The United States and immigration

* Since January 2000, the U.S. has seen the highest level of immigration in its history--7.9 million new immigrants in five years.

* As of March 2005 there were 35.2 million immigrants living in the U.S., more than twice the number in the previous peak in 1910.

* Immigrants now account for 12.1 percent of the U.S. population (compared to 14.7 percent in 1910).

* One-third of all immigrants have no health insurance (two-and-a-half times the rate for the rest of the population).

* The poverty rate for immigrants and their children is 18.4 percent, compared to 11.7 percent for native-born Americans and their children.

Center for Immigration Studies using data from the U.S. Census Bureau

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