He's 30, from Mexico and has a job: Meet N.J.'s most typical unauthorized immigrant

By Kelly Heyboer | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

New Jersey is a small state, far from the Mexican border. But, the state has long been a magnet for immigrants coming into the U.S. illegally.

By some estimates, there are nearly 500,000 unauthorized immigrants currently living in New Jersey. That is more than 5 percent of the population.

Only Nevada, Texas and California have a higher percentage of unauthorized immigrants in their total population.

But, how much do we know about the immigrants living in New Jersey illegally? The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C., has compiled Census data, population surveys and economic data to create a profile of the state' unauthorized immigrants.

NJ Advance Media used that profile and other available statistics to put together the traits and demographics on the average New Jerseyan living in the country illegally.

He may not exist in real life. But, if you look purely at the statistics, here’s what New Jersey’s most typical unauthorized immigrant would look like:

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He is a man around age 30.

Men slightly outnumber women among New Jersey’s population of unauthorized immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute’s data. About 54 percent of the state’s immigrants living in the country illegally are male.

People between the ages of 25 and 34 make up about a third of New Jersey’s unauthorized immigrants, according to the data. Immigrants between 35 and 44 make up the next largest group.

Though New Jersey is a top destination for unaccompanied minors caught crossing the U.S. border without their parents, children under age 16 make up the smallest segment of New Jersey's unauthorized immigrant population -- only about 6 percent.

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He's from Mexico.

New Jersey has one of the most diverse immigrant populations in the country. There are large populations of legal immigrants from India, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Mexico, Korea in New Jersey, according to the statistics.

But, the highest percentage of New Jersey’s unauthorized immigrants are from Mexico. They make up about 21 percent of the state’s immigrants living in the country illegally. Guatemala, Ecuador, India and the Dominican Republic make up the next largest groups of unauthorized immigrants.

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He's lived here for 10 to 14 years.

Immigrants who have lived in the country illegally between 10 and 14 years make up about 28 percent of the unauthorized immigrants living in New Jersey, according to the statistics. That is the largest group, followed closely by those who have lived here between five and nine years.

The numbers show it isn’t uncommon for unauthorized immigrants to live in New Jersey for decades. About 52,000 people – or 10 percent of the state’s unauthorized immigrants -- have been in the U.S. for 20 years or more.

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He's unmarried.

Among the New Jersey adults living in the country illegally, about 45 percent have never been married, according to the statistics.

Of those who are married, 21 percent are married to another unauthorized immigrant, 9 percent are married to a U.S. citizen and 6 percent are married to a legal permanent resident. The remaining 19 percent are divorced, separated or widowed.

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He doesn't live with any kids.

The vast majority of unauthorized immigrants in New Jersey – about 67 percent – either don’t have any children or do not live with their kids, according to the statistics.

About 26 percent of the state’s unauthorized immigrants live with one or more U.S.-born children. The remaining 6 percent have one or more children who are also living in the country illegally.

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He has either a high school diploma or a college education.

At least two thirds of New Jersey’s unauthorized immigrants have either graduated from high school or gone to college, according to the statistics. The other third never graduated from high school.

Under U.S. law, immigrants living in the country illegally must be given a publicly-funded K-12 education. In New Jersey, unauthorized immigrants can also enroll in the state's public colleges at in-state tuition rates.

Earlier this year, Gov. Murphy signed a new law that makes immigrants living in the country illegally eligible for taxpayer-funded college financial aid for the first time. That scholarship and grant money is expected to increase the number of unauthorized immigrants enrolled in New Jersey colleges.

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He speaks English.

More than half of the state’s immigrants who are living in the country illegally say they speak only English or they speak the language “well” or “very well,” according to the statistics.

The remaining 45 percent say they speak English “not well” or “not at all.”

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He speaks Spanish at home.

Though most of the state’s unauthorized immigrants say they can speak at least some English, not surprisingly the majority speak Spanish at home.

Spanish is spoken at home by 62 percent of the state’s immigrants living in the country illegally, according to the statistics. English (9 percent), Hindi and other Indian dialects, Korean and Portuguese are the other most popular languages spoken at home by unauthorized immigrants.

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He has a job.

Though they are living in the country illegally and without work permits, the majority of New Jersey's unauthorized immigrants are working.

About 67 percent of unauthorized immigrants over age 16 are employed, according to the statistics. That is about 314,000 people.

Another 7 percent are unemployed and looking for work. The remaining 25 percent are not in the labor force either because they are still in school or choosing not to work.

The most popular jobs in New Jersey for unauthorized immigrants is in “arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services” – a broad statistical category that includes everything from restaurant workers to hotel maids, according to the statistics.

The next biggest job areas for unauthorized immigrants are categories that include administrative work, construction, manufacturing and retail workers.

Immigrants and Customs Enforcement recently began stepping up enforcement of rules prohibiting businesses from hiring unauthorized immigrants. In July, 75 New Jersey businesses were targeted for audits of their hiring records, ICE officials said.

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He lives above the poverty line.

About 50 percent of New Jersey’s unauthorized immigrants make more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (currently about $24,280 for a household of one and $50,200 for a household of four) – and the other half makes less.

About 23 percent of the immigrants living illegally in the U.S. are considered below the poverty line, according to the statistics.

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He rents housing - and has no health insurance.

Only about 24 percent of New Jersey’s unauthorized immigrants say they are homeowners, according to the statistics. The majority of the rest are presumably renting or living with friends or family.

Though the majority have a job, about 62 percent of New Jerseyans living in the country illegally say they do not have health insurance.

Unauthorized immigrants are not eligible for health insurance under Medicaid or the federal Affordable Care Act enacted under the Obama administration. However, some immigrants living in the country illegally are able to get health insurance through student plans, employer-funded plans and individually-purchased plans.

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Where does this data come from?

Because most immigrants living in the country illegally do not publicly reveal their immigration status, it is impossible to get exact data on their demographics in New Jersey.

The Migration Policy Institute compiled statistics about New Jersey's unauthorized immigrant population by analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation. The research methodology was developed by researchers at Penn State and Temple University.

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Why don't we know more about N.J.'s unauthorized immigrants?

There is controversial proposal to put a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census, which could help provide more demographic information about immigrants living in the country illegally.

Between 1820 and 1950, the census included questions about whether U.S. residents were citizens. But the question was dropped.

The Trump administration wants to reinstate the question in 2020 in order to get citizenship data on the block level. However, immigrant advocates and some lawmakers are opposed to the question because they say it will discourage unauthorized immigrants and their families from participating in the census.

Less people participating in the census could result in a lower population count for New Jersey. That might reduce federal funding for schools, roads and federal programs that are awarded based on population. It could also affect the number of seats New Jersey has in Congress.

"That lack of participation will inevitably have far-reaching, negative effects --- particularly in New Jersey, where we have the third largest percentage of immigrants in the country," state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in March after New Jersey joined a federal lawsuit opposing the citizenship question.

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Read more about immigrants in New Jersey:

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.

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