Immigration Cut in Half in 2007, Census Shows

The number of immigrants to the US dropped by half in 2007, with 511,000 new arrivals, compared with about a million every year since 2000, new Census data reveal. Foreign-born numbers fell in 14 states, including longtime entry points like New Jersey and areas newly popular among immigrants, the Washington Post reports. “I think this shows that immigrants are keeping an eye on the economy,” said an analyst.

The illegal-immigration crackdown may not be a factor in the decline, he noted: Asian and African immigration slowed by 60%, while immigration by Hispanics, who have a higher illegal rate, dropped only 36%. Overall, the number of immigrants in the country hit a record 38.1 million, or 12.6% nationally.
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