Most illegal immigrants near or below poverty line, study shows

from Phoenix Business Journal

by Mike Sunnucks Phoenix Business Journal

A new study released Thursday shows illegal immigrants in Arizona and elsewhere in the U.S. are toiling at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.

The report by the Center for Immigration Studies found:

* 73 percent of Arizona's illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children are living in poverty or near poverty.
* The average household income for illegal immigrants in Arizona is $34,800, compared with $68,800 for citizens.
* 69 percent of illegal immigrants in Arizona do not have health insurance.
* 32 percent of Arizona households headed by illegal immigrants receive some kind of government welfare assistance (usually aid for dependent children born in the U.S.).

The Arizona numbers are similar to those in California and nationally.

Most illegal immigrants move to Arizona, California and Texas from extreme poverty in Mexico and Latin America. They often work in low-paying, labor-intensive jobs in construction, food service, landscaping and agriculture.

The CIS report estimates there are more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., including 579,000 in Arizona, 2.8 million in California and 1.7 million in Texas.