January​ 2015 Immigration News At a Glance

Written by Kara DeDonato

This month’s Digest zooms in on immigration composition and recent trends in the United States. It then examines the apparent effect of the restoration of diplomatic ties between the US and Cuba on Cuban migration to the US. Last but not least, the Digest concludes with a look at immigration news from New York.

A breakdown of immigration to the US

Media attention to the surge of unaccompanied minors in 2014, border control, President Obama’s executive action and the GOP push back may have conveyed the false impression that more immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants, are entering the US than ever before. Media coverage of these issues also tends to focus overwhelmingly on Latino immigrants, and especially Mexican immigrants (our own Digest is at times guilty of this bias as well).

In January, as the President’s executive action came under close scrutiny, many articles examined whether immigration was really on the rise. Neil Howe, writing for Forbes, stressed that both sides of the immigration debate acted as if immigration had been rapidly increasing, and proceeded to provide countering evidence: notably, he pointed out, both the number of individuals receiving legal permanent resident status and of undocumented immigrants living in the US had been declining since 2006 and 2007. The drop in numbers could be explained by a variety of factors, such as the economic recession, a stark increase in deportations, changes in the push factors driving migrants to leave their home countries, as well as shifting migration dynamics and composition.

Most significantly, as highlighted by Allen McDuffee in The Atlantic, while Mexicans still form the majority (at 52%) of undocumented immigrants in the US, the number of Mexicans apprehended by the Border Patrol has decreased significantly over the last several years. In fact, according to an analysis of the Pew Research Center, more non-Mexicans than Mexicans have been arrested at US borders in 2014, for the first time in more than 60 years. McDuffee attributes this “switch” to several factors. For one, the declining birth rate in Mexico has resulted in fewer people leaving Mexico for the United States. Secondly, the economic environment in the US is less promising for Mexican immigrants. A third factor may be increased border security, but its effect is hard to quantify. Interestingly, at the same time as the number of undocumented immigrants from Mexico is decreasing, the average length of their stay in the US has increased to 13 years – up from 7.4 years in 1995.

A must-read this month is a study published by the Fiscal Policy Institute and the Americas Society and Council of the Americas (full report available here), showing the increasingly important role played by immigrants in the US economy. The study found that immigrants comprise 16 percent of the labor force, 18 percent of business owners, and own 28 percent of “main street businesses.” Even though this type of business does not always get the attention it deserves, this is a significant trend as “main street businesses,” which are small local businesses like grocery stores, beauty salons, and restaurants, provide essential services and play a critical role in neighborhood revitalization.

Cuban migration following the opening of relations

Following President Obama’s announcement that relations with Cuba will be normalized, the numbers of Cubans trying to gain entry to the US, both​ by sea and air​, has increased sharply (see this article in Voice of America). The Washington Post highlighted that nearly 6,500 Cuban migrants arrived in the last three months of ​2014 – a total of over 4,000 more arrivals than in the previous year. According to NPR, a rumor that the change in relations would affect the Cuban Adjustment Act, which grants Cubans permanent residency, is behind the increase. However, the law will remain unchanged for quite some time. It may only be amended or repealed by Congress, and no action on this front is expected any time soon.

The news coverage of Cubans attempting to enter the US overshadows the spike in immigration from Haiti and other Caribbean islands. This article in Huffington Post Latino Voices is an interesting read on the subject.

Zooming in on New York immigration news

In the New York Daily News, Erica Pearson reported that an estimated 238,000 undocumented immigrants living in New York City could be safe from deportation under Obama’s executive order, according to a report of the Migration Policy Institute. This number accounts for about 37 percent of the city’s total undocumented population, a percentage significantly lower than in other cities like Los Angeles or Chicago. The higher proportion of undocumented immigrants without children in New York City is a key explanatory factor.

This past month also saw the announcement by New York City immigration advocates of their goals for 2015. Annie Wu, in the Epoch Times, reported that their first priority is to ensure the passing of the New York State DREAM Act, which will grant young immigrants access to state financial assistance for college, regardless of legal status. Advocates will also lobby for more resources to support elementary schools dealing with the large number of child refugees and unaccompanied minors who have settled within the city. Other initiatives will focus on the provision of legal services during deportation hearings, access to mental health services to cope with trauma, access to drivers’ licenses, and improved labor laws.

January has already seen the launching of an important resource for undocumented immigrants, the much-awaited Municipal ID Program. This groundbreaking program, first signed into law by Mayor de Blasio last year, provides valid photo identification to New York City residents who are 14 or older, regardless of their immigration status. First and foremost, the municipal ID card will enable its holders to open bank accounts and to be granted admission to City buildings, such as schools. But it has other perks as well, including free tickets or discounts to 33 of NYC’s leading cultural institutions. This, as highlighted in this article of the New York Post, will likely drive many other city residents, not only undocumented immigrants, to apply for the card.

In fact, key to the success of the program will be its ability to attract a wide variety of applicants among NYC residents. “If the card becomes a scarlet letter for undocumented people then it fails,” stressed Johanna Miller of the New York Civil Liberties Union (see this article of NPR). So far, the rollout of the program seems to have drawn a large interest. Several news outlets (see The New York Times, The New York Observer, New York Daily News) report long lines and waiting times at enrollment centers.

But among undocumented immigrants, some privacy concerns persist. Despite assurances by the city that data will not be shared with other government agencies or third parties except for verification purposes, some immigrants have reported fear of being “picked up” after registering their name and address when applying for the card.

Similar ID programs already exist in San Francisco, Oakland, and New Haven, but only about 10 percent of the cities’ populations have applied for the card since 2007 (NPR). New York officials hope that the program will be widely adopted, and Los Angeles is planning to follow suit and launch a program of its own.