Mexicans Were Leaving U.S. Before Anti-Immigration Laws

As Supreme Court considers Arizona, new study shows illegal immigration has decreased

Apparently, the only thing stemming the decades long immigration of Mexicans to the U.S. is the economic downturn, a new study finds.

The Pew Hispanic Center reports far fewer Mexican nationals are crossing the border, both legally and illegally. In fact, the decrease in migration was happening before states like Arizona and Alabama enacted harsh measures to crack down on illegal immigrants.

From a report summary:

The largest wave of immigration in history from a single country to the United States has come to a standstill. After four decades that brought 12 million current immigrants—more than half of whom came illegally—the net migration flow from Mexico to the U.S. has stopped and may have reversed.

To view the full report, click here.

News of the report comes as Supreme Court justices weighed the constitutionality of Arizona's immigration law, which requires law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of individuals they suspect may be in the country illegally.

Watch the video above for an explanation of Pew's findings.

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