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Undocumented Immigration

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  • JEFFREY S. PASSEL

Abstract

One important characteristic that distinguishes contemporary immigration from previous waves of immigration is the presence of significant numbers of undocumented, or illegal, immigrants. The dearth of sound information on undocumented immigrants makes formulating and implementing policy concerning this clandestine segment of the population extremely difficult. The first part of this article presents up-to-date empirical studies of the numbers of undocumented aliens in the country. The principal conclusion to be drawn from these studies is that the size of the undocumented immigrant population is substantially smaller than the figures most often cited. Although the largest numbers of undocumented immigrants are from Mexico, virtually every area of the world contributes some undocumented immigrants. The available evidence regarding the social, economic, and demographic characteristics of undocumented immigrants is reviewed in this article. The various arguments concerning the economic and social consequences of undocumented immigration are reviewed, together with the contradictory evidence used to support them. Finally, the consequences of research findings for policy alternatives are presented and various options for dealing with undocumented immigration are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey S. Passel, 1986. "Undocumented Immigration," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 487(1), pages 181-200, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:487:y:1986:i:1:p:181-200
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716286487001012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Mines & Alain de Janvry, 1982. "Migration to the United States and Mexican Rural Development: A Case Study," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 64(3), pages 444-454.
    2. Frank Bean & Allan King & Jeffrey Passel, 1983. "The number of illegal migrants of Mexican origin in the United States: Sex ratio-based estimates for 1980," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 20(1), pages 99-109, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. George J. Borjas & Richard B. Freeman & Kevin Lang, 1991. "Undocumented Mexican-born Workers in the United States: How Many, How Permanent?," NBER Chapters, in: Immigration, Trade, and the Labor Market, pages 77-100, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Christopher R. Bollinger & Paul Hagstrom, 2008. "Food Stamp Program Participation of Refugees and Immigrants," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(3), pages 665-692, January.

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