Immigrants and Refugees

Here in King County and across the United States, there is an increase in the number of immigrant and refugees coming to this country and applying for citizenship or permanent residence. Service systems must adapt their policies and practices to meet the needs of this growing population. However, an understanding of immigrant and refugee experiences is necessary in order to effectively empower these communities to thrive in a country with laws, norms, language, and a way of life vastly different from that to which they are accustomed.

Read more about immigration policy in the US 
Read more about the concerns of citizens and immigrants

Population Data

National Trends

• Legal immigration increased 13% from 1,122,373 in 2005 to 1,266,264 in 2006.^[1]
• Illegal immigration may be as high as 1,500,000 per year with a net of at least 700,000 more illegal immigrants arriving each year to join the 12,000,000 to 20,000,000 that are already here.^[2]
• The leading regions of birth for persons becoming LPRs in 2006 were Asia (33%) and North America (33%).
• In 2006, 14% of all persons becoming LPRs were born in Mexico.
• The total number of refugees admitted to the United States decreased 23% from 53,738 in 2005 to 41,150 in 2006. This decline is partly due to changes in security procedures after 9/11 and admission requirements resulting from the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and the Real ID Act of 2005.
• In 2006, the leading countries of origin for refugees were Somalia (25%), Russia (15%), and Cuba (7.6%)
• The total number of persons granted asylum in the United States increased from 25,160 in 2005 to 26,113 in 2006. The leading countries of origin for persons granted asylum in 2006 were China (21%), Haiti (12%), Colombia (11%), and Venezuela (5.2%).
• The number of persons naturalizing in the United States increased 16 percent from 604,280 in 2005 to 702,589 in 2006.
• In 2006, 37% of persons naturalized were born in Asia compared with 32% from North American countries and 15% from European countries

Local Trends:

Persons obtaining legal permanent residence in the metropolitan cities of Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma have increased each year since 2003. In 2005, the highest number of LPRs was granted at 18,941.

Source: US Dept of Homeland Security, Immigration

In terms of naturalization in the metropolitan areas of Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma, there was a major dip from over 11,000 in 2000 to just fewer than 7,000 in 2001. Since 2001, however, the number of immigrants becoming naturalized has steadily increased. The number of persons naturalized in 2005 almost equaled the 2000 numbers.

Source: US Dept of Homeland Security, Immigration

• Washington State has the 5th highest number of refugee arrivals in the United States with 2,458 in 2006, 2,841 in 2005 and 3,016 in 2004.^[3]
• Washington State also has the 5th highest number of asylum grantees in the United States with 269 in 2006, 211 in 2005, and 245 in 2004.
• A Washington, D.C.-based research organization, the Pew Hispanic Center, has estimated 200,000 to 250,000 Washington state residents are undocumented.^[4]

According to the 2000 King County census:^[5]

• There are more than 268,000 foreign-born people living in King County, of which 19.7% are from European countries, 51.4% from Asia, 5.3% from Africa, 21.9% from the Americas and 1.7% from Oceania.

Sources: Claritas 2006 Update (Census Tract Level), U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey

• There are almost 300,000 people who speak a primary language other than English.
• 3.9% of the population speaks English “not well” or “not at all.”
• 4.7% of the households are linguistically isolated
• Some of the more common languages in King County include Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Tagalog, Mon-Khmer and various African languages.

Source: 2000 King County Census

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