Is illegal immigration really a problem economically?

Question

Most developed countries, as well as the USA, have a real need of workers unskilled and otherwise to support the economy and perhaps more importantly to raise taxes and pay the pensions of the retiring populace.

We are not making enough children, and thus, we do actually need foreign workers. It doesn't take much out of the economy- after all, the foreign worker will probably spend the money he earns in the same country as he works, and thus contributes to general welfare of the economy.

This of course, results in more competition for jobs. Which is, of course, negative to those who "lose out". But, more people means more jobs, it is an overall positive thing, still.

If they are jobless, and have to resort to government aid, it should be taken into consideration that this aid is given in such a way to give incentive to become employed again.

It is for these reasons, even Bush was supporting a general amnesty- after all, the only issue is that they are technically breaking the law.

Illegal immigrants they might be, but they cannot avoid taxes. Which are as inevitable as Death and... well, taxes!

Perhaps the issue here is not about illegal immigration, but how it was handled by the US government?

Also, immigration while vital for developed countries, is dangerous and should be managed in such a way that the immigrants become as productive as the citizens of that particular country.

An illegal immigrant is perhaps costing you money, but being illegal, the immigrant has little or no chance in getting a job that would pay back for all he is receiving. Though, cannot the same be said of the legal poor?

I see ads daily on the internet wanting to give me a "greencard" to live in the USA, and I cannot understand why they aren't focusing on the people already there? I'd give my greencard to an illegal immigrant if I could.

Answer 1

The real problem economically is the criminal behavior of U.S. businesses that hire foreign nationals. U. S. business owners and investors who employee illegal foreign nationals should be arrested and prosecuted. And, their factories and farms and businesses should be shut down and seized. Who cares about the economy anyway? This issue isn't economic. It's racist.

Answer 2

Most illegals are paid cash by their employers so they will not be exposed so....NO TAXES ARE COLLECTED!
ALSO....
there is a great health cost..... think about this. We are now experiencing health problems we almost erradicated in our country. Small pox is coming back, Tuberculosis ETC. Most of this is because there are so many illegal aliens coming across the borders from a country that does not give a darn about their people and do not provide vaccinations as we do. Our children will be exposed in a way we never had to deal with. This alone causes healthcare costs to rise.
Also the many many illegals who drive without a liscense. There have been many motor vehicle accidents that occur and there is NO insurance to cover the damage. Our Insurance goes up once again.
This is not a heartlessness issue, it is a common sense issue. These are real issues. We have to obey the law, why shouldn't they? If you want to move to Mexico and become a citizen , you will never be allowed to vote, you will never be allowed to take advantage of any government support. You will never have the same rights as other mexicans ( research this...it is true). Yet they demand WE give them all our luxuries. As far as not "making enough children" Our schools are overpopulated (not by latinos) and they are having to build more. I have 4 myseld and I have 3 or 4 friends who have 4 or 5. I think we are making plenty of kids. Most families I know have a minimum of 2. we live in an upper middle class neighborhood and my son wants to be a farmer.I know several people who are constuction workers( I do not consider this "unskilled" - have YOU ever built a house?) So I don't buy into the lie that there are not enough people to provide "unskilled labor". I DO witness employers taking advantage of illegals by paying them less because they know they can get by with it and therefore creating a society of low acheivers.

Answer 3

I think the issue is terribly complicated and people take parts of the issue and go with that and don't want to look at other sides. It's so divisive. The economy-illegal immigrants usually or often pay taxes and pay into SS and Medicare-and don't get it back. Free money for the government. They work really cheap and big business loves that. So many Repubicans that say they want to stop illegal immigration really don't. The low wages do impact our own wages(businesses would have to pay more to hire us to do the work illegals do for peanuts). But we also have a need for immigrant labor, most notably in very short term seasonal farm workers-hoeing sugar beets, picking fruits and vegetables. Yes, some would do that but not nearly enough US citizens willing to lead a gypsy life, going from state to state.
And illegal immigration is certainly a misdemeanor but what about the employers? It seems if we charged them for hiring illegal workers-put a few managers in handcuffs, the problem would subside quite a bit. I saw someone who said employers pay cash-isn't that employer a criminal? Supply and demand-if there weren't employers to hire them, they'd go home. And the current US government doesn't want that. Another thing taht bothers me is that no real statistics are released because none are kept. We do see a lot of wild guesses on both sides. Here's a story where a tough new law was passed regarding public aid with virtually no affect.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_4513835

P.S Tom Tancredo is an interesting character but kinda nuts- On September 11, 2006, in Columbia, South Carolina, Tancredo spoke to a gathering of the "Americans Have Had Enough Coalition", which he had helped found. The League of the South invited its members to the event, describing Tancredo as their "guest". This neo-Confederate organization draws much criticism from all parts of the political spectrum, and has been described as a racist hate group. According to reports, the room in which Tancredo spoke had a prominent picture of Robert E. Lee and was draped with Confederate battle flags. At the closing of the event, men dressed in full Confederate military regalia present stood up and began to sing "Dixie," the unoffical anthem of the Confederate States of America. ([26])

