Rhode Island
| Summary Demographic State Data (and Source) | |
|---|---|
| Population (2008 CB est.) | 1,050,788 |
| Population (2000 Census) | 1,048,319 |
| Foreign-Born Population (2008 FAIR est.) | 138,255 |
| Foreign-Born Population (2000 Census) | 119,277 |
| Share Foreign-Born (2008 FAIR est) | 13.2% |
| Share Foreign-Born (2000) | 11.4% |
| Immigrant Stock (2000 CB est.) | 252,000 |
| Share Immigrant Stock (2000 est.) | 24.0% |
| Naturalized U.S. Citizens (2006 CB est.) | 58,858 |
| Share Naturalized (2006) | 43.8% |
| Legal Immigrant Admission (DHS 1997-2006) | 29,218 |
| Refugee Admission (DHS 1997-2006) | 1,872 |
| Illegal Alien Population (2008 FAIR est.) | 40,000 |
| Projected 2050 Population - (2006 FAIR): | 1,677,169 |
Rhode Island: Extended Immigration Data
STATE POPULATION
Using the Current Population Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that in July 2008 Rhode Island’s population had increased to 1,050,788 residents, i.e., an annual average increase of about 295 residents since 2000. That is a negligible rate of increase.
Net International Migration (NIM)
Based on the Current Population Survey, the Census Bureau estimated that between the 2000 Census and July 2008 the state’s population increased by about 24,945 residents from net international migration (more foreign-born arriving than leaving). That was an annual average increase of about 3,005 residents, i.e., more than ten times (1010%) the state’s overall increase (not including the children born to the immigrants after their arrival in the United States).
The 2000 Census found 1,048,319 persons resident in Rhode Island. This was an increase of 44,855 persons above the 1990 Census. The rate of increase (4.5%) was considerably lower than the national average of 9.9 percent population increase.
The 2000 population is about 50,000 more persons than the Census Bureau had expected to find in the state in 2000 when it issued its most recent state population projections in 1996. The significance of this is that the Census Bureau has concluded that much of the shortfall in their population estimates during the 1990s was due to an underestimation of the illegal alien population.
Rhode Island had the 42nd greatest rate of population increase in the country between 1960-2000.
The population of Rhode Island increased by 5.9 percent from 1980 to 1990 (from 947,154 to 1,003,464 residents).).
FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION
Based on the American Community Survey (ACS), the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the foreign-born population of Rhode Island was 133,511 persons in 2006. The ACS is a large-scale, continuous sampling process designed to replace the need for a long-form in the 2010 Census. However, because the ACS does not have the same follow-up procedures as the Census to include non-respondents, it may underestimate the foreign-born population.
FAIR estimates that the foreign-born population of Rhode Island was about 138,255 residents in July 2008. This meant a foreign-born population share of 13.2 percent. The amount of change since the 2000 Census indicates an average annual rate of increase in the foreign-born population of about 2,285 people, which is more than total (769%) of the state’s annual average population increase. Since 2000, the foreign-born population has increased by 15.9 percent compared to a 1.8 percent decrease in the native-born population.
Immigration also contributes to population growth through the children born to immigrants in this country. Nationally the share of births to the foreign-born is about double their share of the population. A 26.4 percent share of the state’s current births is large enough to account for about 3,295 births a year. Combining the increase in the foreign-born population and estimated immigrant births suggests that immigration may account for nearly 5,580 persons added to the state’s population annually, i.e., many times more (1876%) than the state’s overall population increase.
The 2000 Census found that 34.8 percent of Rhode Island's foreign-born population had arrived in the state since 1990. This is a much lower share than the national average (43.7%). In 1990, over 37 percent of the foreign born had arrived since 1980.
