Immigration Issues

There were 11.9 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in March 2008. The size of the unauthorized population appears to have declined since 2007.

The number of Hispanic students in the nation's public schools nearly doubled from 1990 to 2006, accounting for 60% of the total growth in public school enrollments over that period.

Students designated as English language learners (ELL) tend to go to public schools that have low standardized test scores.

This statistical profile of the Latino population is based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey.

This statistical profile of the foreign-born population is based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey.

Arizona is the first state in the nation to enact a law that penalizes businesses for knowingly hiring unauthorized immigrants.

Hispanics in the United States are feeling a range of negative effects from the increased public attention and stepped-up enforcement measures that have accompanied the growing national debate over illegal immigration.

Nearly all Hispanic adults born in the United States of immigrant parents report they are fluent in English. By contrast, only a small minority of their parents describe themselves as skilled English speakers.

In a format the public says it prefers -- "regular people," not journalists, posing the questions -- immigration emerged as the hot-button issue. Were the candidates' answers in sync with GOP voters' opinions?

Most Latino immigrants maintain some kind of connection to their native country by sending remittances, traveling back or telephoning relatives, but the extent to which they engage in these transnational activities varies considerably.