Immigration Impact - Georgia
The following impact of immigration on you, the citizens of Georgia has been brought to you by the Republican and Democratic Parties. Neither Party will standup up to the special interests who profit from excessive immigration (both legal and illegal).
Immigration-driven population growth is taking its toll on Georgia, the sixth fastest growing state in the U.S. In the last ten years, over 1.7 million new residents settled in Georgia. Almost one-quarter of these new residents were immigrants. In north Fulton County, sewer and water systems have become overburdened due to rapid development.2 Richmond Hill, which grew by more than 137 percent, had to spend $6 million to build new fire and police stations, add traffic signals, and improve its wastewater treatment system. Bryan County, which grew by 58 percent, was forced to pave miles of roads and add recreation areas and emergency services.3 Population growth doesn't increase the tax base as much as it increases the need for services in that area, noted Barrow County Commission Chairman Eddie Elder, whose county has experienced a 55 percent growth rate in the last decade.4 Population Increase From 1990 to 2000, Georgia's population increased by 26 percent -- twice as fast as the national average. During the 1990s, Georgia gained 1.7 million residents, reaching a total population of 8.2 million people in 2000. Georgia had the fourth largest population increase in the country. Between 1990 and 2000, Atlanta was the fourth largest growing (and eleventh fastest growing) metropolitan statistical area in the country. Georgia was also home to three of the U.S.'s top ten fastest growing counties: Forsyth, Henry, and Paulding. Forsyth County's population increased by 123 percent in the 1990s.5 Georgia's foreign-born population increased 233 percent during the 1990s; the second largest percent increase in the country. Between 1990 and 2000, Georgia gained over 404,147 immigrants, bringing the total number of foreign-born residents in the state to over 577,273. This increase in the foreign-born population accounted for 24 percent of the state's overall population increase during the decade. Foreign-born residents now account for 7 percent of the total state population. About 541,000 people in Georgia are immigrants or the children of immigrants, about seven percent of the state's population.6
Immigration and Your Community
FAIR has immigration data for local communities in Georgia as well. See our full listing of pages about Georgia for information about your locality. Trends for the Future The Census Bureau's middle series projection estimates that Georgia's population will increase by 25 percent between 2000 and 2025, to 9.9 million.7 Impact on Environment and Quality of Life Water: : U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water experts say that metro Atlanta is growing so fast that it is now taking all the water that Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River can provide, decades before it was expected to have reached that limit. In fact, metro Atlanta exceeded expected water use for 2030 during some of 1999 and 2000. South Carolina and Tennessee have warned there will be major battles if Atlanta tries to tap the Savannah or Tennessee river systems.8 The area is now faced with the need to find alternate sources of water long before anyone expected it would need to.Rapid development in Atlanta is responsible for sending huge amounts of polluted runoff directly into streams and rivers. In Atlanta, 57 billion to 133 billion gallons of tainted water flows from paved areas directly into surface waters each year.9 Traffic: As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Georgia residents increased 22 percent during the 1990s, to 28 minutes in 2000.10,11 Metro Atlanta had the third-longest one-way commute -- 31 minutes -- among the nation's largest metro areas, according to the 2000 census. Gridlock cost metro Atlanta $1.9 billion in time and fuel in 2000Ñ$1,350 per motorist.12 The number of miles driven each day on metro Atlanta roads is expected to rise by about 42 million miles by 2025 -- about half the distance from the Earth to the sun.13Carl Patton, vice chairman for transportation of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, predicts that by 2010, Atlantans will spend more time in traffic than at home.14 Traffic on I-95 is increasing by seven percent annually,15 and the average volume of commuters on Ga.-400 has grown more than 48 percent since 1994.16 Disappearing open space: Every day, 50 acres of Georgia's farmland and open space are lost to development.17 Of the 74,542 acres of state parkland in Georgia, 8,212 are endangered by sprawl, commercial and residential development, and traffic, according to the National Park Trust.18 About two-thirds of the trees in the Atlanta area have been cut down by development, reports the Georgia Conservancy.19Lack of Affordable Housing: Researchers at the University of Georgia found inadequate supplies of affordable rental properties and single-family starter homes outside metro Atlanta. Nineteen percent of Georgians outside the Atlanta area work in retail or agriculture, earning an average of less than the $8.35 per hour needed to pay fair-market rent. More than one million Georgia households have incomes that allow them to afford a home costing no more than $86,800, which is only 55 percent of the average sale price of a new home in the state.20 In 2000, 28 percent of renters paid 35 percent or more of their household income in rent (considered excessive by social agencies).21Crowded Housing: Studies show that a rise in crowded housing often correlates with an increase in the number of foreign-born.22,23 56,800 of the state's households are defined as severely crowded housing, a 97 percent increase since 1990.24,25In Gwinnett County, complaints about neighborhood traffic and trash have led to zoning ordinances to limit the number of people living in single-family homes. Officials say the influx of immigrants has led to a rise in crowded housing and subsequent complaints from long-time residents.26 Sprawl: : In 1990, metro Atlanta measured about 65 miles from north to south. It's now about 110 miles across. By 2018, its range is expected to include suburbs like Athens and Dalton.27 The Atlanta Regional Commission projects that the region will grow by 1.6 million people by 2020.28Air Polution: : More than 3.2 million Georgia residents live in areas where ozone pollution and smog have made it unsafe to breathe the air.29 Metro Atlanta is among the worst violators of the federal standards for ground-level ozone, with a dangerously high ozone level. Most of the problem is caused by motor vehicle emissions. The American Lung Association ranks metro Atlanta, Fulton, Rockdale, Douglas, DeKalb, and Fayette as having some of the worst air pollution in the country.30School Overcrowding: : Between 1990 and 2000, Georgia's elementary and high school enrollment increased 28 percent. 31,32 Throughout the state, schools are struggling to meet the needs of growing student populations. In many counties, students must attend classes in portable classrooms and eat lunch as early as 10:30 to ease the strain on crowded cafeterias.33 In some areas, sports leagues can't find room for all the students who want to participate.34 Principals report that they don't have the space to comply with a recent law requiring schools to cut class sizes; more than 14,900 new classrooms are needed.35Illegal Immigration in Georgia 228,000 illegal aliens resided in Georgia as of 2000, according to INS figures. The number of illegal aliens has increased 613 percent since 1996 and 777 percent since 1992, giving Georgia the seventh largest illegal immigrant population in the country.36 In mid-May 1998, during the harvest of the $90 million Vidalia onion crop in southeastern Georgia, the INS launched operation “Southern Denial” and apprehended 21 illegal alien workers in Glennville. The INS action led to a political firestorm reportedly involving Republican House Speaker Gingrich and negotiations between the INS and the Georgia onion growers that led to a halt to INS enforcement actions. The growers agreed to avoid hiring illegal aliens and participate in an INS program to verify the legal status of newly hired workers.37In 2001, an INS investigation found more than 100 illegal aliens working in exploitative conditions in Atlanta area restaurants. Four Chamblee employment agencies imported and routed illegal aliens to Chinese restaurants, where they were kept in crowded, filthy conditions, worked long hours, and received no benefits and substandard pay. A portion of their paychecks was was deducted to cover their housing and transportation to and from work.38 Georgia authorities requested $10.4 million in compensation from the federal government in FY'99 for the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local jails and prisons, but it received only $4 million in compensation, leaving $6.4 in uncompensated costs to be borne by Georgia taxpayers.Endnotes
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Reference Articles:
Effect of illegal immigration - breakdown of political system December 2 Runoff - Living proof the System is Broken Mexican President lauds election results McCain - Pro Amnesty candidate in Feb. 5 Presidential Primary |
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