A group dedicated to saving the planet by cutting runaway population increases is raising a new and shocking issue in Washington’s bitter fight over immigration reform: Most of the nation’s population growth is from immigrants, and they are consuming resources dangerously fast.

According to Negative Population Growth Inc., 80 percent of the growth in U.S. population comes from immigration, legal, illegal and among American-born children of immigrants.

“With increased population, we see a direct increase in the problems our nation faces on a daily basis: pollution, over-consumption, traffic gridlock, crowded schools and hospitals, overburdened social services, unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, urban sprawl, over-development, threatened or extinct animal and plant species, and dwindling natural resources,” said said Tracy Canada, the group’s deputy director.

She added, “Immigrants to the U.S. are also found to greatly increase their consumption — and their resulting footprints — upon settling here, which furthers our nation’s environmental impact.”

The group just published a new report warning that continued population growth could top a worldwide 10 billion by 2100. The report, “Our Plundered Planet,” said the result will be less energy and other resources for humans.

Based in Alexandria, Va., NPG is also diving head-first into the immigration debate, warning that President Obama’s policies, which have led to the recent surge in unaccompanied illegal minors crossing in the U.S. from Latin America, will hurt the country.

NPG President Donald Mann said the group is planning a public campaign to warn of the dangers to letting immigration continue unchecked.

“Our nation is already vastly overpopulated,” said Mann. “The evidence is all around us: Millions are out of work, schools and hospitals are overcrowded, our natural resources are dwindling, pollution is increasing, and our infrastructure and social services are crumbling under the strain. Yet U.S. population is still growing by an average of over 6,600 people per day, and nearly 2.5 million people per year. We simply cannot afford to continue our growth. It is unsustainable, and irresponsible policies are the driving force behind it.”

In setting an agenda to fight for fewer immigrants earlier this month, Mann said in a statement, “With over 80 percent of U.S. population growth now due to immigration — legal, illegal and the American-born children of immigrants — we must act now. We must take action to slow, halt, and eventually reverse our population growth before it is too late. And curbing illegal entry across our southern border is essential to that process.”

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.