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Washington: Illegal Aliens
ILLEGAL ALIENS
The INS estimates the number of illegal resident aliens in Washington at 52,000 as of October
1996. It previously had estimated the number at 30,000 in October 1992. It now states that it
earlier underestimated the illegal population by 12,000. Depending on the earlier number, the
illegal resident alien population is believed to have grown by 22,000 (73%) or by 10,000 (24%)
over the past four years. Following the 1986 amnesty for illegal resident aliens, 37,000 applied
from Washington to "legalize" their status.
Washington State's prisons have 14 percent undocumented aliens according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. (Source: AP February 13, 1996.)
INS inspections, which decreased in 1996 when agents were sent to augment patrols at the border
with Mexico, have increased in 1997 as the inspectors came back. As a result, apprehensions of
illegal aliens in Washington and North Idaho have increased from 17 operations and 140 arrests
in FY'96 to 36 operations and 296 arrests so far in FY'97 (October 1 through May 31). This
increase in operations has provoked complaints among seasonal crop agricultural producers, who
apparently fear having their access to illegal migrant labor disrupted by a greater fear among the
illegal aliens of being apprehended if they come to the area for work. However, in Eastern
Washington, no labor shortage has yet become a problem.
(Source: The News Tribune, South King County Local edition, June 8,
1997
On November 24, 1997 INS agents apprehended 100 Mexican illegal aliens working in four
Sherwood Forest Farms sites around Centralia. These farms produce wreaths and other holiday
decorations.
(Source: Migration News, January, 1998
The INS has recently been targeting employment sectors that have traditionally hired illegal aliens and has sent notices to employers identifying questionable employment documents. This has resulted in large numbers of workers leaving the worksite in advance of INS inspectors arriving to interview them.
