What do you think about legal immigration?

Question

Yesterday someone posted a question in which she described how legal immigration affected the United States. Her argument was that if immigration kept its current increase numbers, then by year 2030 the population would triple and that this would cause America to be a third world country. I have a problem with this, since I am a legal immigrant myself. What is your opinion?

Answer 1

I don't know who posted that question, but the premise is silly. From an economic standpoint, America gains from immigration (legal and illegal).

Those that legally enter America do so because we are a land of opportunity. They are able to apply their skills and talents to better themselves. In the meantime, they are part of the population that find better ways of doing things (technological advances). Technological advances increase everyones standard of living.

Those that come here illegally are hired by firms because of the cheapness of their labor. This lowers the costs of products that all Americans buy. If this wasn't true, then there wouldn't be an illegal immigration problem. The government would have taken care of it long ago. But, in the end, money talks so the political question on illegal immigration will not be decided in the near future. There is a lot of disagreement over this. Many people contend that illegal immigration overwhelms government programs costing the country more in services than their labor provides. For myself, I wonder how much the American consumer has saved through lower prices compared to what they pay in taxes so the government can pay for those services. Granted individual states may experience problems, but my bet is that for the nation as a whole, the American consumer is the beneficiary.

As an example, our population recently went over 300 million people; a 20 million increase from 5 years ago. This was attributed to immigration. Has our standard of living gone down? No, it has gone up. That's because these people are working. They increase our GDP. Even if they do not provide for increases in knowledge and technological breakthroughs (which everyone does through specialization), the proportional split on GDP is the same as if they did not immigrate.

My thoughts on illegal immigration are solely from an economic viewpoint. From a societal, security, etc. viewpoint, I think we must stop illegal immigration. I fully support legal immigration and believe it is a strength in America.

Sorry so long, but I can be a chatty bugger.

Answer 2

Immigration is at an all time high. Our environment is not capable of sustaining 800,000 people every year. When you add that many new people to our population and they multiply, even deducting the numbers of deaths, the population will be enormous. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what we will face by 2050 if we don't control immigration and reduce it immensely. It has nothing at all to do with who immigrants are or where they come from. It has to do with the NUMBERS coming into the USA anually.

You are already here. You are legal and can't be deported. We will still accept immigrants, just not 800,000 a year. We need to limit the new immigrants to 200,000 per year. When we had no limits on immigration our country was not as crowded as it is now. Immigration has went from 200,000 in 1965 to 800,000 today. THOSE have children and their children have children people don't die as fast as they multiply and immigrate here. 800,000 come here annually, 200,000 leave annually. ALL those people the ones already here and the new immigrants each year make up the population. They ALL multiply.

Answer 3

That argument above is fallacy logic??? America takes in one million legally a year for the last 30 years, and only 4% of the land is used in America. If we had as many people as the Chinese we still have 4 times more Arable Land as China. Mexican migration will decline by 2010, and by 2030 USA will have 400 million possibly. Immigration needs a overhaul completely . First, Guest Worker Program, with perfernce for Latin America, and Commonwealth British countries. Leads to no citizenship path, but is renewable for 3 years time frame.Allowed to be used for up to 12 years. Wanna go beyond 12 years, then can apply for permant visa based on age, work skill then. Age 18-40 visa rule, for guest worker visa. Second, Limit immigration for family ties to 120,000 a year. Can lead to Citizenship after . Three, Skilled work visa with no cap involved for people with Master Degree Higher in education. Forth, Business Investor visa, create 10 jobs in 2 years, and put $300,000 USD into the American ecomony. The American system now is curropted, and complex, and we take in anchor babies, and people that dont contribute much. Work visas should be given more liberally, and family based visas, green card systems be all elinimated.

Answer 4

To me, the question is the type and attitude of the immigrants. All four of my grandparents were immigrants. When they came to this country, like everyone of that generation, they went looking for jobs. They didn't ask for handouts or for the government to support them. They were grateful to be in a land that gave them freedom and opportunity. Many people, myself included, resent those who come here and don't want to work, don't want to contribute, only want to be supported, get free medical care, free education and complain. There are many countries in this world that Will not let people immigrate unless they get jobs and can support themselves. Look at Mexico, if you want to immigrate there or move there, the requirements are staggering. If the United States has an abundance of people who are takers and not givers, we will become a third world nation. The minority will not be able to support the masses. But, if our population triples with productive individuals, that will not happen.

Answer 5

legal immigration is controlled and done so that our constitution is upheld. If new immigrants follow the processes of citizenship than there is no reason why they cannot contribute to this country to continue the U.S. being the best country in the world to live in. I am a proponent of legal immigration and a strong opponent of illegal immigration. Good luck

Answer 6

Having legal immigrants can only make us stronger. People who really want to be Americans is very different from people coming to take what we have without giving back.

Answer 7

My whole family is legal immigrants...

I think from an economic point of view, yes the population is continuing to increase because of immigrants coming here.

I have heard how it is eventually going to decrease our standard of living here because there are soooo many people, particularly if they are uneducated (NOT SAYING IMMIGRANTS ARE UNEDUCATED).

But there's no way for us to revert to a third world country...they must not even have known what "third world" means...

Answer 8

I think immigration should be limited or at least spread out to all parts of the US. There are no people in the Dakotas and Montana but tremendous overpopulation in California and NYC.

Answer 9

Is natural.
Half of the people of my country are living legally in the USA.

Answer 10

My husband is a legal immigrant. I am a descendant of legal immigrants. If you ask me, if you are not a native Indian American then you are an immigrant. Where would we all be if everyone but native American Indians were to reclaim the country and kick us all out?