CALIFORNIA’S HIGH STAKE

IN IMMIGRATION REFORM

Authorization with a path to

1 IN 6 OF ALL CA
Why is
c i t i z e n s h i p w i l l re s u l t i n a

$4.6 billion KIDS HAVE AT LEAST ONE

UNDOCUMENTED PARENT.
Authorization boost in income, annually,
for undocumented immigrants that Their future is dependent on

Good for CA?

w i l l have a mul tipl i e r e f f e c t and their parents’ well-being and
grow the state’s economy. will determine the state’s future.

What Does Reform Need to Include

Who are the Undocumented?
for California to Benefit?

DN
SIS
MOD
2,654,752 Nearly 9% a pathway to citizenship
residents of the CA workforce While undocumented immigrants struggle, citizen immigrants
typically outperform the US born:

HUM TRI SHA LAS Parents supporting citizen children: US BORN

77% 80%
81% of children with an undocumented 68% IMMIGRANT, CITIZEN
TEH parent are citizens – that is 1,222,985 children or 64%
PLU 59%
GLE BUT
SIE
13% of the state’s children. 47%
IMM., NONCITIZEN, DOC.
MEN
36% IMMIGRANT, UNDOC.
YUB NEV
LAK
COL
SUT
PLA 67% of all children with an undocumented
17%
YOL ED parent are living in poverty compared to 12% 14% 13% 10%
SON
NAP SAC AMA
ALP 25% of those with US-born parents.
SOL
CAL ABOVE 150% HOME SELF
median annual earnings
MRN TUO
CC SJ
MNO POVERTY LEVEL OWNERSHIP EMPLOYMENT
SF
ALA STA MPA $20,000 | undocumented worker
SM
federal resources for integration

$
- VS -
$50,000 | US-born worker
SCL MER
SCR MAD
With 23% of the nation’s undocumented, CA will need
FRE
SBT federal dollars, particularly if this reform offers few public
INY
benefits to new immigrants, as is predicted.
MON TUL
KIN

SLO
a focus on immigrant integration
KER
CA needs a statewide body focused on immigrant integration
SBD to maximize the economic and social benefits of immigrants.
SB

VEN LA

resources targeted to areas that will

undocumented immigrants as
ORA RIV
abc make immigrants more productive:
adult education
share of total population SD IMP While 6% of the undocumented have a BA or better, 67% have
Less than 5% 5% to 7% not graduated high school.

7% to 10% 10% to 15% english language instruction

Greater than 15%
42% of the undocumented speak English well.
health insurance

?did you know many of the undocumented are asian? As compared to 83% of US born and 80% of citizen immigrants,
only 39% of working-age undocumented immigrants have health
insurance.

3% White, 85% Latino, 12% Asian, 1% Other

> The undocumented Black are less than 1%, but are nearly 10,000 of
the state’s residents. central valley
About 3 in 4children of
Do You Know What’s Unique About the undocumented parents are
poor, and 83% are citizen. sacramento
Undocumented in Your Community? nearly half of
undocumented workers
are in agriculture. only 66% are from
Mexico; other top sending
regions include Russia,
los angeles silicon valley the Philippines, Central
LA has the
America, and China.
east bay inland empire
highest Despite the high tech
industry, about 3 in 4
22% of the share of undocumented have About 1 in 3
undocumented self-employed not moved beyond a undocumented heads
are Asian. undocumented — high school education of household own
about 14%. and 1 in 4 work in their home — or 23K
households.
retail.

data from pastor and marcelli, what's at stake for the state: undocumented californians, immigration reform, and our
future together; for the full research brief, visit csii.usc.edu