A downturn in illegal immigration that coincided with the economic recession has leveled off, leaving the estimated number of undocumented aliens inside the United States at about 11.2 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. The findings come from the Pew Hispanic Center, which reported a peak of 12 million illegal immigrants here in 2007.
The latest figures suggest “the number of new unauthorized immigrants entering the country is balanced by those leaving,” said Pew demographer Jeffrey Passel.
Experts say a rebound in the economy could spur an increase in attempted border crossings by job-seekers. But the effort has become more expensive, more perilous, and more likely to end with capture by a U.S. border force that has doubled in number since 2004.
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