Georgia Immigration Ratings

Hispanic Population

734,000

% of State Population

Undocumented Residents

475,000

View Ratings Information

Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians account for large and growing shares of the economy and population in the state of Georgia. Immigrants make up 9.1% of the state’s population and roughly one- third of immigrants in Georgia are naturalized U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. “New Americans”—immigrants and the children of immigrants—account for 3.7% of all registered voters in the state.

Latinos and Asians wield approximately $24 billion in consumer purchasing power. At last count, businesses owned by Latinos and Asians had sales and receipts of $12.2 billion and employed nearly 75,000 people.

U.S. Senatorial Voting Record:
Immigration Legislation Immigration Reform

Senator Chambliss (R)

Senator Isankson (R)

	HS News Grading
Votes	Chambliss	Isankson
Border Security- Vote to Deny funding to complete 700 miles of border fence.(S.Amdt 1399 to S.Amdt 1373 to HR 2892)	F	F
Deportation- Vote for Funding of Sanctuary Policies for Unauthorized Immigrants.(SAmdt.2630 to HR 2847)	F	F
Workforce- Vote to NOT mandate that all companies with federal contracts verify all employees through E-verify(S.Amdt 1371 to S.Amdt 1373 to HR 2892)	F	F
Workforce-Vote Not to extend E-Verify for six years (S.Amdt 604 to HR 1105)	F	F
Co-Sponsored DREAM ACT- Development Relief, and education for Alien Minors Act of 2009( S. 729)	F	F
Overall State Grade:	F

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy arm of the American Immigration Council. IPC's mission is to shape a rational conversation on immigration and immigrant integration. Through its research and analysis, IPC provides policymakers, the media, and the general public with accurate information about the role of immigrants and immigration policy on U.S. society. IPC reports and materials are widely disseminated and relied upon by press and policy makers. IPC staff regularly serves as experts to leaders on Capitol Hill, opinion-makers and the media. IPC, formed in 2003 is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor opposes any political party or candidate for office.

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State Facts

Immigrants and their children are growing shares of Georgia’s population and electorate.

The foreign-born share of Georgia’s population rose from 2.7% in 1990, to 7.1% in 2000, to 9.1% in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Georgia was home to 868,413 immigrants in 2007, which is more than the entire population of San Francisco, California.
32.6% of immigrants (or 283,201 people) in Georgia were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2007—meaning that they are eligible to vote.
3.7% (or 146,139) of all registered voters in Georgia were “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2006 Census Bureau data by Rob Paral & Associates.

More than 10% of Georgians are Latino or Asian.

The Latino share of Georgia’s population grew from 1.7% in 1990, to 5.3% in 2000, to 7.6% (or 725,401 people) in 2007. The Asian share of the population grew from 1.1% in 1990, to 2.1% in 2000, to 2.8% (or 267,253 people) in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Latinos comprised 3.1% (or 128,000) of Georgia voters in the 2008 elections, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add billions of dollars and tens-of-thousands of jobs to Georgia’s economy.

The 2008 purchasing power of Georgia’s Latinos totaled $15.1 billion—an increase of 1037% since 1990. Asian buying power totaled $8.9 billion—an increase of 698.8% since 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
Georgia’s 26,925 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $8.0 billion and employed 54,556 people in 2002, the last year for which data is available. The state’s 18,310 Latino- owned businesses had sales and receipts of $4.2 billion and employed 20,412 people in 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.

Immigrants are integral to Georgia’s economy as workers.

Immigrants comprised 11.9% of the state’s workforce in 2007 (or 572,366 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Unauthorized immigrants comprised 6.3% of the state’s workforce (or 325,000 workers) in 2008, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.

Unauthorized immigrants contribute to the state’s economy.

Undocumented immigrants in Georgia contributed between $215.6 million and $252.5 million in aggregated sales, income and property tax (using an income tax compliance rate of 50% and estimating the state’s undocumented population to be between 228,000 and 250,000), according to a 2006 study by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
The average undocumented family in Georgia contributed between $2,340 and $2,470 in state and local sales, income, and property tax, according to the same study. An undocumented family that does not pay income taxes would have a sales and property tax contribution of $1,800 to $1,860.

Naturalized Citizens Excel Educationally.

In Georgia, 39.0% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2007 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 24.6% of noncitizens. At the same time, only 15.3% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 38.2% of noncitizens.
The number of immigrants in Georgia with a college degree increased by 73.9% between 2000 and 2007, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.
29.9% of Georgia’s foreign-born population age 25 and older had a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2007, compared to 26.7% of native-born persons age 25 and older.
In Georgia, 72.1% of all children between the ages of 5 and 17 in families that spoke a language other than English at home also spoke English “very well” as of 2007.