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! State population: 4,369,000 (1998 CB est.) !
! Foreign-born population: 123,000 (1998 CPS) !
! Percent foreign born: 2.8% (1998) !
! Foreign-born stock: 181,000 (1997 CB est.) !
! Illegal alien population: 22,000 (1996 INS est.) !
! New legal immigrants: 26,649 (1991 to 1997) !
! 2025 pop. projection: 5,133,000 (1996 CB proj.) !
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1990 CENSUS DATA ON THE FOREIGN BORN
The 1990 Census recorded about 87,000 foreign-born residents in Louisiana. This ranks
Louisiana 25th in the country in the number of immigrants. The foreign-born share (2.1%) was
significantly lower than the 7.9% national foreign-born share.
The share of the 1990 foreign born residing in Louisiana who had arrived in the country after 1980 was 38 percent.
Louisiana's ethnic composition was changing because of immigration. Seven of the ten largest national groups in 1990 had increased -- several substantially -- since 1980, while three had declined. The gainers were: Vietnam (+24%), Honduras (+49%), Cuba (+3%), Nicaragua (+111%), India (+112%), Mexico (+78%) and the Philippines (+35%). The losers were Germany (-19%), the U.K. (-14%) and Canada (-14%).
1980 Census 1990 Census 1 Vietnam 9,155 Vietnam 11,313 2 Honduras 5,579 Honduras 8,338 3 Germany 5,290 Cuba 4,920 4 Cuba 4,784 Germany 4,274 5 U.K. 4,286 Nicaragua 3,913 6 Canada 2,620 U.K. 3,693 7 Italy 2,325 India 3,306 8 Mexico 1,816 Mexico 3,224 9 Philip. 1,851 Philip. 2,339 10 Italy 1,733 Canada. 2,242 All Others 46,063 All Others 39,845 Total 85,502 Total 87,407
1998 CPS DATA ON THE FOREIGN BORN
In the most recent Census Bureau estimate, Louisiana's overall population increased by about
17,000. The 1998 CPS data, analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies, showed
the immigrant population increased by about 17,000. As a result of these two trends, the share of
the state's population comprised of immigrants increased slightly to 2.9 percent.
The Census Bureau calculates that since the 1990 Census the state's population has increased by over 25,000 because of immigration, while over the same period the state's population has decreased by about 117,000 due to the net outflow of established residents to other states in excess of the arrival of migrants from other states.
1997 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS) DATA
Over 62 percent of the immigrant increase occurred in three parishes: Jefferson
(+5,675), Orleans (+3,996) and E. Baton Rouge (+2,980). Each of those three parishes had net
exoduses from domestic migration that were greater than the influx of immigrants.
Over half of Louisiana's foreign-born population had become U.S. citizens as of 1997. That rate is conciderably higher than the national average (35%) and suggests a more settled immigrant population.
NET INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
The Census Bureau estimates that Louisiana's population increased by 10,951 over the last
year (ending in July 1997). Compared to that overall increase, net international migration
accounted for an estimated increase of 2,549. Thus immigration accounted for over 23 percent of
the state's population increase (that is slightly less than the national median share of
population increase due to immigration).
POPULATION CHANGE 1900-2000
When considering the role of immigration in Louisiana's current and future population change, it
is helpful to have a clear perspective of the past population change that the state has
experienced. Over the past 20 years, the population of the state has leveled off after a long
trend of rapid increase. The levelling off has come because of net out-migration of residents
to other states. During the same period there has continued to be net increases from new
immigrant settlement.
POPULATION PROJECTION
The 1997 Census Bureau population projection has Louisiana's population growing by 18%
between 1995 and 2025 (to 5,133,000). That is a lower rate of increase than the national
median. Population projections are generally based on
current demographic trends.
