By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services/Arizona Daily Star
A new report Thursday says the United States is no longer the beacon for illegal immigration it was when the economy here was expanding rapidly.
Figures from the Pew Hispanic Center estimate 11.1 million illegal immigrants lived in the country last year, virtually no change from the 11.2 million estimate for 2010 or the 11.1 million figure the year before that.
The number peaked at 12 million in 2007 after rising steadily for at least a decade. Pew puts the number of illegal immigrants in the country in 2000 at just 8.4 million.
The 11.1 million figure is identical to what it was in 2005, in the early stages of the economic boom.
Thursday’s report could have political implications.
