KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College,
and Maricopa Community Colleges

Copyright © 2024 KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Report: Most Undocumented Migrants In U.S. Cross Legally Using Temporary Visas

According to the Center For Migration Studies, most undocumented immigrants in the U.S. today initially cross the border legally using temporary visas.

Arizona’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce took a closer look at those statistics for this year’s DATOS report and found that most Hispanic immigrants in the state came to the U.S. with a work or student visa and then overstayed.

But Chamber Vice President Monica Villalobos, Hispanic immigrants are not the biggest violators.

"What we found surprising and we didn’t expect to find frankly was that Canada is sort of guilty of the most overstays. More so than Mexico. Almost twice as much," Villalobos said.

The DATOS report also showed that the Latino population growth rate dropped from 4.4 percent to 2.8 percent annually.

However the purchasing power of the population is on the rise. It's expected to hit $5 billion this year in Arizona and $1.5 trillion nationwide.

Carrie Jung was a senior field correspondent from 2014 to 2018.