An indicator of the change in the immigrant population may be seen in data on the share of the population that speaks a language other than English at home. Between 1990 and 2000 the share of non-English speakers at home in Rhode Island increased slightly, from 17.0 percent to 19.6 percent. Less than half (42.5%) of those who said they spoke a language other than English at home in 2000 also said they spoke English less than very well.
| Speakers of Foreign Languages (at home in Rhode Island in the 2000 Census) | |
| Spanish | 79,445 |
| Portuguese | 37,435 |
| French | 19,350 |
| Italian | 13,760 |
| Mon-Khmer, Cambodian | 5,585 |
| French Creole | 4,335 |
| Laotian | 3,195 |
| Chinese | 2,975 |
| Polish | 2,965 |
| German | 2,840 |
| (Source: Census Bureau report: Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over, April 2004) | |
The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey found that in 2006, the foreign born population was 134,390 residents, an increase of 12.7 percent since 2000. In comparison, the foreign-born population changed from 95,088 to 119,277 residents between 1990 and 2000, an increase of 25.4 percent.
The ten countries below constituted approximately 39.0% of the foreign-born population in Rhode Island in 2006. Of the total foreign-born population, Portugal alone accounted for 14.1%.
| Foreign-Born Change Since 1990: Top Ten Countries 1990-2006 | ||||||||
| Rank | Country | 1990 | Country | 2000 | Country | 2006 | ||
| 1 | Portugal | 21,035 | Portugal | 21,016 | Portugal | 18,989 | ||
| 2 | Dominican Republic | 6,408 | Dominican Republic | 16,382 | Canada | 7,225 | ||
| 3 | Canada | 6,132 | Guatemela | 9,049 | Mexico | 4,261 | ||
| 4 | Italy | 5,845 | Colombia | 6,496 | Colombia | 4,256 | ||
| 5 | Colombia | 4,255 | Italy | 4,502 | China | 3,821 | ||
| 6 | United Kingdom | 4,242 | Canada | 4,015 | Italy | 3,572 | ||
| 7 | Cape Verde | 3,735 | Cambodia | 3,335 | India | 3,273 | ||
| 8 | Guatemela | 3,138 | United Kingdom | 3,120 | Brazil | 2,643 | ||
| 9 | Laos | 2,683 | China | 2,954 | Philippines | 2,398 | ||
| 10 | Cambodia | 2,673 | Laos | 2,602 | England | 1,989 | ||
| All Others | 32,942 | All Others | 45,806 | All Others | 81,963 | |||
| Total | 95,088 | Total | 119,277 | Total | 52,427 | |||
THE IMMIGRANT STOCK
The Census Bureau estimated that there were about 252,000 people in Rhode Island in 2000 who were "immigrant stock." That is a term that refers to immigrants and their children born here after their arrival. Based on that estimate, and the population of 1,003,464 residents, the immigrant stock share of the state's population was 24 percent, the ninth highest share in the country.
As the graph below shows, the amount of Rhode Island’s population change due to the increase in the foreign stock is rising rapidly. Over the past 34 years the new immigrants and children born to them have added about 161,900 people to the population. Over this period, the increase in the foreign stock has accounted for all of the state’s population increase and then some (117.9%) because the state had a net loss of native-born residents.
NATURALIZATION
Data from the 2006 American Community Survey indicate that 58,858 residents, or 43.8 percent, of the foreign-born population in Rhode Island were citizens, compared to 56,184 residents, or 47.1 percent, in 2000.
Nationally, 40.3 percent of the foreign-born population was citizens in 2000 and 42.0 percent were citizens in 2006.
REFUGEE SETTLEMENT
Rhode Island has received 1,872 refugees over the most recent ten fiscal years (FY'97-'06), with 133 arriving in FY’06.
Under the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (HHS) assistance funding for FY'02 $96,932 is available for refugee employment training and other services programs in South Carolina based on a three-year refugee settlement program covering 237 refugees (an average of $251 per refugee). This allocation does not include a larger share (55%) of funding programs for communities heavily affected by recent Cuban and Haitian entrants, communities with refugees whose cultural differences make assimilation especially difficult, communities impacted by federal welfare reform changes, educational support to schools with significant refugee students, and discretionary grants. ORR grants for FY’05 and FY’06 respectively were $373,270 and $429,113.
