Immigrants cost Americans low-skilled jobs: study
Houston: A new study by the by the Centre for Immigration Studies, says that the number of illegal immigrants working in the US is rising while more American-born people are facing unemployment. The centre favours tighter restrictions on immigration.

Based on the data from the US Census, the report by the Washington-based group found that the number of workers born in America who have a high school diploma or less declined from 45.6 million in March 2000 to 42.4 million in March 2005.

In contrast, the number of working immigrants with the same education level increased from 9.4 million to 10.9 million during the same period. At least half the job growth was fuelled by illegal immigrants.

The study comes amidst the US President, George W Bush's call for civility over immigration debate beginning from next week in Congress.

Thousands of people demonstrated in America during the weekend against plans for a crackdown on immigrant workers, setting the stage for a showdown between President George W Bush and members of his own party.

Leading Republicans in the Senate will promote a law that calls for strict new controls on the border with Mexico. The Republican Party is split between the business lobby, which backs Bush's call to let millions of illegal immigrants stay and work in America for up to six years, and the law-and-order lobby, which is pushing for tough action.

A crowd estimated at nearly half a million marched through Los Angeles on Saturday demanding that the Republican-controlled Congress abandon its more draconian proposals.

On the other side of the debate, there are growing signs of a popular upheaval, with calls for action over the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

The House of Representatives has already passed legislation that would make illegal immigration a crime and would lead to the building of a fence along 700 miles of the border with Mexico.
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