Immigration to Mississippi
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 MISSISSIPPI IMMIGRATION STATISTICS |
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Total Population: |
2,910,540 (2006) |
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Foreign Born: |
49,490 (2006 FAIR estimate) |
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Illegal Immigrants: |
FAIR Estimate: 20,000 (2007) |
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USCIS/DHS Estimate: 8,000 (2003) |
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Pew Hispanic Center Estimate: 30,000-50,000 (2005) |
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About Mississippi
Located in the deep southern region of the United States, Mississippi has a
hot, humid sub-tropical climate with long summers and short, mild winters.
Mississippi is heavily forested and has lots of freshwater rivers and lakes.
Flooding is prevalent throughout the state mostly during the months from
December through June. The economy is primarily based on the agriculture industry. The main agricultural commodities produced include: cotton, poultry,
cattle, catfish, soybeans, dairy products, rice. The main industrial sectors
include: apparel, furniture, lumber and wood products, food processing,
electrical machinery and transportation equipment.
Illegal Immigration to Mississippi
Before the first European expedition into the Mississippi territory, the land
was primarily inhabited by Native American Indians. The territory changed hands
many times, and was ruled under the jurisdictions of Spain, Britain, and France. Eventually it was deeded to the British after the French and Indian War
in 1763. By the 1850s it was part of the Union and cotton was the main export. More
than half of Mississippi’s population were enslaved African- Americans. Today,
Mississippi’s African-American population is 37% of the overall state’s
population and marks the highest African-American population of any US state.
Mississippi is also considered among the poorest states in the country.
As of 2006, it is estimated (FAIR) that the immigrant population of Mississippi
is 48,550 which equates to approximately 1.7% of the state’s population. The
majority of immigrants are from Mexico (23.8%), Vietnam
(8.4%), Germany (6.5%), and India (5.9%) all of which account for another 44.6%
of the immigrants to Mississippi.
There has been an increase in the foreign-born population both through new
immigrant residents in the state as well as through the children born to
immigrants. It is estimated that the immigrant population and immigrant births are
adding nearly 2,600 persons to Mississippi every year equating to 25.6% of the
state’s overall population increase.
Mississippi’s naturalization rate of 40.3% is on par with the national average
of 40.1% based upon data recorded during the 2000 Census. The data collected in
the 2000 Census shows a significant drop in the 46.7% naturalization rate
recorded in 1990, indicating an influx of new immigrants, including illegal
immigrants.
Illegal Immigration to Mississippi
As of 2007, FAIR estimates the state’s illegal alien population at about 20,000
persons which equates to less than approximately 0.7% of the overall
population. The annual fiscal cost to Mississippi taxpayers for emergency
medical care, education and incarceration projected by FAIR is currently $32
million and is estimated to rise to $54 million per year in 2010 and $94 million
per year in 2020.
Mississippi’s increase in illegal immigration has contributed significantly to
the overcrowding of schools, given rise to difficulty in accommodating the
drastically increased school enrollments. The schools only require two forms of
identification for enrollment: proof of residency in the district and proof of
required vaccinations, preventing the collection of demographic data. Providing
these documents will allow the student to enroll in school obtaining the free
and equitable education from the public school within their district boundaries.
Without the ability to collect data on the legal status of the students, schools
are at a disadvantage for financial planning. Currently the state’s expenditure
for illegal immigrants across all K-12 schools equates to nearly $12 billion
annually, ranking Mississippi 48th in the nation.
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