Long time browser, first time poster.
And despite my father's mexican heritage, I am greatly opposed to illegal immigration, but that is a matter for another topic.
As you all know, Arizona has enacted laws to greatly reduce the number of illegal immigrants who have flooded into their state. From what I've read from some posters here, it seems to have worked pretty well.
The question I pose to Arizonians - how will the new law shift the demographics in Arizona?
I present to you some statistics from wikipedia.org:
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Arizona is projected to become a minority-majority state by the year 2035, if current population growth trends continue. In 2003, for the first time, there were more Hispanic births in the state than white(non-Hispanic) births.
According to U.S. Census estimates, Arizona's population is: 63% White American, 2.9% African American, 1.9% Asian American, 1.7% mixed, and 25.9% are Hispanics or latino (of any race).
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Obviously, the new laws have removed a significant portion of the illegal (and even some legal residents who feel uncomfortable with the laws) Hispanic population, who make up the majority of illegal immigrants. What do you predict the 2010 census will show for Arizona? A greater reduction in Hispanic residents? No change? An increase despite the law?
My prediction: Even though I do not live in Arizona, I see the PERCENTAGE population as remaining rather similar to the 2000 census, in the range of 26%. For all those illegals who left, the legal residents who remain should replace them with their children born after 2000. Had the law never been enacted, the percentage would have been MUCH higher. Of course, I do not live in Arizona, so this is more just a shot in the dark.
Awaiting responses.