County-Level Data on Undocumented Immigrants--updated

The Migration Policy Institute is holding a webinar on Thursday, 15 January 2015 at 11AM Eastern time. Although I regularly follow what's going on at MPI, it was a reporter who alerted me to this, because the embargoed data he had seen included considerable detail about the number of people in San Diego County who would likely qualify for the executive actions put into place by President Obama. I am guessing that the data are estimates derived from the public use microdata samples of the American Community Survey. Information about the webinar is here, and I will report back on substantive details (and methods) as soon as more information is posted.

UPDATE: Indeed, the data are from the Census:

The data tool is based on analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) by James Bachmeier of Temple University and Jennifer Van Hook of The Pennsylvania State University, Population Research Institute. 

The tool, with topline data and detailed profiles, can be accessed at: www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/unauthorized-immigrant-population.

Here's a sample of what you can find, from the San Diego Union-Tribune's look at San Diego County:

San Diego County ranks seventh in the nation among counties with the largest number of people eligible for the president’s deferred action programs. Los Angeles County has the highest with 466,000; followed by Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, with 172,000; and Orange County, 157,000. 

According to the Migration Policy Institute, 29,000 unauthorized immigrant children in San Diego County would qualify for the program, commonly known as DACA, and 62,000 parents would qualify for DAPA.

Of course, the House of Representatives has voted to withhold money from the Department of Homeland Security budget that might fund these programs, and the bill is currently ready to be considered by the Senate, with a threatened veto by President Obama if the bill passes the Senate and is sent to him.