IMMIGRANT CHILDREN
In 2000 nearly one-quarter of all of Rhode Island's children are either foreign born or the child of an immigrant. Three percent are first-generation immigrants (foreign born) and 20 percent are second-generation (a child of an immigrant).
(Source: "Check Points," The Urban Inst. Sept. 2, 2000)
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY STUDENTS
Data are not available nationally on immigrant students (either legally or illegally resident in the United States) who are enrolled in primary and secondary schools (K-12). However, many of these students are enrolled in Limited English Proficiency/English Language Learning (LEP/ELL) instruction programs. Many may be U.S.-born, but the majority of these students may be assumed to be either immigrants or the children of immigrants, with the exception being areas with native Americans who speak a native language other than English.
In Rhode Island, overall enrollment in 2002 (157,599) was 8.1 percent below enrollment in 1993. By contrast, LEP enrollment (10,160 - 6.4% of all enrollment) was 21.7 percent higher than a decade earlier.
Data on enrollment in LEP/ELL programs are collected by the federal government from school systems that receive Title VII funds for these special instruction programs. The data on LEP/ELL enrollment are understated because data from private schools that do not apply for Title VII assistance are sketchy.
FOREIGN STUDENTS
The 2006/07 annual report of the Institute of International Education (IIE) lists the number of foreign students attending post-secondary school in Rhode Island as 3,629. Two schools in Rhode Island are listed as having a major concentration of these students:
- Johnson & Wales Univeristy had enrollment of 1,280 foreign students, 12.6% of total enrollment
- Brown University had enrollment of 1,073 foreign students, 13.2% of total enrollment. .
Below, a chart illustrates the sharp increase of foreign students attending school in Rhode Island from 1960-2000.
For information on foreign student issues see: Foreign Students in the United States.
ILLEGAL ALIENS
FAIR Estimate - FAIR estimates the state’s illegal alien population as of 2008 is as many as 40,000 persons. This is part of an overall estimate of the U.S. illegal alien population of about 13 million persons.
INS/DHS Estimate - The INS (now dissolved into the Dept. of Homeland Security) estimated in February 2003 that the resident illegal population in Rhode Island was 16,000 as of January 2000. This number 4,000 higher than the INS' 1996 estimate.
Other Estimates - The Pew Hispanic Center estimates the illegal alien population of the state at 20,000 to 40,000 as of 2005.
COST OF LLEGAL ALIENS
Incarceration Costs
According to a February 2003 estimate by the INS, the illegal alien population in Rhode Island was about 16,000 as of January 2000. That was an increase of 4,000 from the previous INS estimate that there were 12,000 illegal aliens residing in the state in October 1996. The latter estimate was an increase over the INS estimate that the illegal alien population was 9,000 as of October 1992.
Rhode Island has received partial compensation under the federal State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) that was established in 1994 to compensate the states and local jurisdictions for incarceration of "undocumented," aliens who are serving time for a felony conviction or at least two misdemeanors.
The recent SCAAP amounts that Rhode Island has received were:
| FY’99 | — | $1,446,996 |
| FY’00 | — | $1,649,030 |
| FY’01 | — | $3,216,989 |
| FY’02 | — | $1,794,449 |
| FY’03 | — | $614,869 |
| FY’04 | — | $760,584 |
The amount of SCAAP awards has been declining in both total distributions and even more as a share of the state’s expenses. In FY’99 the state received 38.6% of its costs for 119 prisoner years of detention. By FY’02, the state’s reported illegal alien detention rose by 138 percent to 283 prisoner years, while compensation rose by 24 percent but since has decreased sharply.
