, 2006. p. B.17
• "The Race" to Win America
Sam Antonio. The New American. Appleton: Aug 7, 2006. Vol. 22, Iss. 16; p. 18 (3 pages)
• Immigration & Integration
Christopher S Bentley. The New American. Appleton: Jul 24, 2006. Vol. 22, Iss. 15; p. 44 (1 page)
• Texas-size Gap Between Bush and His Party's Faithful on Immigration
Anonymous. The New American. Appleton: Jul 10, 2006. Vol. 22, Iss. 14; p. 7 (1 page)
• Remarks on Immigration Reform in Alexandria, Virginia
Anonymous. Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. Washington: Jul 10, 2006. Vol. 42, Iss. 27; p. 1266 (2 pages)
• Just Don't Call It Amnesty; [Op-Ed]
John Tierney. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Jun 27, 2006. p. A.17
• PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION The Divisiveness of Half-Truths Do undocumented workers take more than they give in taxes? No. This scapegoating is getting dangerous.; [Home Edition]
SERGIO MUNOZ. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext). Los Angeles, Calif.: Nov 12, 1992. p. 7
• Study of Immigration in L.A. County Challenges Government View of Costs; Urban Institute Factors In Contributions of Long-Term Residents; [FINAL Edition]
Barbara Vobejda. The Washington Post (pre-1997 Fulltext). Washington, D.C.: Sep 4, 1993. p. A.09
• Immigration Reform; [San Diego County Edition]
Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext). Los Angeles, Calif.: Apr 28, 1991. p. 2
• Immigration to U.S. Is No Open-and-Shut Case; [Home Edition]
Max Mont. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext). Los Angeles, Calif.: Mar 5, 1989. p. 3
• L.A. THEN AND NOW; Southland's Way Station for WWII Internees; After Pearl Harbor, a facility near Glendale processed 2,700 Japanese nationals and others before most were sent on to internment camps.; [HOME EDITION]
Cecilia Rasmussen. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Sep 17, 2006. p. B.2
• Immigration Movement Struggles to Regain Momentum Built in Spring Marches
New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Sep 11, 2006. p. A.11
• An Ever-Changing Path to Legal Status; [FINAL Edition]
The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Sep 10, 2006. p. A.6
• Congress' fiddling leaves cities fighting illegal immigration; [FINAL Edition]
USA TODAY. McLean, Va.: Sep 5, 2006. p. A.10
• Review of Ngai, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
KAREN J. LEONG. Pacific Historical Review. Berkeley: Aug 2006. Vol. 75, Iss. 3; p. 515
• After Immigration
Steven Lagerfeld. The Wilson Quarterly. Washington: Summer 2006. Vol. 30, Iss. 3; p. 2 (1 page)
• "There Is More to Life than a Glass of Water": Immigration in the Contemporary United States
Alex Stepick. American Anthropologist. Washington: Jun 2006. Vol. 108, Iss. 2; p. 392 (5 pages)
• Immigration Reform
George W Bush. Vital Speeches of the Day. New York: Jun 2006. Vol. 72, Iss. 16/17; p. 466 (3 pages)

Selected Websites

Many websites dealing with the question of amnesty for undocumented persons in the U.S. are very biased and sometimes contain unreliable information. Please choose carefully!

Do Amnesty Programs Encourage Illegal Immigration?

Alternatives to Amnesty Heritage Foundation

Center for American Progress

Migration Information Source -This article discusses the rights of asylum seekers.

Reports Purged form the Civil Rights Commission

Don't Wait for Amnesty, Help Yourself Now

Labor Studies Center National Coalition for Dignity and Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants Amnesty Proposal.

Our Multicultural Heritage: A Guide to America's Principal Ethnic Groups

 

 

 

 

 

January 2007