Looking at Root Causes: Why do Immigrants Come to the U.S.?

There are 60 countries in today's world that are poorer than they were thirty years ago. A fifth of the world's population (1.2 billion people) lives on less than $1 per day and almost half the world's population, or 2.8 billion people, live on less than $2 a day. Every second, a child dies of malnutrition. Economic injustice still plagues most of the world, providing a strong impetus for immigration. Given this situation, any true solution to illegal immigration to the U.S. must take into account the root causes of the poverty from which many immigrants are trying to escape. This resource looks at these root causes, especially those which have been perpetuated by U.S. foreign policy which has not focused on the well-being of the poorest.