Medical Costs
Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals with emergency rooms are required to treat and stabilize patients with emergency medical needs regardless whether or not they are in the country legally or whether they are able to pay for the treatment. Congress in 2003 enacted an appropriation of $250 million per year (for 4 years) to help offset some of the costs due to use of this service by illegal aliens. This amount has been allocated among the states based upon estimates of the illegal alien population and data on the apprehension of illegal aliens in each state. This amount compensates only a fraction of the medical outlays. For Rhode Island, the proposed payment in fiscal year 2004 is $381,551.
Educational Costs
In our study Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending Schools into the Red, we estimated based on 2004 data that educational expenditures for illegal immigration were costing the Rhode Island taxpayer $87.4 million dollars annually. This cost was partially for educating students who were themselves illegally in the country ($36.4 million) and in part for the education of their siblings born in the United States to illegal residents ($51.0 million).
Projected Fiscal Costs
In 2006 we estimated that Rhode Island taxpayers are currently burdened with annual costs of about $99 million because of illegal aliens residing in the state. That estimate was based on only expenditures for education, emergency medical care and incarceration. We projected that those costs will rise unless we gain control over our borders and our worksites. If a new amnesty and increases in immigrants and guest workers were enacted, as proposed by business and ethnic advocacy groups, we project that the cost to the state’s taxpayers for those same programs would rise to $173 million per year in 2010 and to $308 million per year in 2020
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
You can view a listing of local immigration reform organizations here.
STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VOTING RECORD
You can view the voting record of your representatives in Congress regarding immigration issues in our voting report section.
Rhode Island: Immigrant Admissions
| Rhode Island Immigrant Admissions by Fiscal Year | |
| 1997 | 2,446 |
| 1998 | 2,125 |
| 1999 | 1,773 |
| 2000 | 2,267 |
| 2001 | 2,882 |
| 2002 | 2,966 |
| 2003 | 1,942 |
| 2004 | 2,496 |
| 2005 | 5,092 |
| 2006 | 5,292 |
| Total | 29,218 |
Recent immigrant admissions have increased by about 432 percent since adoption of the current immigration system in 1965. During the 1965-'69 period, annual admissions averaged about 665 immigrants. During the 2002-'06 period, admissions averaged about 3,545 immigrants.
The charts below show recent immigrant admissions and the cumulative INS immigrant admissions data since 1965. The number of annual admissions has ranged from 557 in FY'65 to 5,292 in FY'06. The cumulative total of admissions to South Carolina between fiscal years 1965 and 2006 was 75,820 immigrants.
The data for fiscal years 1989-91 were artificially raised by the inclusion of former illegal aliens who were amnestied in 1986. According to INS data (1991) the number of amnesty applicants from Rhode Island was 2,937 (2,156 pre-1982 residents and 781 agricultural workers).
The data for FY'95, and FY'97-'99 were artificially low because the INS did not issue green cards to all the eligible applicants for adjustment of status who were already in the United States. In those four years, new immigration could have registered as much as 30 percent higher, if the INS had kept up with its workload.
Beginning with FY'01, the INS began to increase admissions as a result of reducing the size of the backlog of Section 245(i) adjustment of status cases, i.e., amnesty, for illegal aliens.
INS DATA BY NATIONALITY: FY'93 - FY'02
The INS data below are furnished for nationals of the countries with the largest number of immigrants admitted or adjusted to legal residence each year since 1993. The absence of data means that the total number of admissions to the United States by nationals of that country was not enough to merit detailed reporting in that year.
