The state of California has one of the biggest immigrant populations in the county. In fact, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, California has more immigrants than any other state, and is the home of more than 10 million immigrants. Of these immigrants, about 47 percent are naturalized citizens, and 26 percent have some sort of legal status. This means that 27 percent of immigrants in California, or 2.7 million people, are within the state illegally.
With so many immigrants, both undocumented and documented, in the state, how Californians view immigrants is an interesting discussion. According to recent data, most people in the state believe immigrants to be more positive than do those in other parts of the nation.
What Californians Think About Immigration
The poll, conducted by the University of Southern California/Los Angeles Times, shows that 59 percent of Californian voters believe immigrants to have a positive force on society. Only 49 percent of U.S. voters responded that they believe that immigrants have a positive effect on society.
Despite the fact that more than half of voters in California think that immigrants are a positive force, 41 percent of voters also said that that they think that immigrants in the state also make life harder for natives economically. 43 percent of U.S. voters said that they believe that immigrants weaken U.S. society.
The Effect Immigrants Have on California’s Economy
There may be a good reason why Californians have more positive feelings towards immigrants that do many others in the nation; California’s foreign-born persons are more likely to be in the civilian labor force than are U.S.-born persons. In fact, 66 percent of immigrants were in the labor force in California in 2011, compared with 62 person of U.S. born persons. What’s more, the Partnership for a New American Economy and the Center for American Progress has estimated that due to certain immigration acts, such as the DREAM act, the 550,000 people in California who would be affected by the act would have a large financial impact on the state. By 2030, 384,016 new jobs are estimated, and the act could also add up to nearly $98 billion to California’s economy.
Your Status as an Immigrant in California
If you are an undocumented immigrant in California, the attorneys at Goldstein Immigration Lawyers can help you. Not only can we help you to understand defenses to deportation, but we can also guide you through different immigration laws, the DREAM act, and how to apply for a visa, green card, or naturalization. Serving those in the Los Angeles area, we are ready to get to work on your behalf today. You can call us now at 617-722-0005, or request a case consultation online.
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