Let’s unpack misinformation about immigrants

An immigrant is a person who migrates to a country other than their place of birth. There are 47.8 million immigrants living in the United States, and they can be divided into three main groups. Naturalized citizens make up the largest group. Just over half of U.S. immigrants, about 24.5 million, are now naturalized citizens.

Naturalized U.S. citizens have all the rights of native-born citizens including the right to vote, hold elected office, and apply for jobs requiring citizenship. They are, of course, protected from deportation. Many naturalized citizens began the path to citizenship as green card holders.

Green card holders make up a second group of immigrants. In 2024, an estimated 12.8 million immigrants held a green card, officially known as a permanent resident card. Green card holders are considered lawful permanent residents or LPRs. To get a green card, applicants must be sponsored by a family member who is a United States citizen or an employer. Applicants must provide extensive documentation and participate in interviews. Refugees in humanitarian programs can also acquire green cards.

Green cards are generally valid for 10 years and can be renewed every 10 years, provided applicants pass background checks. Green card holders are allowed to live and work in the United States, own property, receive financial aid for education, and join the armed forces. After five years, they can begin the process to become naturalized American citizens.

About three-fourths of immigrants in the United States have permanent legal status (naturalized citizens and green card holders).

The estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States in 2023, the most recent year for which that data is available, make up the third group. Undocumented immigrants come from the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Europe, and sub-Sahara Africa although Mexico is the most common country of birth.

Many undocumented immigrants work in construction, food service, other service occupations, and agriculture where they make up a large portion of the farm labor workforce in some states. Obviously, they hold predominantly low-skill, low-paying jobs because of language barriers and limited access to education.

Dreamers are included in the number of undocumented immigrants. There are about 2.5 million Dreamers, defined as immigrants who came to the United States as children, who attend school, obtain postsecondary degrees, work, and contribute to the United States economy. For most Dreamers, the United States is the only home they have known.

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), began in 2012. It applies to Dreamers who entered the United States in 2007 or earlier, were 15 years old or younger when they arrived, and were under 31 years old as of June 15, 2012. DACA protects eligible Dreamers from deportation and authorizes them to work legally, but it is not a path to citizenship. The DACA program is currently on hold because of court action.

A subgroup of undocumented immigrants are those who have been convicted of crimes. As of July, 2024, ICE reported that approximately 425,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions were on ICE’s non-detained docket, about 4% of the undocumented population. Most Americans agree that finding and deporting those criminals should be a priority.

The notion of rounding up all 11.7 undocumented immigrants is impractical and not in our nation’s best interest for several reasons:

We are a nation of immigrants. Immigrants built this country. Of course, we should secure our borders. Of course, we should deport criminals. But an all-out assault on all 11.7 undocumented immigrants is senseless and shameful.

Ralph Plagman is a retired educator, having worked as a teacher and administrator in Cedar Rapids Schools for nearly 50 years.