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Doing Research? : Immigration in Your Backyard
| Extended Immigration Data for Texas |
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| Summary Demographic State Data (and Source) |
| Population (2007 CB est.): |
23,904,380 |
| Population (2000 Census): |
20,851,820 |
Foreign-Born Population (2007 FAIR est.):
Foreign-Born Population (2000 Census): |
3,874,165
2,899,642 |
Share Foreign-Born (2007 FAIR):
Share Foreign-Born (2000): |
16.2%
13.9% |
| Immigrant Stock (2000 CB est.): |
4,801,000 |
| Share Immigrant Stock (2000 est.): |
23.0% |
| Naturalized U.S. Citizens (2006 Census): |
1,114,585 |
| Share Naturalized (2006): |
30.6% |
| Legal Immigrant Admission (DHS 1997-2006): |
720,444 |
| Refugee Admission (DHS 1997-2006): |
36,430 |
| Illegal Alien Population (2007 FAIR est.): |
1,740,000 |
| Projected Population - 2050 (2006 FAIR): |
49,036,997 |
MENU OF TEXAS IMMIGRATION DATA RESOURCES
GENERAL INFORMATION
Texas had the fourth largest foreign-born population in the 1990 Census, although it has almost overtaken Florida for third spot. The state has the second largest number of illegal aliens (behind only California, as estimated by the INS). More than one in every nine Texas residents is an immigrant. Only 24.3 percent of the state's immigrant population had becoume U.S. citizens by 1997. This is conciderably lower than the national average of 35 percent, and is due in part to the continuing wave of new resident aliens, many of whom are illegally in the country.
Mexico accounts for over half of all of the state's immigrant population. The share of the foreign-born population living below the poverty level was in 1996 about twice the average for the native-born population (31% and 16%, respectively).
The state's seven major metro areas (above) accounted for over three-fifths (61%) of all Texans in 1990 and for more than three-quarters (76%) of all foreign-born Texas residents. The new immigrants since 1990 settling in these seven metro areas also represent more than three-quarters (78%) of all the immigrants during the period listing Texas as their intended residence.
REFUGEE SETTLEMENT
Texas has received 36,430 refugees over the most recent ten fiscal years (FY'97-'06), with 3,118 arriving in FY’06.
Under the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (HHS/ORR) assistance funding for FY'02 $3,291,275 is available for refugee employment training and other services programs in Texas based on a three-year refugee settlement program covering 13,114 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 $19,138,060 and $22,135,550..
IMMIGRANT CHILDREN
In 2000 more than one-quarter of all of Texas's children are either foreign born or the child of an immigrant. Four percent are first-generation immigrants (foreign born) and 22 percent are second-generation (a child of an immigrant).
(Source: "Check Points," The Urban Inst. Sept. 2, 2000)
PUBLIC OPINION POLL DATA
A Feb.-Mar. 2002 Scripps Howard Texas poll asked whether the United States should toughen restrictions on visas for foreign students. According to a March 25 Dallas Morning News article, 80 percent of Texans agreed that restrictions should be tougher. For other visitors, 82 percent replied that there should be tougher restrictions on visas. Asked whether the U.S. allows too many legal immigrants into the country, 64 percent agreed.
A Sept. 2001 Scripps Howard Texas poll asked "Do you agree or disagree that the United States should grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants who hold jobs and work in this country?
By nearly 2 to 1 the respondents disagreed that amnesty should be granted. The percentages were: Disagree - 57 percent; Agree 29 percent.
The majority opposing amnesty was 66 percent to 22 percent among "Anglos," (meaning persons who identified themselves as white). Among Hispanics, 44 percent supported amnesty and 39 percent opposed it.
A vast majority of Texans also agreed that unlawful immigration from Mexico is a "serious problem," with 51 percent agreeing that it is a "very serious problem." Among Hispanics, two-thirds agreed that unauthorized immigration from Mexico is a problem.
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 Texas as 49,081. Several schools in Texas are listed as having a major concentration of these students:
University of Texas had enrollment of 5,303 foreign students, 10.7 %of total enrollment.
Texas A&M University had enrollment of 3,857 foreign students, 9.5% of total enrollment
Houston C.C. System had enrollment of 3,378 foreign students, 6.2% of total enrollment (Additional Schools)
Below, a chart illustrates the sharp increase of foreign students attending school in Texas from 1960-2000.
For information on foreign student issues see: Foreign Students in the United States.
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 |
