Illegal Immigration

The illegal-immigrant population has fallen an estimated 11 percent nationwide over the past year and perhaps even more in Arizona, with stricter law enforcement a likely cause, according to a report issued Wednesday by a Washington organization that promotes less immigration. The apparent drop preceded a spike in unemployment claims, suggesting enforcement, not the nation's faltering economy, is responsible, said Steven Camarota, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies. The drop of about 1 million illegal residents happened from August to May, the report says, even as the number of legal immigrants increased. In Arizona, the number of illegal immigrants may have fallen as much as 18 percent since August, Camarota said, though the data is too spotty to say with confidence. The state, however, is among the leaders in declines, he said. "There seems to be a sense among the illegals that the enforcement law is back in business," Camarota said. Estimates before this study put the number of illegal immigrants at 12 million nationwide and 500,000 in Arizona.