Randy Capps, The Urban Institute

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Randy Capps, The Urban Institute

• Demographics of Children in
• Immigrant Families

Immigrants and Health Policy Implications for
SCHIP Reauthorization Congressional
Briefing April 20, 2007
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36 Million Immigrants Total12 of U.S.
Population
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Children of Immigrants One in Five
Share of U.S. Children under Age 18
Children of Immigrants
Born in U.S.
Foreign-Born
Sources Urban Institute Tabulations from 2005
CPS, March Demographic and Economic Supplement
1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census Integrated
Public Use Microdata Samples (IPUMS). Note
Children of Immigrants have at least one parent
born outside the United States. Immigrants
exclude individuals born in Puerto Rico.
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2/3 of Immigrants Lived in 6 States, 2000
Immigration Categories
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But Top 10 States with Fastest Growing F.B. Pops.
Are Different
Immigration Categories
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22 States Grew Faster than Big 6 from
1990 to 2000
Immigration Categories
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Southeast Had 7 of 10 Fastest Growing F.B.
Populations, 2000-2005
Percent Growth in Foreign-Born Population,
2000-2005
US Avg. 16
SOURCE Migration Policy Institute Data Hub
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But These Fast Growing States Had Low F.B.
Population Shares in 2005
Percent Growth in Foreign-Born Population,
2000-2005
US Avg. 12
SOURCE Migration Policy Institute Data Hub
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U.S. Half of Immigrants from Latin America (31
Mexico), 1/4 from Asia
Other Latin America and Spanish Speaking
Caribbean 6.5 million (18)
Mexico 11 million (31)
Africa West Indies 2.8 million (8)
Europe, Oceania, and North America 5.9 million
(17)
Asia 9.5 million (27)
35.7 Million Foreign-Born (2005 U.S. American
Community Survey)
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3 in 10 U.S. Immigrants Are Unauthorized
Unauthorized immigrants (11.1 million) 30
Refugees (2.6 million) 7
Legal temporary residents (1.3 million) 3
Legal permanent residents (LPR) (10.5 million)
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Naturalized citizens (11.5 million) 31
37 Million Foreign-Born in 2005 (Passel 2006)
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But Most Children of ImmigrantsAre U.S. Born
Citizens
73.9 Million Children in 2005
(March 2005 Current Population Survey, Imputed)
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Mixed Status Families

• 1 Non-Citizen Adults and 1 Citizen Children
• 9.6 Million U.S. Children
• 13 of all U.S. Children60 of Kids in Immigrant
  Families 84 of Kids in Non-Citizen Families
• In Legal Immigrant (LPR) Families --86 of Kids
  are Citizens!!

(March 2005 Current Population Survey, Imputed)
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Young Children of Immigrants (0-5) Most Likely to
be U.S. Citizens
(March 2004 Current Population Survey)
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Children of ImmigrantsIncreasingly Poor
Percent of K-12 Students in Families Below 100
of Poverty
African-American children
Children of immigrants
White, not Hispanic children
Includes children of both immigrants and
natives.
Source Van Hook Fix (2000) Urban Institute
tabulations from C2SS PUMS. Excludes Puerto
Ricans.
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Children of Immigrants Have High Levels of
Economic Hardship
(1999 National Survey of Americas Families)
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1/3 of Young Children of Immigrants (0-5)
Linguistically Isolated
(2000 Census, 5 percent PUMS)
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Benefits Use Low in Low-IncomeWorking Immigrant
Families
Low-income working families are families
with children, incomes below 200 percent of the
federal poverty level, and adults who worked at
least 1,000 hours on average in 2001.
(2002 National Survey of Americas Families)
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SCHIP, Medicaid Changes, Outreach Improve Access

• Outreach
• Eligibility rules
• Public charge, other immigration concerns
• More points of access in the community
• Hospitals, clinics, CBOs, e.g.
• Application assistance/pre-screening
• Simpler application procedures
• Less verification
• Mail in, fax, internet applications
• In-person interviews at offices not required

(2001 Urban Institute study of Medicaid and
SCHIP application process in 6 states)
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Medicaid/SCHIP points of access
(2001 Urban Institute study of Medicaid and
SCHIP application process in 6 states)
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Immigrants Kids Access to SCHIP May Vary across
States

• New growth states (e.g., Southeast) have high
  undocumented shares population more settled in
  major immigrant states.
• English proficiency levels also likely lower in
  new growth states.
• Bilingual capacity also lower in new growth
  states (but mostly Spanish required).
• More languages, diversity in major states.
• Fiscal capacity lower in most new growth states
  higher in major states.

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For more information,contact

• Randy Capps
• Immigration Studies Program
• Center on Labor,
• Human Services, and Population
• Urban Institute
• 2100 M St., NW
• Washington, DC 20037

rcapps_at_ui.urban.org [phone]