Many in Nevada are not citizens

Monday, Feb. 6, 2006 | 12:33 p.m.

About one of every nine people living in Nevada is not a U.S. citizen, the second-highest percentage in the nation, according to a recently released Census Bureau report.

The report, based on surveys conducted throughout 2004, says that 263,507 people - or 11.5 percent of Nevada's population of 2.3 million people - are not citizens.

California ranked highest in the nation, with 15.4 percent of its population lacking citizenship.

The survey did not distinguish between people who are legally in the country as residents - the step below citizenship - and those who have come to the country illegally.

But the state's high ranking can be seen as "the continuation of a trend, more than a sea change, since for a decade the immigrant population (in Nevada) has been expanding," said David Thronson, a director of UNLV Boyd School of Law's immigration law clinic.

That trend has polarized certain sectors of the valley in recent years, as groups have formed to express concerns about illegal immigrants, day laborers who gather on street corners to solicit work or about the overburdened health care and education systems.

One group put up a billboard last year that said, "Stop Immigration," drawing protests from Hispanic groups.

"(We) need to look at all sides, not just the social costs of immigration. Immigrants are a critical part of the local economy, for example," Thronson said.

Regardless of how immigration is seen, he said, "When it comes to public policy, decision makers need to take this (immigration) into account."

For example, those who are on the path to citizenship need to learn English, so the more free or low-cost English as a second language classes, the better, he said.

At the same time, the numbers don't always suggest what policy paths to follow, since there are marked differences between a resident's role in society when it comes to certain government services, versus that of an illegal immigrant.

A permanent resident, after five years, can gain access to many federal benefits such as welfare, food stamps and Medicaid, for example. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for those benefits.

Permanent residents tend to pay more taxes, and are more likely to have auto and health insurance.

Still, several observers of immigration and its effect on society said the census figures had definitive implications.

One of those is that the level of participation in the society for many noncitizens may be lower than that of citizens.

"We all see that when people become citizens they get more involved in the community," said Pilar Weiss, a board member of the Citizenship Project, a nonprofit organization that helps people navigate the process of applying for citizenship.

"If you have a large percentage of people in the shadow or on hold then ... (those) people have a harder time being engaged," Weiss said.

Thronson noted that the 260,000-plus people in Nevada who are not citizens are part of a larger group of foreign-born Nevadans, or the population of immigrants as a whole. According to the census report, there are 150,425 citizens in Nevada who were born in another country.

"As you think of this population, you have to realize that it's incredibly varied, from naturalized citizens to legal residents to illegal immigrants - and lots of families show all of the above," he said.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, a group that favors tightening immigration laws, said that Nevada's numbers also have political implications.

"Politically speaking, having a large percentage of people not being citizens means they're not taking part in decisions," Krikorian said.

At the same time, he said, a large immigrant population in Nevada boosts the state's representation in Congress, since congressional districts are based on total population.

"It's enabling the state to punch above its weight."

In any case, Thronson said, "immigrants are probably a permanent part of our community. We should embrace that, face the challenges and take advantages of the opportunities it offers."

Timothy Pratt can be reached at 259-8828 or at timothy@lasvegassun.com.