The nationalities may change each year, so the totals in some cases will not reflect all the immigrants of that nationality who have become legal immigrants in Rhode Island during this period.
| Immigrant Admissions by Fiscal Year | |||||||||||
| Country | FY'93 | FY'94 | FY'95 | FY'96 | FY'97 | FY'98 | FY'99 | FY'00 | FY'01 | FY'02 | Total |
| Bangladesh | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | - | 2 | - | 19 |
| Canada | 65 | 37 | 14 | 46 | 24 | 18 | 22 | 31 | 44 | 45 | 346 |
| China * | 259 | 204 | 117 | 119 | 93 | 104 | 78 | 108 | 134 | 125 | 1,341 |
| Colombia | 179 | 141 | 171 | 249 | 205 | 148 | 155 | 191 | 136 | 240 | 1,815 |
| Cuba | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 37 |
| Dom. Rep. | 581 | 636 | 553 | 560 | 507 | 284 | 355 | 390 | 423 | 474 | 4,763 |
| Ecuador | 22 | - | 22 | 17 | 25 | 29 | 22 | 12 | 14 | 27 | 190 |
| El Salvador | 24 | 14 | 18 | 27 | 18 | 17 | 32 | 30 | 81 | 61 | 322 |
| Germany | 21 | 28 | 11 | - | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 170 |
| Guatemala | 200 | 156 | 150 | 202 | 183 | 153 | 159 | 195 | 303 | 338 | 2,039 |
| Guyana | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 15 |
| Haiti | 33 | 56 | 40 | 58 | 72 | 32 | 72 | 68 | 65 | 70 | 566 |
| Honduras | 14 | - | - | - | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 | - | 8 | 68 |
| India | 43 | 41 | 22 | 53 | 42 | 62 | 37 | 44 | 70 | 64 | 478 |
| Iran | 10 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 109 |
| Ireland | 67 | 116 | - | - | 1 | 5 | 8 | 5 | - | 11 | 213 |
| Jamaica | 18 | 22 | 8 | 10 | 31 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 23 | 154 |
| Japan | - | 5 | - | - | 3 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 42 |
| Korea | 29 | 14 | 18 | 26 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 28 | 10 | 19 | 193 |
| Mexico | 23 | 24 | 24 | 49 | 54 | 27 | 33 | 49 | 40 | 65 | 388 |
| Nicaragua | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 20 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 51 |
| Nigeria | - | - | 58 | 97 | 77 | 78 | 67 | 76 | - | 60 | 513 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 25 | 116 |
| Peru | 28 | 22 | 11 | 25 | 15 | 19 | 28 | 33 | 21 | 30 | 232 |
| Philippines | 86 | 54 | 50 | 65 | 63 | 38 | 26 | 55 | 51 | 57 | 545 |
| Poland | 86 | 114 | 50 | 42 | 28 | 30 | 48 | 42 | 42 | 61 | 543 |
| Sov. Un. * | 343 | 250 | 158 | 128 | 82 | 97 | 75 | 99 | 106 | 126 | 1,464 |
| Trin.& Tob. | - | 10 | - | - | 9 | 1 | 0 | 17 | - | 8 | 45 |
| U. Kingdom | 39 | 53 | 43 | 37 | 41 | 24 | 24 | 50 | 53 | 47 | 411 |
| Vietnam | 17 | 17 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 15 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 227 |
| Yugo. * | - | - | 4 | 22 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 91 |
| Other | 973 | 870 | 1,013 | 1,207 | 855 | 699 | 677 | 895 | 1,111 | 966 | 9,266 |
| Total | 3,168 | 2,907 | 2,609 | 3,098 | 2,543 | 1,976 | 2,058 | 2,526 | 2,820 | 3,067 | 26,772 |
A dash (-) indicates that the data for that year were not published for that country in the INS Statistical Yearbook.
* China data include Hong Kong and Taiwan. Former USSR data continued since break-up (except FY'96-'97 and ‘01 include only Russia and Ukraine). Former Yugoslavia data continued since break-up.
The 31 nationalities above represent nearly two-thirds (65.4%) of all immigrant settlement and adjustment in Rhode Island during this ten-year period. The largest sources of the new immigrants (Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, and the former Soviet Union together account for over one-third (37.7%) of the ten-year total. The Dominican Republic alone accounted for more than one-eighth (17.8%) of total immigrant admissions.
