You will be surprised to know that two thirds of immigrants are here lawfully-either as naturalized citizens or in some other lawful status. One third of all immigrants are undocumented, one third have some form of legal status and one third are naturalized citizens. This applies to immigrants from Latin America as well as others.

Almost half of all undocumented immigrants were inspected by immigration officers when they entered the United States on visas that allowed them to reside here temporarily-either as tourists, students, or temporary workers. They became undocumented only when their visas expired and they didn't leave the country.