Michigan Immigration Ratings

Hispanic Population

395,000

% of State Population

Undocumented Residents

110,000

View Ratings Information

Immigrants, Latinos, Asians and Arab Americans account for large and growing shares of the economy and the electorate in Michigan. Immigrants make up more than 6% of the state’s population, and roughly 47% of them are naturalized U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote.

“New Americans”—immigrants and the children of immigrants—account for 5.2% of all registered voters in the state. Latinos and Asians account for 6.4% of Michiganians and wield $18 billion in consumer purchasing power. At last count, the sales and receipts of businesses owned by Latinos and Asians totaled more than $8 billion and employed more than 60,000 people. Michigan is also home to the largest proportion of Arab Americans in the country, who generate an estimated $544 million in state tax revenue each year.

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

Senator Levin (D)

Senator Stabenow (D)

	HS News Grading
Votes	Levin	Stabenow
Border Security- Vote to Deny funding to complete 700 miles of border fence.(S.Amdt 1399 to S.Amdt 1373 to HR 2892)	A	F
Deportation- Vote for Funding of Sanctuary Policies for Unauthorized Immigrants.(SAmdt.2630 to HR 2847)	A	A
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)	A	A
Workforce-Vote Not to extend E-Verify for six years (S.Amdt 604 to HR 1105)	A	A
Co-Sponsored DREAM ACT- Development Relief, and education for Alien Minors Act of 2009.( S. 729)	A	F
Overall State Grade:	B

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.

← Previous State Back to State Ratings Next State →

View State Immigration Ratings

State Facts

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

The foreign-born share of Michigan’s population rose from 3.8% in 1990, to 5.3% in 2000, to 6.1% in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Michigan was home to 609,457 immigrants in 2007, which is roughly equal to the total population of Boston.
46.9% of immigrants (or 285,770 people) in Michigan were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2007—meaning that they are eligible to vote.
5.2% (or 273,323) of all registered voters in Michigan are “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.

6.4% of Michiganians are Latino or Asian.

The Latino share of Michigan’s population grew from 2.2% in 1990, to 3.3% in 2000, to 4.0% (or 402,873 people) in 2007. The Asian share of the population grew from 1.1% in 1990, to 1.8% in 2000, to 2.4% (or 241,724 people) in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Latinos comprised 1.4% (or 70,000) of Michigan voters in the 2008 elections, and Asians 1.1% (or 53,000), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The numbers of Latino and Asian voters were equivalent to roughly one-sixth of the margin of victory (823,940 votes) by which Barack Obama defeated John McCain.

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

The 2008 purchasing power of Michigan’s Latinos totaled $8.8 billion—an increase of 303.7% since 1990. Asian buying power totaled $9.2 billion—an increase of 393.0% since 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
Michigan’s 15,337 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $5.1 billion and employed 44,587 people in 2002, the last year for which data is available. The state’s 9,841 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $3.2 billion and employed 15,930 people in 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.

Immigrants are essential to Michigan’s economy as workers.

Immigrants comprised 6.9% of the state’s workforce in 2007 (or 348,016 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Unauthorized immigrants comprised 1.3% of the state’s workforce in 2008 (or 65,000 workers), according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Michigan in 2008, the state would lose $3.8 billion in expenditures, $1.7 billion in economic output, and approximately 20,339 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group.

Naturalized Citizens Excel Educationally.

In Michigan, 36.3% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2007 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 37.7% of noncitizens. At the same time, only 21.3% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 27.3% of noncitizens.
The number of immigrants in Michigan with a college degree increased by 34.5% between 2000 and 2007, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.
37.0% of Michigan’s foreign-born population age 25 and older had a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2007, compared to 23.7% of native-born persons age 25 and older.
In Michigan, 74.8% 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.