How can people believe illegal workers help the economy?

Question

How can it possibly help our economy as a nation to have illegal workers here taking jobs from Americans? I have seen this topic several times today, and I had to read the moronic comments by some people that actually believe illegal workers are a good thing. These criminals (illegal immigrants) sneak across a national border, and then they get jobs from people/companies for less than the going rate. The criminals (illegal immigrants) have no taxes, social security, or medicare taxes with held from their checks (in many cases they are actually paid cash). The criminals have no seocial security numbers or tax payer ID numbers (TIN), so paying any form of tax beyond a sales tax is not going to happen. These criminals then are able to draw food stamps and other forms of welfare such as WIC, and they also get medicaid to pay for their families in many cases. The jobs they take used to be done by Americans, but Americans must be paid min. wage. These companies just want to cut overhead!

The whole arrangement is criminal in nature. It is not descrimination to enforce laws, or for Americans, REAL TAX PAYING AMERICANS, to want these criminals out of OUR country! They are taking MY money and YOUR money! They are theives plain and simple. We have huge shortfalls in our funding of programs in our country, and a war in Iraq thats expense is pushing us to the brink of being bankrupt. Where is it written that "We the people" have to take care of the world? We and those that came before us in this country made it the way it is. All-in-all it's not too bad. Better than the alternative. We do have the right to say "get out and stay out!" It's still majority rules here last time I checked. The way it should be. I personally am sick of taking BS from a minority... an ILLEGAL minority that shouldnt even be here to start with. They don't even have the right to protest here. You have to be an AMERICAN to do that. It's the AMERICAN Constitution and Bill of Rights. Not Mexican!

One person metioned that I stated these criminals have no social security numbers, yet receive welfare and medicaid. Well... they can not have a legal SSN, yet they somehow receive welfare and medicaid, and rental asst. from our tax money. I never claimed to know or understand how the criminals work. I just know it is a fact they they do somehow pull this crime off. You explain it to me then we will all know :) I'm a nurse... not an accountant or criminal investigator.

Oh and also... the money they spend to shop... that is the money the criminals managed to misdirect from some unemployed American. I am sure the American that has no job would have spent that money also; your argument has many flaws and you try to pick at the small details with arguments that do not stand up in reality. You remind me of a democrat LOL but seriously, YOU need to look into things better!

Last extra detail here... just a passing thought.If one American Citizen has to be without a job or suffer due to the illegal employment of an illegal alien, that is all the justification needed to change our minds. One American Citizen has more rights than every single illegal alien in this country. That American should not have to go back to school or change anything due to a policy that is illegal to begin with. No matter what anyone says about this issue, it does not change the fact IT IS ILLEGAL!!! And, the majority of the people in this country, as well as on this question page, seem to agree with me :) If everyone would start reporting suspected illegal workers and the companies they are employed by, maybe it will help and send a message to those in power to get off their @$$e$ and do something REAL about this issue. Like build a fence that can't be crossed and actually arm the patrols on the border. In the age of terrorism we live in it makes sense to do this anyway.

Dog Tricks: Not offended at all by your opinion; I'm frustrated with people in this country who have opinions that hurt other Americans, cost us money, and just in general are not in the best interest of the nation. I don't know everything, but I know having the illegals here hurts Americans and cost all of us money. I was in the USMC, wounded in Afghanastan 2002. I didn't see a single illegal alien there with me helping defend this country. If things get rough they will hop back across the border. We don't need them! They are a drain on a system that is already stretched to breaking.

Answer 1

Our elected officals and the media try to convince the public that the illegals are taking jobs that Americans do not want. Then they try to convince the public that the savings for the illegals low wages are passed on to the consumer. Neither one of these scenarios are true. The company is most cases is paying a lower wage and the company is keeping the profits.

In other cases such as the hotel housekeeping employees in Las Vegas, the employees are making an excellent wage and are union employees. Here is the catch. The union is satisfied because none of these people ever complain about the long abusive work schedule and manipulation of employees. The company is satisfied because they get twice the work out of an illegal then an American.

