|
Doing Research? : Immigration in Your Backyard
| Extended Immigration Data for Maryland |
 |
| |
| Summary Demographic State Data (and Source) |
| Population (2007 CB estimate): |
5,618,334 |
| Population (2000 Census): |
5,296,486 |
Foreign-Born Population (2007 FAIR est.):
Foreign-Born Population (2000 Census): |
630,895
518,315 |
Share Foreign-Born (2007 FAIR est.):
Share Foreign-Born (2000): |
11.2%
9.8% |
| Immigrant Stock (2000 CB est.): |
861,000 |
| Share Immigrant Stock (2000 est.): |
16.3% |
| Naturalized U.S. Citizens (2006 CB est.): |
305,065 |
| Share Naturalized (2006): |
44.7% |
| Legal Immigrant Admission (DHS 1997-2006): |
204,869 |
| Refugee Admission (DHS 1997-2006): |
8,061 |
| Illegal Alien Population (2007 FAIR est.): |
150,000 |
| Projected Population - 2050 (2006 FAIR): |
8,977,520 |
INDEX TO MARYLAND IMMIGRATION TOPICS
GENERAL INFORMATION
With a major shipping port city at Baltimore, Maryland has long received a sizeable flow of immigrants. The flow has increased -- exploding by more than 600 percent in the past 40 years -- and changed in recent times, with more immigrants settling in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. than in Baltimore. The state is also a major recipient of refugees and of illegal alien workers and settlers.
By connecting to any of the topical areas above, official data and other reports are available that describe the condition of immigrants in Maryland, where they come from, and some of the issues raised by their number.
CITIES, COUNTIES AND METROPOLITAN AREAS
SOCIAL POLICY ISSUES
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that while Maryland's infant mortality rate continues to fall (from 9.5 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 8.7 in 1997), it lags behind neighboring areas, such as Virginia and Delaware. Jeannine Robinson, Director of the Maryland Commission on Infant Mortality Prevention, attributed the difference to Maryland's large minoriy population and a growing immigrant community in the state. She commented, "In some communities when a baby dies, folks just feel that the baby wasn't supposed to live. We are trying to educate folks that infant mortality is a problem and we should be trying to save babies' lives."
(Source: Washington Times, May 8, 2000)
Refugee Settlement
Maryland has received 8,061 refugees over the most recent ten fiscal years (FY'97-'06) including 676 persons in FY’06.
Under the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (HHS/ORR) assistance funding for FY'02 $945,169 is available for refugee employment training and other services programs in Maryland based on a three-year refugee settlement program covering 3,766 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 $9,252,462 and $7,919,216.
According to the state Office for New Americans, which is primarily involved in assisting the resettlement of refugees, Maryland received the following numbers of refugees from FY'90 to FY'95:
| Refugee Settlement FY'90-'95 |
| Year |
No. Refugees |
Mtgy. |
Baltimore |
Pr.Geo. |
Balt. City |
Other |
| FY'90 |
2,548 |
39% |
31% |
15% |
10% |
5% |
| FY'91 |
2,067 |
42% |
20% |
24% |
9% |
5% |
| FY'92 |
3,277 |
35% |
36% |
14% |
11% |
4% |
| FY'93 |
2,478 |
29% |
8% |
12% |
33% |
18% |
| FY'94 |
2,297 |
28% |
25% |
13% |
9% |
25% |
| FY'95 |
1,822 |
31% |
26% |
18% |
6% |
19% |
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 Maryland, overall enrollment in 2002 (860,890) was 1.5 percent above enrollment in 1993. By contrast, LEP enrollment (23,891 - 2.8% of all enrollment) was 87.8 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 Maryland as 13,562. One school in Maryland is listed as having a major concentration of these students:
- University of Maryland - College Park had enrollment of 3,476 foreign students, 9.9% of total enrollment.
- Montgomery College had enrollment of 3,055 foreign students, 10.3% of total enrollment
- John Hopkins University had enrollment of 2,635 foreign students, 13.5% of total enrollment
Below, a chart illustrates the sharp increase of foreign students attending school in Maryland from 1960-2000.
ILLEGAL ALIENS
FAIR Estimate - FAIR’s estimate of the state’s illegal alien population as of 2007 is about 150,000 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 Alabama was 56,000 as of January 2000. This number was 12,000 higher than the INS' 1996 estimate.
Other Estimates - The Pew Hispanic Center estimates the illegal alien population of the state at 225,000 to 250,000 as of 2005.
For information on foreign student issues see: Foreign Students in the United States.
STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VOTING RECORD
You can view the voting record of your representatives in Congress regarding immigration issues in our voting report section.
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
View a listing of local immigration reform organizations here.
Revised July 2008 |
