Did you know that around 62 percent of all illegal immigrants are working and getting paid under the table? That means that these immigrants will never pay taxes on the money they earn or have the motivation to get a legal green card and be allowed to be in a certain country. To give a big picture idea here, the United States has a large population of illegal immigrants, mostly in California and Texas. Illegal immigration is always a heated debate since everyone has their own opinions. Listing out some of the pro and cons of illegal immigration and explore some basic statistics is the best way to form your own ideas of this interesting problem.
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Illegal Immigration – Sneaking into the US on the Decline
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According to the U.S. Census, the government estimates we now have eleven million illegal aliens in the United States. Of these, 6,640,000 are from Mexico alone. The true number may be much higher because many did not report in the census. The average amount each state spends to provide welfare, medical, food stamps and education alone is between eleven to twenty two billion dollars a year. This does not include the amount paid from the Social Security and Medicare fund to immigrants who have never worked a day in the U.S.!
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The Urban Institute estimates that 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year. In most respects, these young people are already important members of our society. After completing an education in our primary schools, they envision their futures here and internalize American values. They also represent a considerable number of our population.
Rather than valuing them as important societal resources, current policies restrict their options and curb their potential. Without full legal rights, these graduates are barred from the very means that have ensured high levels of economic and social mobility to other immigrants throughout U.S. history. The undocumented students’ efforts to adapt and contribute economically are met with legal obstacles. Their situation is made even more difficult by confusing and conflicting laws that allow them to legally attend U.S. schools, but deny them opportunities to work, vote, receive financial aid, and drive in most states. This denial is enough to set them on a path of poverty and frustration.
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The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that as of March 2010, 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants live in the U.S., and about 7 million of them migrated from Mexico. Why do so many Mexicans choose to illegally immigrate to the U.S where they are often treated with contempt and disrespect? And, if they really want to come to the U.S., why don’t they play by the rules and enter legally? Why do so many choose to make the grueling 4-day journey though the Arizona desert that involves very real risks of dehydration in 115-degree heat and rape at the hands of human smugglers? Read the rest of this entry
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a conservative advocacy group that favors tighter immigration laws, reported that illegal aliens cost U.S. taxpayers more than $100 billion each year. Policy makers and experts stress these are only rough estimates since it’s nearly impossible to gather accurate data about illegal residents, but they see these costs continuing to climb and want tougher policies against illegal immigrants.
Those on the other side of the debate counter that illegal immigrants create demand and jobs that promote economic growth. They disagree with the purely fiscal approach and argue that simply weighing tax receipts against public spending doesn’t show the whole picture.
So after weighing the financial pros against the cons, which is it? Perhaps we need another perspective. What if we could legalize all immigration in the U.S. and still reduce the burden on taxpayers? I believe that we need to reform the U.S. immigration system to accomplish three broad goals:
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