Answer 4

Between the years 1925 and 1965, immigration to the United States was so low the number of immigrants in the United States actually decreased. Yet during that time we Americans built the richest country the world has ever seen.
We can be rich without an endless flood of mass immigration

It's too bad Alan Greenspan wasn't exposed for the old fraud he is while he was the Fed chairman. When he started mumbling on during some senate testimony about how the United States must open the gates to immigration so we can keep "our" economy growing, it would have been great had we a senator on the committee with the intelligence and character to nail him.
The size of the overall economy is an economic statistic with no value outside its usefulness to frauds like Lawrence Kudlow, Tamar Jacoby, and the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal as a means to hoodwink gullible and short-sighted Americans into acquiescing to the radical transformation of their country through mass immigration.

BILL THIS COUNTRY WAS NOT BUILT ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

I live and own a business in Arizona.I do not hire illegals.But most illegals here are paid in CASH so no taxes are taken out.They pay sales tax on things they buy but most here pay no tax's on their income.

Answer 5

You pose one question when you should pose two: Immigration is vital to the US, for diversity and unskilled labor, but illegal immigration is completely a separate issue. Illegals work jobs that other legal people could work and by vast majority send the money back out of the country. They rarely pay taxes while using the services that taxes provide for. The largest problem of all is the lack of assimilation into to the culture of the country. It tends to create a us versus them mentality instead of just us as a nation mentality. The culture becomes divided and the bottom is lowered for the lower classes. We can take cues of this from the circumstances in Europe, Muslim emigrants or not assimilating, but trying to gather large enough numbers just to simple take over. Our culture is threatened but the hate and anger this can breed. We need to find a way to legally incorporate as many people as possible, in order to broaden our social and corporate structures.

Answer 6

Illegal immigration does depress wages for lower skilled workers, but it also adds to economic growth. On the whole, it's probably a plus for the economy because it lowers business costs and allows them to grow, but it also displaces the least skilled Americans, widening the gap between rich and poor.

If there were less illegal immigration, employers would have to pay higher wages or find other ways to increase productivity.

Answer 7

The problem is that illegal immigrant’s labor does not cover their social costs. That is, the cost of educating their children and providing free health care costs more than their labor is worth. The other issue is that by working for low wages they keep employers from paying a fair wage to young Americans entering the job market. They put pressure on housing and make it more difficult for first time home purchasers to find affordable homes. Last, many do not pay taxes and use all of our services.

I have nothing against Hispanic people, but I believe that illegals are hurting our economy, especially here in California where they cost billions of dollars in free services. Cheaper strawberries and lettuce does not off set their actual costs.

Answer 8

I have found that the majority of people on this site are blinded by hate and propaganda when it comes to the topic of immigration. You will not get fair or unbiased answers. These folks demonstrate how much hate their is for Latin Americans and they support the mass amount of misinformation that continues to be propagated by the media about Mexican & other Latin Americans.
I say let them have thier hate. It is a choice. They could choose to seek out facts & truth - but they choose lies.

There are many solutions to the crisis of immigration that could come from this kind of forum but it is clogged by "Truthiness", anger & hate.
Ammnesty is the smartest and least costly proposal to the immigration problem. However, I dont think that ammenesty should apply to absoluently everyone.
I also think that we need to fine & sanction Mexico to clean up their buisness. Mexico is a disaster and we (the US) have been their solution for far too long! Unless we put pressure on them to make it different they have no motivation to do so.
I am for ammenesty but unless a childs parents have residencey or are citizens I do not think we should educate them for free, or allow them to get medicade.

To answer your question - it depends on who you ask. In my opinion the illegals give a great deal more than they get.

Answer 9

in addition to all said:
most of illegals don't spend dollars here, they send them back to homeland to support the rest of the family.
I donno how about where you from, but here in Ohio, they live in one-bedroom appt 15-20 of them and drive same beat-up van, this way they don't need to spend money.
Crime level is really high, and mostly between themselves, they bring there family differences with them over the border. But than police spending money to solve the rimes... i can go on and on.
Illegal immigration is a problem because it is illegal (and honestly, i don't mean just mexicans)... there is no control over this people, they weaken local economy, schools have to hire interpreters, same with hospitals. I'm a new american myself, we went through a lot of hardship when we came to America, but we knew that if we want to change our life for better we have to do that. Buy we waited 4 yeas for paperwork to be completed before we could come here LEGALLY!!!!

Answer 10

very bad for our economy. first of all...these jobs need to pay more and get legal! this is a poor excuse for companies to get below minimum wage help, or just plain take advantage of illegal immigrants....it makes for a very bad situation when the boss has something major to hold over the illegal employee's head. Also, the legal citizens pay taxes, i know a big bite of my paycheck goes to uncle sam every week. my feelings are if we quit making it so easy for illegals to come over here, and step up and make these jobs pay the legal wages, there are plenty of out of work Americans that need to jobs. if the employer has made conditions so impossible for American workers to WORK....then go ahead and move to Mexico....and pay taxes to them. make sure you learn their language!