Chart 1 below shows the three population forecasts of the US Census Bureau. The difference forecasts depends almost entirely on the assumed rates of immigration. Not only does immigration affect population growth directly, but because immigrants have more children than native born Americans, there is an indirect affect as well.

Note that if net immigration (immigrants minus emigrants) were only about 200,000 annually the population of the US would level out and even decline very slightly. If net immigration (including illegals) averaged one million annually. US population will soar to over 500 million by the end of this century. This is the forecast that the Census Bureau labels “most likely.” However the Census Bureau has always underestimated population growth.

If the present growth in immigration continues – which is a certainty unless the US acts to control immigration from all sources, then the High Series projection becomes a mathematical certainty, i.e., the US population will pass one billion people within the present century. With a billion people the US will join China and India in terms of population density and all the commensurate problems of environmental deterioration, political instability, loss of living standards, etc. In short. we will have destroyed the American Dream for most Americans.

Finally it should be noted that we must act quickly. It takes about 50 years (two generations) before birth rates of immigrants fall to the US average. Hence, even if we were to cut off all immigration tomorrow, the higher birth rate of immigrants of the past 30 years will continue to drive up US population form years to come.

As has been said, the US is well on the road to national suicide.
 

Chart 2 below shows just how far present immigration departs from tradition immigration to the US. The chart depicts five-year immigration averages during our nation’s history. Note that today immigration is twice the level of the Great Wave of immigration at the beginning of the 20th century and about eight times the historic average of 250,000 annually. Note also that illegal immigration is a recent phenomena.

This is due to three main reasons. First, the 1965 Immigration Act permitted legal immigrants to petition to bring not only their spouse and children, but their parent and brothers and sisters as well. Then they petition for their in-laws, siblings and children, as well. In short since all persons in a given country are related, ultimately everyone becomes eligible for immigration.

Second, due to a misinterpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, (which was intended to grant automatic citizenship to children of slaves) children of anyone, including illegals immigrants, born in the US are automatically US citizens. In recent years hundreds of thousand of aliens illegally enter the US to have their babies born here.

Finally. In the last 30 years there has been a complete breakdown of the federal government's efforts to enforce immigration laws, especially sanctions on employers of illegals. Workplace raids have all but been abandoned and in those rare instances where an employer has been found guilty of hiring illegals he has received no more than a slap on the wrist. The means are in place to enforce employer sanctions and end the demand for illegals - all that is lacking is the will.

Graph 3 below shows just one effect of current immigration trends. Almost all the growth in school age population is due to immigration. Immigration is now the number one reason for the increase in the cost of education and the decrease in average test scores. The result will be higher taxes.

During the period 1947 to 1974 the average family income of all income groups adjusted for inflation rose by about 100%. This fast growth in total income was due to a spectacular increase in US productivity of about 3% annually. However, the even distribution of that income among all income groups was due to labor shortage which forced employers to pass on the benefit of productivity increases to both workers and investors.

Beginning in the 1970s, the increase in the labor force due to the baby boom population entering the labor force, and the increase in labor force participation rates of woman and minorities depressed the growth in wage rates. However, this was a temporary phenomenon and by the late 1980s labor rates should have begun increasing again. In fact all things being equal the 60% increase in productivity over the period 1974 to 2001 should have increased real wages by at least that amount. But average weekly earning for the private sector actually declined over this period by about 9%!

The combined effects of the increased competition from cheap immigrant labor coupled with the out-migration of good paying manufacturing jobs to low wage countries resulted in the low growth and unequal distribution of family income shown on the chart. Especially hard hit was the lowest income group who was only able to increase its income by about 15% over the 26 years from 1974 to 2001. Note that this is family income which often includes the second income from women in the labor force – a phenomena which was relatively during the earlier post-war period shown on the chart.

In short, the US has entered a period where investors have generally increased their wealth due to the diversion of the benefits of national productivity growth from those who rely primarily on the wages for their income. Unless this trend is radically altered, the distribution of income and wealth in the US will mirror that of most Third World countries where the middle class disappears and the lion’s share of wealth accrues to a very small number of the super rich. The US will no longer be a democracy but, for all practical purposes, a plutocracy.

So far, the majority of our leadership, whether Democrats or Republicans, could care less. Only 72 members of the House Immigration Caucus led by Tom Tancredo of Colorado have indicated a willingness to step up to the issue. The reason is that not enough Americans are calling and writing their Congressmen demanding that they pass the necessary legislation to regain control of our borders. The responsibility lies entirely in the hands of the voters. If you are not holding your Member of Congress accountable, YOU are part of the problem. Get involved today!