Foreign-Born Population Keeps Rising: Immigration Trumps Critical Need for U.S. Population Reduction
- David Simcox
- November 6, 2014
- Forum Papers
- Forum Paper
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Foreign-Born Population Keeps Rising: Immigration Trumps Critical Need for U.S. Population Reduction
Census projections proclaim that, with Americans’ fertility falling and deaths soon to begin rising, immigration – not natural increase – will become the principal driver of U.S. population growth by the early 2030s.
That transition in our population dynamics may come even sooner, barring serious reductions in U.S. immigration intake. A September 2014 Census release shows that, despite some slowing growth attributed to the 2008 recession and aftermath, the nation’s foreign-born population reached 41.3 million in 2013. This represents a net increase of 10.2 million since 2000 after subtracting emigration and deaths of the foreign-born.
The 41.3 million figure would include legal and illegal immigrants and nearly 2.0 million foreign-born sojourners living in the country under the increasing number of long-term temporary visa, parole and deferred deportation arrangements – such as students, temporary workers of all skill levels, investors, treaty traders, journalists, international civil servants, and special protected classes of aliens.
Curiously, the U.N. Population Division calculates the U.S. migrant population in 2013 at 45.8 million – which is 11 percent higher than Census’ count. The U.N. estimates show both the U.S. foreign-born and total populations about 4.5 million larger in 2013 than does the customarily more conservative Census Bureau. The variance raises a troubling question: does the U.N. accept higher estimates of the illegal alien population, shared by many Americans but rejected by the Census Bureau?
Center for Immigration Studies, U.S. Immigrant Population Record 41.3 million in 2013, September 2014
United Nation, ESA, Population Division, Press Release, Sept. 11, 2013: 232 Million Migrants Living Abroad Worldwide…Read the entire paper here
David Simcox is a former NPG Senior Advisor. From 1985 to 1992 he was executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. From 1956 to 1985, Simcox was a career diplomat of the U.S. Department of State, with service in diplomatic posts in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and in Washington. His diplomatic assignments involved formulation of policy for labor, population and migration issues in such countries as Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Brazil and the nations of Indo-China. Simcox is a frequent contributor on population, immigration and Latin American matters to national newspapers and periodicals and has testified on several occasions before congressional committees on immigration, labor and identification policies. He holds degrees from the University of Kentucky, American University and the National War College. Simcox is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and saw service in the Korean conflict. If you are affiliated with the media and would like to schedule an interview with David, please contact us at 703-370-9510.
