# Has the recently diminished moral status of the US reduced immigration applications? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000 "2008-07-02T03:13:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/1 "2008-07-02T03:13:58Z")
Just curious. We’ve been taking a not entirely undeserved PR beating for several years now over our actions and behavior in the ongoing Iraq debacle. Has this in any way affected people’s desire to immigrate to the US? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/2 "2008-07-02T03:25:29Z")
I’m not sure this is a GQ answer… Around here, things are getting **really bad** in the border towns. As a result, there have been a few more folks coming over here in hopes that they won’t get, ya know, shot in the face or something. Priorities. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/3 "2008-07-02T04:58:21Z")
It’s still better here. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/4 "2008-07-02T08:42:25Z")
Historically, and still today, I think most immigrations have been for economic reasons – people think they can achieve a better livelihood here. And despite the diminished moral status of the USA, for most immigrants (legal or illegal), the economic incentives here are still seen as better than in their home country. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/5 "2008-07-03T00:42:02Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Just curious. We’ve been taking a not entirely undeserved PR beating for several years now over our actions and behavior in the ongoing Iraq debacle. Has this in any way affected people’s desire to immigrate to the US? [/QUOTE] Not at all. The number of immigrants who become legal permanant residents keeps rising: 850k in 2000, 1122k in 2005, 1266k in 2006. You can get a different answer if you phrase your question differently. “Has the number of people becoming new US citizens been affected since 9/11?” Then the answer is yes. 888k in 2000, 573k in 2003, 604k in 2005. In fairness, I don’t think you can use either question to draw a cause and effect between post 9-11 politics and immigration patterns. Raw immigration numbers rise pretty consistently over time, and the acquisition of citizenship fluctuates dramatically. For example, the number jumped from 240k in 1992 to 1045k in 1996 and fell back to 888k in 2000. Raw data comes from [the Migration Policy Institute](http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/countrydata/country.cfm), for those who want to do their own analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/6 "2008-07-03T02:48:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Historically, and still today, I think most immigrations have been for economic reasons – people think they can achieve a better livelihood here. And despite the diminished moral status of the USA, for most immigrants (legal or illegal), the economic incentives here are still seen as better than in their home country. True. But apparently there has started to be a noticable shift in economic migration. The number of Central Americans immigrating to Brazil or the EU to look for work is increasing while the American rate is relatively declining. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-recently-diminished-moral-status-of-the-us-reduced-immigration-applications/455000/7 "2008-07-03T02:57:47Z")
Would changes be more quickly reflected in visa apllications for education? Tourism statisitics?