News Update - September 27, 2008

By Alan Lee, Esq.^†‡

The Office of Immigration Statistics Releases 2007 Numbers

Naturalization is the process by which a foreign citizen or national becomes a U.S. citizen. In 2007 there were a total of 660,477 naturalizations. The top five leading countries of birth of the new citizens were Mexico (122,258), India (46,871), Philippines (38,830), China (33,134), and Vietnam (27,921).

Refugees and Asylees are foreign citizens who fear or face persecution in their home countries. Refugees are individuals living outside the United States who are referred for refugee status and if granted, enter the United States as a refugee. Asylees are individuals already in the United States or who upon arrival to the United States apply for asylum. In 2007 the total number of refugees who entered the United States was 48,217. The top three leading countries of birth were Burma (13,896), Somalia (6,969), and Iran (5,481). The total number of individuals granted asylum was 25,270. The top three leading countries of birth were China (6,361), Columbia (2,180), and Haiti (1,660).

Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) are foreign citizens who are granted lawful permanent residence in the United States. They are also referred to as “Green Card” recipients. The total number of LPRs in 2007 was 1,052,415. The top three leading countries of birth of new LPRs were Mexico (148,640), China (76,655), and Philippines (72,596).

† The author is a 26+ year practitioner of immigration law based in New York City. He was awarded the Sidney A. Levine prize for best legal writing at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1977 and has written extensively on immigration over the past years for the ethnic newspapers, World Journal, Sing Tao, Pakistan Calling, Muhasha and OCS. He has testified as an expert on immigration in civil court proceedings and was recognized by the Taiwan government in 1985 for his work protecting human rights. His article, "The Bush Temporary Worker Proposal and Comparative Pending Legislation: an Analysis" was Interpreter Releases' cover display article at the American Immigration Lawyers Association annual conference in 2004, and his victory in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in a case of first impression nationwide, Firstland International v. INS, successfully challenged INS' policy of over 40 years of revoking approved immigrant visa petitions under a nebulous standard of proof. Its value as precedent, however, was short-lived as it was specifically targeted by the Administration in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.

‡ This article © 2008 Alan Lee, Esq.

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