The Census Bureau population projection noted above is the "middle" projection, and it assumes immigration at a net annual increase of 820,000. There are other projections based on different assumptions. In the Census Bureau's "high" immigration projection, assuming annual net immigration of 1,370,000, the population in 2025 is more than six percent higher than in the middle projection, and it is over 11 percent higher by 2050. For Louisiana, the high projection could mean a population in 2050 of 6,400,000 to 6,500,000. If immigration were significantly scaled back, the population increase attributable to immigration and the population spill-over effects from other states could be significantly reduced over time. See Immigration and Population Growth
INS DATA ON IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENT
Legal immigrant settlement in Louisiana since 1990 has averaged over 3,800 per
year. The data for fiscal year (FY) 1991 were elevated by the inclusion of some of the former
illegal aliens who were amnestied in 1986.
Just among the long-term resident amnesty applicants (excluding the amnestied agricultural workers), the number of applicants from Louisiana was 1,836.
The data for FY'95 and FY'97 were artificially low
because the INS was not able to issue green cards to all the applicants for adjustment of status
who were already in the United States. In those two years, new immigration could have
registered as much as 30 percent higher, if the INS had issued more visas.
CITY DATA - NEW ORLEANS
METROPOLITAN AREA DATA - BATON ROUGE
In 1990, 53,200 of Louisiana's immigrants lived in the New Orleans metropolitan area. That
constituted over 60% of the state's total foreign born. This is double the 30% share for its total
population compared to the state's total population. In the New Orleans metropolitan area
immigrants were 4.1% of the population. The second largest concentration was in the Baton
Rouge metropolitan area, where the foreign born numbered about 10,600 and a 2% share of the
population.
ILLEGAL RESIDENT ALIENS
STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VOTING RECORD
FAIR, 12/99.
Immigrant settlement in Louisiana has risen since
the adoption of the current immigration system in 1965. Recent average settlement has been nearly double the level of the late 1960s.
FY LEGAL IMMIGRATION
91 4,917 by nationality
92 4,230 by nationality
93 3,725 by nationality
94 3,366 by nationality
95 3,000 by nationality
96 4,092 by nationality
97 3,319 by nationality
Total 26,649 by nationality (below)
INS DATA BY NATIONALITY: FY'91-FY'97
The INS data below are the totals for the countries with the largest number of immigrants
admitted or adjusted to legal residence since 1990. The nationalities may change each year, so
the totals in some cases will not reflect all the immigrants of that nationality who have become
legal immigrants in Louisiana during the seven-year period. For example, data on German admissions include only five of the
seven years and for Japan the admission data are available for only three years. The 30 nationalities (Hong Kong
and Taiwan included with mainland Chinese, and the former Soviet Union represented by Russia
and Ukraine since FY'96) represent about 74 percent of all immigrant settlement and
adjustment in Louisiana during this seven-year period.Bangladesh +++ 80
Canada 740
China * 1,918
Colombia 243
Cuba 433
Dominican Rep. 209
Ecuador + 106
El Salvador 256
Germany + 435
Guatemala 423
Guyana 142
Haiti 134
India 1,537
Iran 296
Ireland ++ 104
Honduras +++ 1,026
Jamaica 100
Japan +++ 66
Korea 349
Mexico 1,627
Nicaragua +++ 877
Nigeria +++ 181
Pakistan 342
Peru 155
Philippines 1,165
Poland 105
Soviet Union 287
United K. 688
Vietnam 5,421
Yugoslavia +++ 124
Other 7,080
Total 26,649
* Includes Hong Kong and Taiwan when available
+ 5 yrs. of data available
++ 4 yrs. of data available
+++ 3 yrs. of data available
The INS estimates that as of April 1996 there were about 47,000 legal resident aliens in
Louisiana -- legal immigrants who had not yet become U.S. citizens -- of whom
27,000 had met the residency requirement to apply for citizenship. Included in this number
could be aliens who had already applied for naturalization and were in the processing waiting
list. The INS offices that handle naturalization cases and fingerprinting are located
at:
ROOM T-8011
701 LOYOLA AVENUE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113
The INS currently estimates the resident illegal alien population of Louisiana to be about 22,000
as of October 1996. This is up from the 18,000 that the INS estimated the illegal alien
population to be in October 1992. The new estimate is the 21st highest number of illegal aliens
in the United states. ****************************************
* INS - Investigations - Louisana: *
* New Orleans (504) 589-4120 *
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