Local Immigration Services Shops Report Fewer Clients

The number of immigrants coming to the United States has fallen.  Nowhere has this been more visible than with the net zero growth of Mexican immigrants that took place from 2005 to 2010. According to a report of the Pew Hispanic Center, a total of 1.4 million Mexicans migrated to the United States, while another 1.4 million returned to Mexico, during those five years.

The story appears to remain the same, with local immigration services reporting a sharp drop in clients during their 2011 fiscal year.

“We don’t have the traffic that we use to have,” said Francisco Urrea, president of I.C.S Group Services, which provides immigration services on Firestone Boulevard  in South Gate. I.C.S saw a 35 percent drop in immigration clientele last year. “Immigration has decreased immensely.” 

Urrea estimates that half of his immigration services clients come from Mexico, and cites the weak economy as an important reason for the net zero growth.

“Right now, it is very difficult to emigrate to the United States, and many of these obstacles are economic,” said Urrea, who added that undocumented immigrants were particularly vulnerable. “If the undocumented do not have jobs that can both sustain them and their families, they will return to Mexico.”

Tougher laws and an increase in deportations of undocumented immigrants, which made up the majority of Mexican immigrants, are also considered an important reason for the drop in immigration.

Bob López, owner of The López Group, a law firm with a location in South Gate, had fewer immigration clients this past year. He cited law enforcement crack downs and fear as another reason for the decrease.

“There have been a lot of deportations and raids,” said López, who had approximately 65 percent less clients on immigration in 2011, across all three of his locations in Southern California, when compared to 2010. “These have scared a lot of people.”

The legal ways that can allow undocumented immigrants to become citizens are also getting smaller. Companies are not sponsoring undocumented immigrants with work visas, said López.

“The only way that you can stay in this country is through marriage,” concluded López, adding that visa requests for foreign spouses by American citizens are still in demand. “That is the only business I have right now.”

Keep up with South Gate Patch Latino by subscribing to breaking news alerts, liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. Have an event or announcement you'd like to publicize? Submit them for free.