Existing data on illegal immigration in the U.S. is inadequate. The limited availability of macrodata on the size of the annual flows and of the accumulated stock of individuals as well as of microdata on their influence on selected labor markets has been used to forestall policy reform efforts. (Author/RDN)

Compares the 1980 census count of aliens with estimates of the legally resident alien population based on data collected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in January 1980. Provides estimates for each of the states for selected countries of birth and for age, sex, and period of entry categories. (RDN)

Uses 1980 Public Use Microfiles to delineate four Mexican-origin immigrant status groups--post-1975 Mexican-born noncitizens, pre-1975 Mexican-born noncitizens, self-reported naturalized citizens, and native-born Mexican Americans. Argues that the pattern of sociodemographic differences reveals that the first two categories contain a substantial…