Decline Seen in Numbers of People Here Illegally

From The New York Times:

The number of illegal immigrants in the country has dropped by as much as 1.3 million in the past year, an 11 percent decline since a historic peak last August, an immigration research group in Washington said in a report released Wednesday.

The report . . . found “strong indications” that stepped-up enforcement by immigration authorities had played a major role in the decline.

The report . . . added to a growing body of studies indicating that the population of illegal immigrants in the United States is dropping significantly.

The study’s methods and conclusions were questioned by other demographers and economists, who said the decline might be less than the center reported and was more likely the result of the weak economy, especially in low-wage construction and manufacturing where illegal immigrants are generally employed.

The Center for Immigration Studies is a policy advocacy group that favors reduced immigration and opposes legislation to give legal status to illegal immigrants. The study supports the center’s contention that border enforcement and a crackdown on unauthorized workers and their employers would lead many illegal immigrants to leave the United States without being deported.

“The evidence presented here suggests that it has been possible to cut the illegal population by inducing a large number of people to leave the country,” the study said.

Federal immigration officials praised the results. “It reinforces what we always thought, that comprehensive enforcement is a critical part of the reduction,” said Kelly A. Nantel, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.