Nearly 1 in 5 immigrants in US illegally in NYC, LA areas

SANTA ANA, Calif (AP):

A report released yesterday estimates more than 2.5 million immigrants in the country illegally live in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, which have pledged to fight President Trump's plans to expand deportations.

The study by the non-partisan Pew Research Center provides a glimpse of where immigrants in the country illegally reside and regions that could be most affected by Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.

It also underscores the challenges Trump could face in rounding up large numbers of deportees because many areas that are home to large numbers of immigrants lacking legal papers oppose his plans.

Any actions by the new administration could be even more widely felt among immigrant communities in regions such as Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, and Denver. In these areas, 37 per cent of immigrants lack legal status, compared to 26 per cent nationwide, the report said.

MORETHAN STATISTICS

In Santa Ana, California,

acting city manager Gerardo Mouet said that fears of the Trump administration's plans extend far beyond the statistics, especially in Mexican immigrant communities where extended families are often close-knit and

frequently made up of relatives who are legally in the country and others who are not.

The report estimates there are 11.1 million immigrants in the country illegally or 3.5

per cent of the overall US population.

In some areas, a larger share of immigrants lack legal papers than others, according to the report by the Washington-based centre, which was based on 2014 Census Bureau data.

The report looked at large metropolitan areas. Many of the local sanctuary policies cover specific cities within those regions.

About 61 per cent of immigrants in the country illegally live in 20 metropolitan areas the report said.