STATE POPULATION
The Census Bureau estimated that in July 2007 West Virginia’s population increased by an annual average of about 505 residents since 2000 (to 1,812,035 residents). Over that period net immigration was adding about 580 persons each year (more immigrants arriving than leaving). During the same period there was a annual average population net gain of about 1,070 residents from net domestic migration (more native-born residents arriving than leaving). Net immigrant settlement accounted directly for all of the population increase over this period, and that does not take into account the children born to the immigrants after their arrival in the United States.

[Note:children born in the United States to immigrants (part of the immigrant stock) are not included as part of the immigration flow.]

The 2000 population is about 33,000 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.

West Virginia had the 50th highest rate of population increase in the country between 1960-2000.

The population of West Virginia decreased by eight percent from 1980 to 1990 (from 1,950,186 to 1,793,477 residents).

FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION
FAIR estimates that the foreign-born population of West Virginia was about 22,355 residents in July 2007. This meant a foreign-born population share of 1.2 percent. The amount of change since the 2000 Census indicates an average annual rate of increase in the foreign-born population of about 405 people, which is more than four-fifths (80.3%) of the state’s annual average population increase. Since 2000, the foreign-born population has increased by 15.3 percent compared to virtually no change 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 2.4 percent share of the state’s current births is large enough to account for about 510 births a year. Combining the increase in the foreign-born population and estimated immigrant births suggests that immigration may account for adding about 915 persons to the state’s population annually, i.e., more than the total (181.1%) of the state’s overall population increase.

West Virginia ranked 1st nationally in the rate of foreign-born change between 1970-2005.

The 2000 Census found that 35.7 percent of West Virginia's foreign-born population had arrived in the state since 1990. This was a lower share than the national average (43.7%).

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 West Virginia decreased slightly, from 2.6 percent to 2.3 percent. Less than one-third (29.5%) of those who said they spoke a language other than English at home in 2000 also said they spoke English less than very well.

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey found that in 2006, the foreign born population was 193,789 residents, an increase of 29.2 percent since 2000. In comparison, the foreign-born population changed from 322,144 to 614,457 residents between 1990 and 2000, an increase of 90.7ercent.

The ten countries below constituted 66.7 of the foreign-born population in West Virginia in 2006. Of the total foreign-born population, approximately one quarter (26.3%) was from Mexico.

CONNECT TO LEGAL IMMIGRATION ADMISSION DATA

THE IMMIGRANT STOCK
The Census Bureau estimated that there were about 47,000 people in West Virginia 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 1,808,344, the immigrant stock share of the state's population was 2.6 percent.

As the graph below shows, the amount of West Virginia'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 25,200 people to the population. Over this period, the increase in the foreign stock has accounted for 35.2 percent of the state’s population increase.

NATURALIZATION
Data from the 2006 American Community Survey indicate that 10,764 residents, or 49.0 percent, of the foreign-born population in West Virginia were citizens, compared to 10,446 residents, or 53.9 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
West Virginia has received 44 refugees over the most recent ten fiscal years (FY'97-'06), with none arriving in FY’06..

 

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.

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 West Virginia as 2,531. One school in West Virginia is listed as having a major concentration of these students: West Virginia University-Morgantown had enrollment of 1,413 foreign students, 5.2% of total enrollment. Below, a chart illustrates the sharp increase of foreign students attending school in West Virginia from 1960-2000.

For information on foreign student issues see: Foreign Students in the United States.

ILLEGAL ALIENS

FAIR Estimate - FAIR’s estimate of the state’s illegal alien population as of 2007 is about 5,000 persons. This is part of an overall estimate of the U.S. illegal alien population of about 13 million persons.

 The INS estimate of the illegal alien population released in February 2003 listed West Virginia as having an illegal alien population of less than 2,500 residents. This compares with the previous INS estimate of 2,000 illegal aliens as of October 1996, a 25 percent increase over its previous estimate for October 1992.

According to the Charleston office of the INS, West Virginia has a growing problem with illegal aliens. Apprehensions of illegal aliens are up to 205 for the first nine months of the fiscal year compared to 168 for the previous full year. (Source: Associated Press, August 4, 2000).

West Virginia 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 West Virginia has received were:

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 4 prisoner years of detention. By FY’02, the state’s reported illegal alien detention more than doubled to 11 prisoner years, while compensation fell by 31 percent.

MEDICAL COSTS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS
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 West Virginia, the proposed payment in fiscal year 2004 is $23,847.

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
You can view a listing of local immigration reform groups 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.

Revised July 2008