Illegal immigration declines dramatically in South Carolina

BY JAMES ROSEN

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON — As South Carolina considers enacting its own version of Arizona's tough immigration law, the number of illegal immigrants in the state has dropped significantly in recent years.

While the national total has dropped only slightly since 2007 — from 12 million to 11.2 million, or 6.7 percent — South Carolina's share of illegal immigrants has declined by 21.4 percent — from 70,000 to 55,000 — in the same period.

Jeff Passell, a demographer with the Pew Research Center who wrote the Washington group's report released Tuesday, said economic woes in South Carolina and beyond have slowed the influx of undocumented workers from Mexico and other countries.

(Posted by Haley Gordon)
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/01/2045783/illegal-immigration-declines-dramatically.html#ixzz1E5CP9eFB