Rhode Island: Immigration Impact
| State Population (2006 CB estimate) | 1,067,610 |
| State Population in 2000 | 1,050,836 |
| Average Annual Change 2000-2006 | 0.3% |
| Foreign Born Population 2006 1 | 137,310 |
| Foreign Born Share 2006 | 12.9% |
| Foreign Born Population 2000 | 119,277 |
| Foreign Born Share 2000 | 11.4% |
| Average Annual Change 2000-2006 | 2.4% |
| Population Projection 2010 | 1.1 million |
| Population Projection 2025 | 1.2 million |
| Population Projection 2050 (FAIR) | 1.6 million |
All numbers are from the U.S. Census Bureau unless otherwise noted. Additional Census Bureau, INS, and other immigration-related data are available for Rhode Island.
POPULATION CHANGE
Rhode Island’s population increased by 4.7 percent between 1990 and 2000, and by 1.6 percent between 2000 and 2006, bringing Rhode Islands’ total population to approximately 1 million.
FAIR estimates the illegal alien population in 2005 at 25,000, which ranks sixth in the U.S. for the FAIR estimate. This number is 56% above the U.S. government estimate of 16,000 in 2000, and 212% above the 1990 estimate of 8,000.
According to an estimate of the Pew Hispanic Center, in 2005 there were an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 illegal aliens living in Rhode Island. 2
FAIR estimates in 2004 that the taxpayers of Rhode Island spent $87.4 million per year on illegal aliens and their children in public schools.3
| FAIR’s projected annual fiscal costs to Rhode Island taxpayers for emergency medical care, education and incarceration resulting if an amnesty is adopted for illegal residents. | ||
| Current | 2010 | 2020 |
| $99,000,000 | $173,000,000 | $308,000,000 |
POPULATION PROFILE
Rhode Island increased by five percent, or almost 45,000 people, between 1990 and 2000.
Rhode Island’s foreign-born population increased 25 percent during the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2000, Rhode Island gained 24,000 immigrants.
FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION
Rhode Island’s foreign-born population increased by 15.1 percent between 2000 and 2006. During that period Rhode Island gained over 18,000 immigrants, bringing the total number of foreign-born residents in the state to over 137,000.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE PROFILE
Water: Between 2000 and 2006, Rhode Island’s foreign-born population increased by 12.7 percent.4That compares with a 0.4 percent increase in the native-born population and that includes the children born to immigrants. When the U.S-born children of immigrants are included, immigration accounts for all of the state’s overall growth during that time.5 By 2050 the state’s population is expected to rise from 1.1 million in 2006 to over 1.8 million.6 Rhode Island has a daily, per-capita water demand of 113.5 gallons.7 This means that by 2050 public water usage will have increased by 79.5 million gallons each day.
Traffic: As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Rhode Island residents increased from 19 minutes in 1990 to 22.7 minutes in 2005. 8 , 9 40% of Rhode Island's major urban roads are congested. 54% of Rhode Island's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and vehicle travel on Rhode Island's highways increased 19% from 1990 to 2003. Driving on roads in need of repair costs Rhode Island motorists $253 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs --- $346 per motorist. Congestion in the Providence area costs commuters $583 per person per year in excess fuel and lost time. 10
In the Providence, RI-Massachusetts area travelers experience an annual delay of 33 hours. 11 11 percent of commuters in Rhode Island have a commute that is 45 minutes or longer. 12
In 1990, residents in 19 cities and towns throughout Rhode Island had an average commute of less than 20 minutes. By 2000, only three cities and towns still did. 13 In 2000, the average peak-time Rhode Island driver wasted 41 hours stuck in traffic, an increase of 23 hours (127 percent) since 1990. 14 One top state transportation official says that the traffic on Rhode Island’s major roads is so far over capacity that they don’t even bother to look at actual traffic figures anymore. 15
Disappearing open space: Each year, Rhode Island loses 1,300 acres of open space and farmland due to development. 16
