RIGHT SPEAK: U.S. Foreign-Born Population Nears High

The foreign-born population living in the USA has increased so rapidly that it could break a 125-year-old record within the next decade, according to a Pew Research Center report out Monday.

The percentage of people living in the USA who were born outside the country reached 13.7% in 2015 and is projected to hit a record 14.9% in 2025, the report said. The country's previous high of 14.8% was set in 1890, when waves of Irish, Italian, Polish and other immigrants were coming to the USA.

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The findings come at a critical time in the presidential campaign as candidates from both parties debate the proper role of immigration in the country. The foreign-born population represents a growing share of the electorate that Democrats and Republicans court because that voting bloc is big enough to tip presidential elections.

Leading Republicans, including front-runner Donald Trump, say legal and illegal immigration have gotten out of control. Trump and others say the country needs to limit legal immigration, and all the GOP candidates push for increased border security.

San Francisco’s Chinatown this summer. Bolstered by
Asian arrivals, the U.S. is on course to have no racial or
ethnic majority group by 2055. Photo: Noah Berger/AP

Democrats, led by Hillary Clinton, have adopted a more welcoming message, calling for protections for undocumented immigrants living in the country and an immigration system that helps some groups of immigrants enter the country.

The term "foreign-born" includes naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, visa holders and undocumented immigrants.

Read the rest of the story HERE and follow a link to a related story below:

Asians to Surpass Hispanics as Largest Foreign-Born Group in U.S. by 2055.