Number of Muslim immigrants into U.S. surges, as record number of Americans are now immigrants

Immigration from Islamic nations is rising fast.

America now has more immigrants than ever before, some 42.4 million, according to new Census Bureau data. About a quarter of these immigrants are now in our schools. The flood of Muslim immigrants continues to rise, making that population the fastest growing segment of newcomers.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -  Immigration into America has reached a new high with 42.4 million people now in the country as immigrants. The fastest growing immigrant population in the U.S. is now from the Islamic world as immigrants from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Egypt and Pakistan form the bulk of newcomers.

India and Ethiopia are also sending large numbers of immigrants into the U.S. while Mexico continues to send their people here.

While we must be welcoming to all newcomers, there are some concerns. Notably, these people arrive poor and place strains on our services. The report stated:

"The latest data collected by the Census Bureau shows that 18.7 million immigrants arrived in the country from 2000 to 2014. Just between 2010 and 2014, 5.6 million immigrant arrived in the United States. The more than one million immigrants settling in the country each year have a very significant effect on many areas of American life. New immigration plus births to immigrants added more than eight million people to the U.S. population between 2010 and 2014, accounting for the overwhelming majority of population growth. Immigrants account for more than one in eight U.S. residents. Children from immigrant households now account for nearly one in four public school students, almost one-third of children in poverty, and one-third without health insurance, creating enormous challenges for the nation's schools, health care system, and physical infrastructure. The large share of immigrants who arrive as adults with relatively few years of schooling is the primary reason so many live in poverty, use welfare programs, and lack health insurance."

Put bluntly, immigration is expensive for those of us who are already here.

The 42.4 million immigrants, a figure which includes both legal and illegal immigrants, is the highest ever in our history. Half of all maids, taxi drivers and chauffeurs, and a third of construction workers and butchers, come from other countries.

Immigrants also have double the student enrollment in public schools with 64 students enrolled per 100 immigrant households, compared to 38 for native households.

Here are the key facts from the report via the Center for Immigration Studies.

Population Size and Growth

    The nation's 42.4 million immigrants (legal and illegal) in 2014 is the highest number ever in American history. The 13.3 percent of the nation's population comprised of immigrants in 2014 is the highest percentage in 94 years.

    Between 2000 and 2014, 18.7 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) settled in the United States. Despite the Great Recession beginning at the end of 2007, and the weak recovery that followed, 7.9 million new immigrants settled in the United States from the beginning of 2008 to mid-2014.

    From 2010 to 2014, new immigration (legal and illegal) plus births to immigrants added 8.3 million residents to the country, equal to 87 percent of total U.S. population growth.

    The sending countries with the largest percentage increases in immigrants living in the United States from 2010 to 2014 were Saudi Arabia (up 93 percent), Bangladesh (up 37 percent), Iraq (up 36 percent), Egypt (up 25 percent), and Pakistan, India, and Ethiopia (each up 24 percent).

    States with the largest percentage increases in the number of immigrants from 2010 to 2014 were North Dakota (up 45 percent), Wyoming (up 42 percent), Montana (up 19 percent), Kentucky (up 15 percent), New Hampshire (up 14 percent), and Minnesota and West Virginia (both up 13 percent).

Labor and Employment

    Rates of work for immigrants and natives tend to be similar - 70 percent of both immigrants and natives (ages 18 to 65) held a job in March 2015.

    Immigrant men have higher rates of work than native-born men - 82 percent vs. 73 percent. However, immigrant women have lower rates of work than native-born women - 57 percent vs. 66 percent.

    A large share of immigrants have low levels of formal education. Of adult immigrants (ages 25 to 65), 28 percent have not completed high school, compared to 8 percent of natives. The share of immigrants (25 to 65) with at least a bachelor's degree is only slightly lower than natives - 30 percent vs. 32 percent.

    Because many immigrants have modest levels of education, they have significantly increased the share of some types of workers relative to others.

    In 2014, 49 percent of maids, 47 percent of taxi drivers and chauffeurs, 33 percent of butchers and meat processors, and 35 percent of construction laborers were foreign-born.

    While the above occupations are often thought of as overwhelmingly comprised of immigrants, most of the workers in these jobs are U.S.-born.

    Workers in other occupations face relatively little competition from immigrants. In 2014, 5 percent of English language journalists, 6 percent of farmers and ranchers, and 7 percent of lawyers were immigrants.

    At the same time immigration has added to the number of less-educated workers, the share of young less-educated natives holding a job declined significantly. In 2000, 66 percent of natives under age 30 with no education beyond high school were working; in 2015 it was 53 percent.

Socioeconomic Status

    Despite similar rates of work, because a larger share of adult immigrants arrive with little education, immigrants are significantly more likely to work low-wage jobs, live in poverty, lack health insurance, use welfare, and have lower rates of home ownership.

    In 2014, 21 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lived in poverty, compared to 13 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children account for about one-fourth of all persons in poverty.

    Almost one in three children (under age 18) in poverty have immigrant fathers.

    In 2014, 18 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lacked health insurance, compared to 9 percent of natives and their children.

    In 2014, 42 percent of immigrant-headed households used at least one welfare program (primarily food assistance and Medicaid), compared to 27 percent for natives. Both figures represent an undercount. If adjusted for undercount based on other Census Bureau data, the rate would be 57 percent for immigrants and 34 percent for natives.

    In 2014, 12 percent of immigrant households were overcrowded, using a common definition of such households. This compares to 2 percent of native households.

    Of immigrant households, 51 percent are owner-occupied, compared to 65 percent of native households.

    The lower socio-economic status of immigrants is not due to their being mostly recent arrivals. The average immigrant in 2014 had lived in the United States for almost 21 years.

Immigrant Progress Over Time

    Immigrants make significant progress the longer they live in the country. However, even immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years have not come close to closing the gap with natives.

    The poverty rate of adult immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years is 57 percent higher than for adult natives.

    The share of households headed by an immigrant who has lived in the United States for 20 years using at least one welfare program is 80 percent higher than native households.

    The share of households headed by an immigrant who has lived in the United States for 20 years that are owner occupied is 24 percent lower than that of native households.

Impact on Public Schools

    There are 10.9 million students from immigrant households in public schools, and they account for nearly 23 percent of all public school students.

    There are 64 public school students per 100 immigrant households, compared to 38 for native households. Because immigrant households tend to be poorer, immigration often increases school enrollment without a corresponding increase in the local tax base.

    In addition to increasing enrollment, immigration often creates significant challenges for schools by adding to the number of students with special needs. In 2014, 75 percent of students who spoke a language other than English were from immigrant households, as are 31 percent of all public school students in poverty.

    States with the largest share of public school students from immigrant households are California (47 percent), Nevada (37 percent), New York and New Jersey (33 percent each), and Texas (32 percent).

Entrepreneurship

    Immigrants and natives have very similar rates of entrepreneurship - 12.4 percent of immigrants are self-employed either full- or part-time, as are 12.8 percent of natives.

    Most of the businesses operated by immigrants and natives tend to be small. In 2015, only 16 percent of immigrant-owned businesses had more than 10 employees, as did 19 percent of native-owned businesses.

Impact on the Aging of American Society

    Recent immigration has had a small impact on the nation's age structure. If post-2000 immigrants are excluded from the data, the median age in the United States would still be 37.

    Recent immigration has had a small impact on the nation's fertility rate. In 2014, the nation's total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.85 children per women. Excluding all immigrants, it would have been the rate for natives - 1.78 children per woman. The presence of immigrants has increased the nation's TFR by about 4 percent.

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