Poll: Fewer U.S. Immigrants Sending Money Home.

from National Public Radio

Harder times in the United States may translate into harder times in Mexico or Guatemala. Fewer Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. are sending money back home. That's according to a new survey by the Inter-American Development Bank. Only about half of Hispanic immigrants are sending cash. Just a couple of years ago that figure was close to three-quarters. A weakening economy is part of the reason, according to the bank. And so is a harsher climate for many immigrants in this country.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.

JENNIFER LUDDEN: Since 2000, the IADB has documented phenomenal growth in remittances to Latin America; more people sending more money more often, until now.

Mr. DONALD TERRY (Inter-American Development Bank): This snapshot in time is not a pretty picture.

LUDDEN: Donald Terry manages the bank's Multilateral Investment Fund. He says the overall amount of remittances this year will be about the same as last, some $45 billion. But that's only because the average amount sent is slightly larger. Overall, if trends hold Terry says about three million fewer immigrants here will send money to families back home, mostly in Mexico.

Mr. TERRY: This is the most important and most effective poverty reduction program in Latin America. About 60 percent of the families that receive remittances would be below the poverty line without those remittances.

LUDDEN: Terry says the current economic slowdown's a big factor. Eight-one percent of the Latinos surveyed said it's harder to find work now than in recent years. The construction slowdown especially has helped push up unemployment among Hispanics to just over 7 percent. The rising price of gas and food is pinching many.

But pollster Sergio Bendixen found another, even more powerful dynamic. About half of those surveyed said anti-immigrant sentiment is making it more difficult to send money home.

Mr. SERGIO BENDIXEN (Pollster): It is also, by the way, clear from a state-by-state analysis that the places where have shown the greatest decrease in remittances over the last two years are states that are now renowned for being on the forefront of the anti-immigrant war.

LUDDEN: That's certainly the case for one Virginia construction worker, who's undocumented and would only give his name as Jose. After his local supervisors in Prince William County passed an immigration crackdown, stepping up police checks, Jose said the future was now uncertain and he had to prepare.

JOSE (Immigrant): (Spanish spoken)

LUDDEN: We're not spending money, he says. What we earn we save, because we may need it with this new law.

About half of those surveyed were in the U.S. illegally. But Bendixen saw a big jump in worries over discrimination, even among legal immigrants and naturalized citizens. About 28 percent said they were thinking of going back to their home countries.