Study: Many illegal immigrants come here legally

Published May 31, 2006 4:00am ET



Though much of the focus of immigration reform is on border security, nearly half of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States entered the country legally, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report.

Up to 45 percent of illegal immigrants, or about 5.5 million, came to America on temporary visas and overstayed their time, according to the report.

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