Does undocumented immigration benefit the U.S?

Question

I hear people complain about undocumented citizens all the time. But it's funny how they never complain about the cheap prices of the products migrant workers help produce.

Answer 1

True. All those undocumented workers who are having Social Security deducted from their pay will never be able to collect it, so that's pure profit for the system, too.

Much of the work the undocumented aliens do is the kind of miserable, back-breaking work that Americans aren't going to do for minimum wage-- harvesting crops, for instance. If they didn't do it, the only way farmers could replace them would be by paying the American workers three or four times the minimum wage. They would then have to charge three or four times as much for the fruits and vegetables, just to break even. I don't know about y'all, but I don't want to have to pay $10-20 a pound for my potatoes or strawberries. [The same holds true for chicken and meat packing companies-- it's not just fruits and vegetables. And construction-- want to see the price of housing skyrocket?]

On the other hand, there are legitimate security risks... not so much from th4e Latinos coming here to work, but from others who might try to come in using the same routes. The way around that is to allow the migrant workers in, complete with a means by which, if they wish, they could eventually earn US citizenship, while controlling the means of access. If the illegals had a 'legal' route, the coyotes who make their living smuggling people across the border would be out of business... and it would be much harder for a terrorist to enter our country without the current illegal migration routes.

In any case, terrorists aren't sneaking across the Rio Grande-- they don't have to. They have the money and organizational backing to fly in, or drive in across the Canadian border, showing their passport (complete with a tourist or student visa granted by our government) to the border agent. That's how the 9/11 terrorists came in.

In any case, our biggest risk now isn't individuals sneaking across the border from Mexico. Far more worrisome is what could be smuggled in through one of our seaports, where the vast majority of containers are never opened by inspectors.

But... a lot of Americans are made uncomfortable by all the Latin Americans coming into their communities: people who look different, who speak a foreign language, and who may, by their very presence, change what "America" looks like. The same complaints were made a few generations ago about the Italians, and before that the Irish, and the Chinese, and... The question is, will our xenophobia (fear of foreigners/outsiders) be greater than our fear of high prices?

Probably not. Our entire economy would go under.

Besides, it's too late-- the pattern is set. Maybe if the Wampanoag Indian tribe, looking out at the Mayflower there in the harbor, had banned those new English immigrants...

Answer 2

No, illegal immigrants do NOT benefit the U.S. There is a LEGAL way of immigrating to the U.S., so why should we support the people who have not gone through that process to come here? And cheap prices might be nice, but not when illegal immigrants cost us more in other ways - I'm not going to sit here and argue the point, but the above 360 blog does a pretty decent job of it. And frankly they have NO right to be called 'citizens' - per Wiktionary: "A [citizen is a] person that is a legally recognized resident of a city, state or a country. Illegal immigrants are, by definition, IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. They are draining our resources, taking jobs that we WOULD do ourselves if we could(look at the unemployment rates in this country), taking up space in hospitals, and even affecting education in many schools across the country who are forced to slow their pace for the students that don't speak English. Reduced quality of life for the lower classes of America - not what I would call beneficial. So there you have it.

* On a side note, there ARE good people that work hard and contribute to society that are also illegal immigrants - that's what makes the issue so damn painful. We need to come up with a solution that works, which so far is not something that I've heard anybody REALLY talk about. But that's a different question that will be asked a different day.

