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Estimating the Characteristics of Unauthorized Immigrants Using U.S. Census Data: Combined Sample Multiple Imputation

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  • Randy Capps
  • James D. Bachmeier
  • Jennifer Van Hook

Abstract

Contemporary U.S. immigration policy debates would be better informed by more accurate data about how many unauthorized immigrants reside in the country, where they reside, and the conditions in which they live. Researchers use demographic methods to generate aggregated information about the number and demographic composition of the unauthorized immigrant population. But understanding their social and economic characteristics (e.g., educational attainment, occupations) often requires identifying likely unauthorized immigrants at the individual level. We describe a new method that pools data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which identifies unauthorized immigrants, with data from the American Community Survey (ACS), which does not. This method treats unauthorized status as missing data to be imputed by multiple imputation techniques. Likely unauthorized immigrants in the ACS are identified based on similarities to self-reported unauthorized immigrants in the SIPP. This process allows state and local disaggregation of unauthorized immigrant populations and analysis of subpopulations such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants.

Suggested Citation

  • Randy Capps & James D. Bachmeier & Jennifer Van Hook, 2018. "Estimating the Characteristics of Unauthorized Immigrants Using U.S. Census Data: Combined Sample Multiple Imputation," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 677(1), pages 165-179, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:677:y:2018:i:1:p:165-179
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716218767383
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James D. Bachmeier & Jennifer Van Hook & Frank D. Bean, 2014. "Can We Measure Immigrants' Legal Status? Lessons from Two U.S. Surveys," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 538-566, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ruhnke, Simon A. & Reynolds, Megan M. & Wilson, Fernando A. & Stimpson, Jim P., 2022. "A healthy migrant effect? Estimating health outcomes of the undocumented immigrant population in the United States using machine learning," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    2. Leafia Zi Ye, 2025. "Suppressed Potential: Undocumented Status and Child Arrivals’ Socioeconomic Development throughout the Life Course," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 44(1), pages 1-34, February.
    3. Zachary Parolin & Megan Curran & Jordan Matsudaira & Jane Waldfogel & Christopher Wimer, 2022. "Estimating Monthly Poverty Rates in the United States," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(4), pages 1177-1203, September.
    4. Christal Hamilton & James Bachmeier & Claire Altman & Cody Spence, 2022. "Legal status and health disparities: An examination of health insurance coverage among the foreign-born," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(16), pages 453-488.
    5. Kendal Lowrey & Jennifer Hook, 2022. "Standing on Their Own Two Feet: How the New Public Charge Rules Could Impact Non-European LPR Applicants," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(2), pages 559-582, April.

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