US Citizens' Spouses Targets for Deportation

New Study Shows Startlingly High Numbers of US Citizens Affected by Immigration Crackdown

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Sep 30, 2017, 22:43 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a new study by American Families United, a national grass roots organization, at least 350,000 American citizens are married to foreign-born spouses with significant problems with US immigration law. But the number could easily exceed half a million.

"US citizens are the most neglected constituency in the immigration debate," said Kim Anderson, AFU president. "Yet recognizing that we are also the highest priority for legal immigration -- part of the only numerically unlimited category -- is the key to unlocking the debate."

AFU analyzed US Census data (PUMS -- the Public Use Microdata System) and found approximately 4.4 million US citizens are married to foreign-born spouses. These can be broken down by state: more than 800,000 in California; nearly half a million in Texas and roughly 350,000 in New York. Nearly all states have significant numbers: more than 100,000 each in Washington, Virginia and Illinois; 40,000 in Wisconsin and 35,000 in Utah.

"Even our lowest estimate of 350,000 US citizens married to spouses at immigration risk indicates that we are talking about significant constituencies in a number of key states, "Anderson noted, "nearly 150,000 US citizens in California, 80,000 in Texas, and thousands more even in relatively small, low-immigration states."

"This is about our rights as US citizens," said Anderson. "American citizens should not be forced to choose between our marriages, and our country."

The American Families United summary analysis is attached. We invite reporters to contact AFU for individual stories in your area.

Summary Analysis

*The AFU analysis is based on the special report done by the US Census Current Population Survey in 2013: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2013/cb13-157.html, updated to account for growth. That study, which used 2011 data, found 4.091 million US citizens married to foreign-born spouses.

The 2010 Census counted 39,956,000 foreign-born persons in the US, which had increased to 43.2 million by 2015 (Pew, ACS). We use the standard estimate of 11 million for the undocumented population.

Since the rate of increase the Census counts in the foreign-born population is in the range of 600,000 a year*, there are approximately 44 million foreign-born persons in the US. The consensus is that 11 million are undocumented, which indicates 1 in 4 foreign-born persons in the US are unauthorized or even undocumented.

Most of those 11 million population are not married to a US citizen. Yet a significant number are.

AFU analyzed the broad range of immigration offenses with serious consequences, which includes trivial and even technical violations, on which American Families United members have personal experience. So AFU has made an intentionally conservative estimate that the percentage of foreign-born spouses of US citizens who have problems with immigration law is substantially lower than the overall percentage of undocumented within the foreign-born population as a whole.

The AFU analysis is that 8-15% of the total "Married Couple Households with Mixed Nativity" counted by the Census have had some potential problem of the kinds that afflict AFU families. While a smaller percentage, the absolute numbers are significant – particularly since, as AFU insists, this is about the rights of the US citizen.

United States Totals (in thousands)	(2011) Census data 4,091	2017 Projection (of 4.4 Million) 4,400	Citizens married to Immigration Enforcement Targets (8%-15%)
Alabama	23	25	2-4
Alaska	10	11	1-2
Arizona	110	118	9-18
Arkansas	17	18	2-3
California	811	872	70-131
Colorado	74	80	6-12
Connecticut	61	66	5-10
Delaware	11	12	1-2
District of Columbia	7	8	0.6-1
Florida	351	378	30-57
Georgia	91	98	8-15
Hawaii	37	40	3-6
Idaho	18	19	2-3
Illinois	162	174	14-26
Indiana	38	41	3-6
Iowa	15	16	1-2
Kansas	22	24	2-4
Kentucky	22	24	2-4
Louisiana	22	24	2-4
Maine	15	16	1-2
Maryland	71	76	6-11
Massachusetts	103	111	9-17
Michigan	91	98	8-15
Minnesota	45	48	4-7
Mississippi	9	10	1-2
Missouri	36	39	3-6
Montana	8	9	0.7-1
Nebraska	13	14	1-2
Nevada	62	67	5-10
New Hampshire	16	17	1-3
New Jersey	157	169	14-25
New Mexico	30	32	3-5
New York	316	340	27-50
North Carolina	84	90	7-14
North Dakota	4	4	0.3-0.6
Ohio	70	75	6-11
Oklahoma	28	30	2-5
Oregon	52	56	5-8
Pennsylvania	99	106	9-16
Rhode Island	16	17	1-3
South Carolina	35	38	3-6
South Dakota	3	3	0.3-0.5
Tennessee	40	43	3-7
Texas	465	500	40-75
Utah	34	37	3-6
Vermont	7	8	0.6-1
Virginia	106	114	9-17
Washington	120	129	10-19
West Virginia	6	6	0.5-1
Wisconsin	41	44	4-7
Wyoming	4	4	0.3-0.6