Answer 3

Obeying the law, and following the law, is the hall mark of a successful country. And while there are dozens of web site put up by illegal aliens who tell us they contribute to the success of the country, the reports on the matter tell us the illegals have been a terrible drain, and will continue being a terrible drain all the way out beyond 2031. I want the law enforced. I want immigrants that obey our laws, and while not necessarily 'loving' the country, caring for the country. Illegal aliens started off in the ugly mode, and it has gotten significantly worse as we find the illegal aliens threatening us with the Mexican Army, and tell us we don't do jobs in this country. But most of all, the incessant lying of the illegal aliens simply provokes disdain. Obey the law, by the way, doesn't have anything at all to do with illegal aliens, although it is exactly what the illegal aliens have NOT done. Obey the law is the way of life in the United States, and yes, that is by far for the best. We do NOT choose laws to break as a matter of culture expression, and neither will the illegal aliens much longer. By the way... the United States is the most diversified country in the world, and we obey the law. ======================================..... I wonder if the Indians asked that when illegals washed up on Plymouth rock, then the illegals killed them and took their land. ---------------------------------- Let me point something out here. Before there was law in this land, anyone could come, and anyone did come. Some of them were those pilgrims that washed up on Plymouth Rock, and unless you are a racist, they could come as well as anyone. But by the double standards some would apply, the first Native Americans that set foot on this land owned the whole shebang. The SECOND Native American that set foot on this land was an..... illegal alien. Only the first one was legal by the contortions of La Raza.

Answer 4

No it does not benefit the US in any way, as for those who say that undocumented workers who are having Social Security deducted from their pay will never be able to collect it, so that's pure profit for the system, too... that is not true, I personally worked in a company with many illegals and they claim as many as 6 dependents on their W4's when filing for work, do you realize how little is taken out of their check, oh but the person who is the REAL owner of the social security number is penalized for NOT reporting the wages. I have seen this happen as well. They buy cars, houses, and get bank loans with other peoples identities.. tell me how THAT is legal??? If they don't pay, the negative mark goes on someone else's credit NOT theirs, they just go out and pay $200 USD (yes that's what it costs to buy someone else's identity) and change their name. There is so much on illegal immigration that is NEVER mentioned, and there is not enough space to write it here either. I am sure Mexico or any other country that has millions of illegals crossing our borders daily would not appreciate the influx of Americans illegally in their country either. Imagine that, Mexicans having to learn ENGLISH in their OWN country because of all the ILLEGAL Americans....now THAT would be funny.

Answer 5

Illegal aliens do not benefit the USA because they do not, for the most part, pay income taxes. Furthermore, those immigrants, legal or illegal, who send most of their wages to their home country are damaging the American economy. this will catch up with us eventually.

We need to develop a coherent policy which will:
1. stem the flow of illegal immigrants without damaging the flow of legal immigrants who choose to put roots down here and spend their money here.
2. Punish the senior executives of companies who outsource work to other countries whilst retaining the enormous benefits of being able to live in America.
3. Develop wage restraint for all. One cannot argue that senior executives must be paid millions to keep the best in their jobs and treat shop floor workers as merely another cost of production.

Putting the above into practice will obviate the need for illegal aliens. There is enough unemployment in this country to cover the jobs that illegals leave behind.

Answer 6

Undocumented workers contributed $13 billion to the US social security system just last year. Over $100 billion in the last 10 years.

Answer 7

Benefit actually employers want cheaper labor to take on union construction racket. Houses are cheaper because of migrants. More variety of food to eat because of migrants. The undocumented left billions in social security that we never had to pay out, and provided cheaper prices for lettuce, tomatoes, tacos. Another fact in 1996 undocmented only get medical care, and education in America.

Answer 8

Undocumented immigration? You mean ILLEGAL immigration? Show some respect for the law for a change

Answer 9

*Sniff*In the face of such crippling shame as only the P.C. left can produce,I hearby acknowledge and give thanks to all migrant worker/illegals for all of the good things you do for us lazy white devils.*Sniff*

Now please go get your respective green cards and learn to speak english.:)

Btw, those of you who think that supporting illegal immigration does these people any favors should consider what life is like AS a migrant worker.I live in the worse border state and I can tell you that endorsing what damn near amounts to slavery is not tolerance or compassion by any stretch of the imagination.

Answer 10

It's at the very least a huge economic drain on as they send US dollars to their families in Mexico etc. We need money coming in, not going out to maintain a stable economy.

Forget the economy, what about the Nuestra Familia, the Nortenos, the Surenos and their negative cancerous effects on our society.