Crowded housing: In 2005 over 6,000 Rhode Island households were defined as crowded or severely crowded. 17 Studies show that a rise in crowded housing often correlates with an increase in the number of foreign-born. 18, 19
A study of urban sprawl between 1970 and 1990 that calculated the impact of population increase and per capita land use found that 54.6 square miles of additional land were consumed by urban sprawl in the Providence-Pawtucket, RI-MA metropolitan area, and 30.8 percent of that sprawl was attributable to population increase. 20
Sprawl: Between 1964 and 1997, Rhode Island’s farmland was nearly cut in half, shrinking from 104,000 acres to 55,000 acres. Between 1988 and 1995 alone, Rhode Island lost an area of forest and farmland equivalent to the size of Providence. Over the next 20 years, sprawl will consume another 3,100 acres of farmland and 24,000 acres of forestland. That will cost state taxpayers $1.5 billion dollars. 21
Air pollution: As population increases, pollution usually rises along with it. The American Lung Association gave three out five of Rhode Islands counties a grade of “F” in their “State of the Air 2005” report. (Kent, Providence, and Washington) 22
Poverty: In 2005 18.4 percent of immigrants in Rhode Island had incomes below the poverty level, and increase of 13.2 percent since 2000. Among non-citizens, the poverty rate climbs to 28 percent.23
Education: Between 1990 and 2000, Rhode Island’s elementary and high school enrollment increased 18 percent. 24 Schools in Richmond, West Greenwich, Coventry, North Kingstown, Westerly, and other communities are suffering spaces crunches, with students packed into schools at levels far over capacity.25, 26
Solid Waste: Rhode Island generates 1.17 tons of solid waste per capita. 27
Endnotes:
- FAIR estimate based on the 2006 Current Population Survey.
- "Estimates of the Unauthorized Migrant Population for States based on the March 2005 CPS", Pew Hispanic Center.
- Martin, Jack. “Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending Schools into the Red,” A Report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
- U.S. Census Bureau 2006.
- Jack Martin. “Issue Brief: Estimation of Foreign Born Birthrate.” FAIR. 2008.
- Jack Martin and Stanley Fogel. “Projecting the U.S. Population to 2050.” FAIR. March 2006.
- U.S. Geological Survey 2000.
- Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 1990 and 2000, Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau.
- Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005 Data Set - 2005 American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, U.S. Census Bureau.
- Report Card for America's Infrastructure 2005," American Society of Civil Engineers.
- "The 2005 Urban Mobility Report", Texas Transportation Institute.
- “U.S. Population 2007 Data Sheet,” Population Reference Bureau.
- Bruce Landis, “Stuck in Traffic,” Providence Journal-Bulletin, October 20, 2002.
- Ibid
- Bruce Landis, op.cit.
- “State Rankings by Acreage and Rate of Non-federal Land Developed,” Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- Selected Housing Characteristics: 2005 Data Set - 2005 American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, U.S. Census Bureau.
- Haya El Nasser, “U.S. Neighborhoods Grow More Crowded,” USA Today, July 7, 2002.
- Randy Capps, “Hardship Among Children of Immigrants: Findings from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families,” Urban Institute, 2001.
- The Costs of Suburban Sprawl and Urban Decay,” Grow Smart Rhode Island, December 1999.
- Beck, Roy and Leon Kolankiewicz, “Weighing Sprawl Factors in Large U.S. Cities,” Numbers USA, March 2001.
- “State of the Air 2005: Rhode Island”, American Lung Association.
- “Rhode Island State Factsheet,” Migration Information Source, Migration Policy Institute.
- Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 1990 and 2000, Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau.
- Katie Mulvaney, “Overcrowding Keeps High School on Probation,” Providence Journal-Bulletin, August 21, 2002.
- Nicole Gesualdo, “It’s Time, Again, to Deal With the Classroom Crunch,” Providence Journal-Bulletin, November 23, 2001.
- Report Card for America's Infrastructure 2005," American Society of Civil Engineers.