Just how off are the "facts" concerning Illegal Immigration? (2009, green card)

[the one]

10 myths debunked...


E-mails on illegal immigration are eye-opening -- latimes.com

[the one]

a cpuple of my favorites:

1. "40% of all workers in L.A. County are working for cash and not paying taxes. . . . This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants working without a green card."

The source of this information seems to be a 2005 study by the Economic Roundtable on the informal economy in Los Angeles County. Its findings were reported in The Times and other papers.

But the chain-mail's author more than doubled the figures in that study, which estimated that 15% of the county workforce was outside the regulated economy in 2004. Illegal immigrants getting paid in cash, it said, probably made up about 9% of the workforce.

A later Economic Roundtable report, by the way, credited immigrants with keeping the local economy from shrinking in the 1990s.


5. "Nearly 35% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally."

This time the author more than triples the actual figure. Authorities project some 19,000 of the 172,000 inmates in the California prison system in the 2009-10 fiscal year will be illegal immigrants. That's equivalent to 11%.

A study published last year by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California actually found that U.S.-born men in California are 10 times more likely to be incarcerated than foreign-born men. You can take that statistic with as many grains of salt as you wish.

8. "Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal."

Annie Kim, a spokeswoman for the Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles, called this statement "an urban legend."

The source of the information may be an Associated Press report from earlier this year. It quoted a government study that found that 0.4% of residents of federally funded public housing are "ineligible noncitizens." Half of those, or about 0.2% of the total, are illegal immigrants.

Originally Posted by the one

10 myths debunked...


E-mails on illegal immigration are eye-opening -- latimes.com

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Did you just reply to yourself? Patience man, patience!

[zacatecana]

1ATP, if we dont have statistics on illegal immigrants, then how do you explain the above article and the stats provided?

[2mares]

I have to agree that statistics on illegal immigrants must be skewed the percentages are probably much higher because, come on, who is going to admit they are illegal?

I dont see how these statements are at all debunked. I dont know about CA, but I live in a small rural area and the truth is there are many, many illegals working for cash, in jail, on gov. assistance, having babies, living in garages or multiple families in single family dwellings. People dont need to rely on statistics when you can just look around and see it. If I can see it here I can just imagine how bad it is in Los Angeles.

[that1guy]

Originally Posted by 2mares

I have to agree that statistics on illegal immigrants must be skewed the percentages are probably much higher because, come on, who is going to admit they are illegal?

I dont see how these statements are at all debunked. I dont know about CA, but I live in a small rural area and the truth is there are many, many illegals working for cash, in jail, on gov. assistance, having babies, living in garages or multiple families in single family dwellings. People dont need to rely on statistics when you can just look around and see it. If I can see it here I can just imagine how bad it is in Los Angeles.

Actually many parts of Los Angeles BENEFIT from increased immigration. Once the tax base of many parts of the city left for the newer suburbs (the Inland Empire, Santa Clarita, Ventura, Orange County) immigrants (legal and illegal) came in. In many parts, a revival of sorts occurred. Coupled with a good economy and lower crime rates, an influx of upper middle class people came back to Los Angeles (Little Tokyo, Echo Park, SilverLake, South Park). Hell, once I get a job again, I would like to move to LA.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by zacatecana

1ATP, if we dont have statistics on illegal immigrants, then how do you explain the above article and the stats provided?

Stats? about what?

1. "40% of all workers in L.A. County are working for cash and not paying taxes. . . . This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants working without a green card."

The source of this information seems to be a 2005 study by the Economic Roundtable on the informal economy in Los Angeles County. Its findings were reported in The Times and other papers.

But the chain-mail's author more than doubled the figures in that study, which estimated that 15% of the county workforce was outside the regulated economy in 2004. Illegal immigrants getting paid in cash, it said, probably made up about 9% of the workforce.
----------------
Where in a LE DB would you categorize this? Of what use would it be to LE? They don't save useless data.

Now I'd believe this as the businesses wiring money could track it.
SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Mexico -- S.D. County remittances to Mexico hit $1.1 billion

And the estimate that there are 3 million Illegal Aliens from Mexico in California alone. You cannot count these people, if we were that stable there'd be none here as we'd catch them crossing or overstaying visas.

I'm sure there are many 1st and 2nd generation anchors sending money back but for the most part it would make sense that Ilegals send money home.

[the one]

and remittances are actually donw this year. its a continuing trend. whether less people are sending money or less money is being sent is not known to me.

but remittances are down.

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Stats? about what?

1. "40% of all workers in L.A. County are working for cash and not paying taxes. . . . This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants working without a green card."

The source of this information seems to be a 2005 study by the Economic Roundtable on the informal economy in Los Angeles County. Its findings were reported in The Times and other papers.

But the chain-mail's author more than doubled the figures in that study, which estimated that 15% of the county workforce was outside the regulated economy in 2004. Illegal immigrants getting paid in cash, it said, probably made up about 9% of the workforce.
----------------
Where in a LE DB would you categorize this? Of what use would it be to LE? They don't save useless data.

Now I'd believe this as the businesses wiring money could track it.
SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Mexico -- S.D. County remittances to Mexico hit $1.1 billion

And the estimate that there are 3 million Illegal Aliens from Mexico in California alone. You cannot count these people, if we were that stable there'd be none here as we'd catch them crossing or overstaying visas.

I'm sure there are many 1st and 2nd generation anchors sending money back but for the most part it would make sense that Ilegals send money home.

[the one]

yes i did. i wanted to edit my post to include some of my the ones i thought were most interesting. but i couldnt "edit".

even if i could, whats wrong with replying to myself?

its not like it needed a bump, activity is slow round here lately.

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Did you just reply to yourself? Patience man, patience!

[the one]

ya forget facts and figures.
its better to only see what you want to see. thats a great way to discuss issues.
anecdotal evidence can only do so much. you need stats to really make a point.

and if you dont see how these myths are debunked, then you probably need to re read the article in the times again.
and this is coming from someone IN LA.

Originally Posted by 2mares

I have to agree that statistics on illegal immigrants must be skewed the percentages are probably much higher because, come on, who is going to admit they are illegal?

I dont see how these statements are at all debunked. I dont know about CA, but I live in a small rural area and the truth is there are many, many illegals working for cash, in jail, on gov. assistance, having babies, living in garages or multiple families in single family dwellings. People dont need to rely on statistics when you can just look around and see it. If I can see it here I can just imagine how bad it is in Los Angeles.