Report: Immigrant Population over 15% in Record 16 States, over 25% in 6

One third of the nation’s 50 states now have immigrant populations over 15 percent, with six over 25 percent, raising new questions about the country’s ability to absorb the immigrant flood in schools and the job market, a new report on government immigration data said.

The new Center for Immigration Studies analysis of the 61 million immigrants and their children now in America revealed the speed at how the nation’s population has changed since 1970.

According to interactive maps unveiled Monday by CIS, there were no states in 1970 that recorded immigrant populations over 15 percent. Today one third of the nation’s states register over 15 percent immigrant: California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Georgia, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Oregon.

And the population of immigrants and their children in six are over 25 percent immigrant: California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, New York and New Jersey.

California, for example, went from 13 percent immigrant in 1970 to over 37 percent last year. Texas went from 5 percent to 25 percent over that same period.

The maps can be seen here.

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