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The American Dream

Eleven million undocumented people, 20,000 border guards; conflicting versions of the American dream?

Number Of Illegals Caught Entering The US Drops - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
As of January 2010, there were believed to be about 10.8 million undocumented people living in the US - down from about 11.8 million in 2007 [GALLO/GETTY]
Published On 18 Sep 2011
Immigrant Rights Activists Hold Major March On International Workers Day - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
But some experts suggest the number could, in fact, be as high as 20 million people [GALLO/GETTY]
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Children Of Undocumented Immigrants Rally In Washington To End Deportations - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
There are an estimated 2.1 million undocumented children and young people in the US - many of these are unaware of their (***)illegal(***) status until they attempt to apply for college admission or for a driver(***)s license [GALLO/GETTY]
US Border Patrol Monitors Vast Border With Mexico - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
The majority of the undocumented residents of the US - approximately 62% - are from Mexico [GALLO/GETTY]
Thousands Become Citizens At Naturalization Ceremony - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
Economic opportunities remain the number one reason for immigration to the US [GALLO/GETTY]
Immigrants Hold Marches Across US On May Day - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
In 2010, there were an estimated 8 million unauthorised immigrants in the US workforce [GALLO/GETTY]
Construction Of Fence Along Mexican Border Picks Up Speed - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
Many immigrants living and working in the US send much of their earnings home to help support their families [GALLO/GETTY]
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Arizona National Guard Assist US Border Patrol To Monitor Vast Border With Mexico - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
In recent years there has been a national backlash against illegal immigration, perhaps most noticeably reflected in the debate surrounding the Arizona SB 1070 Act [GALLO/GETTY]
Border Patrol Mourns Slain Agent At Memorial Service - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
The US border patrol currently employs more than 20,000 agents who patrol about 13,000km of land and coastal borders [GALLO/GETTY]
Construction Of Fence Along Mexican Border Picks Up Speed - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
From October 2004 until September 2005, 460 migrants died crossing the US-Mexico border [GALLO/GETTY]
US Conducts Aerial Patrols Of US-Mexico Border - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
Arizona is considered the most treacherous place to cross, but it is often favoured because it is remote and difficult to patrol [GALLO/GETTY]
Native American "Shadow Wolves" Track Smugglers and Immigrants Through Desert - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
But, according to the US Government Accountability Office, Mexico(***)s border with Texas is the most vulnerable [GALLO/GETTY]
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According to a report by the US Government Accountability Office, the US border control caught 445,000 illegal entries in 2010 [GALLO/GETTY]
Border Patrol Agents Monitor US-Mexico Border - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
According to a Pew report, roughly 300,000 illegal immigrants crossed the border annually between 2007 and 2009 [GALLO/GETTY]
Arizona National Guard Assist U.S. Border Patrol To Monitor Vast Border With Mexico - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
But that was down from about 850,000 annually from 2000 to 2005 [GALLO/GETTY]
Children Of Undocumented Immigrants Rally In Washington To End Deportations - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
More than one million people have been deported since President Obama took office [GALLO/GETTY]
US Immigration And Customs Officials Deport Undocumented El Salvadorians - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
In 2009 and 2010, the Obama administration stepped up its campaign of deportation by removing nearly 400,000 immigrants a year [GALLO/GETTY]
Undocumented Immigrants Await Deportation At Arizona Detention Centers - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
About 400,000 immigration detainees are kept in a patchwork of jail and prison cells over the course of a year [GALLO/GETTY]
Immigrant Rights Activists Hold Major March On International Workers Day - the dream activate programme - photo gallery 1000x669
If passed, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would allow qualifying undocumented youth a six-year-long conditional path to citizenship [GALLO/GETTY]