It is not that the American will not accept the job. It is that the American will not accept a work environment where labor laws are being broken.

Even in Washington State apple country the illegals on temporary work visas were being hauled in by a bus and dictating the price of the job. If one farm doesn't pay enough they move on to the next farmer who will. The businessman handling these temporary workers are pretty savvy and know how to make a buck. I wonder what the migrant worker recieved out of it.

Remember the meat packing plant in the East. Unemployed Americans were lined up for the jobs after the raid.

Answer 2

Anybody who says that illegals help our economy hasn't not felt the negative impact first hand (they are either 1) the illegal employer 2) the spouse or relative of an illegal or 3) someone who hasn't been affected by their stay. Illegals take jobs that our men could be doing (my husband works construction) and has reached his earning limit. He will never see a raise due to the fact that illegals will do the same job for less than half his pay. That doesn't always mean that you will get quality workers either. My husband and I bought a Richmond America Home for instance; it came with a two year warranty and this house has had so many problems. It's less than three years old and we've had to have the master bath re-done due to dry rot from a bad plumbing job. The list of problems goes on. We live in Arizona and I could surely say that at least half of the workers who constructed our house were illegal.

Answer 3

Do you know where the government gets money for things like state universities, hospitals, schools, prison facilities, etc? They get it from income tax. Illegal immigrants do not pay income tax. But the government spends billions of dollars each year on public schools for anchor babies, hospitals (mostly emergency rooms) and incarceration for illegal immigrants. This money comes out of the paycheck of the people who DO work and pay income tax. Illegals get this for free, and WE pay for it. Every time you watch the news and see things like Berkeley College students protesting over budget cuts, remember that their budget had to be cut so that the government could use that money to take care of illegals. Every time you read a news article about how public schools have to cancel extracurricular programs because they don't have funding, or how roads and bridges cannot be repaired because of lack of funding, just remember that that money is being used on illegal immigrants instead. Helping the economy? You really have no idea of how our economic system works.

Answer 4

You mention no Social Security cards in one breath and then say they receive Welfare,WIC and Medicaid in another.Those programs REQUIRE a Social Security card to be eligible.You also mention a TIN number.I think you mean an ITIN number which many do have by the way.

Of course companies want to cut overhead.That's the bottom line in business.I know how it works I'm 50% owner of a business.Family run and employed BTW.It's also a law if you pay by check to take ALL taxes out.No company can issue checks without doing that.
As far as helping the economy look at how much is paid into Social Security by these people who will never collect it.Also you can't tell me 13 million people don't shop for clothes or groceries.That keeps business's open so that helps the economy.You need to look into things a little better.

Edit: Hey I'm a nurse too!Awesome job isn't it?Anyway,to address your edits.Many people often confuse legal Hispanics getting welfare etc.with illegal.Seriously there is NO WAY possible for an illegal to scam this system.The SS numbers are checked for accuracy with Social Security.
Also you mention unemployment if this is such a problem why is unemployment down?Also new reports show most unemployment is due to out sourcing of certain sectors.Our manufacturing sector for one.

Lastly, I'm sorry if I offended you by offering my opinion but I didn't realize you only wanted answers that agreed with you.I thought you wanted to hear what other people had to say also.Again sorry.

Bless you for serving and sorry to hear you were hurt.2 of my sons have been to Iraq and Afghanistan.One is still in Iraq.I also understand your frustration regarding illegal immigration.I just have a compulsive need to set facts that I percieve as wrong straight.And I'm glad you took no offense.Thank you again for serving your country and us.

Answer 5

In my opinion i think its too late to try and keep illegals out. We have let them come and go freely for decades and now we are going to stop it? Illegals get more benefits than actual americans do, which is the biggest part of the problem. Why wouldnt you want to go to a country where you can get food, rent, schooling, and utilites paid for free? then work and get paid CASH with no taxes? It must be nice. I get a little more than half a paycheck due to taxes, medical, dental, social security, state and federal taxes. Once you subtract all that you get paid the same or sometimes worse than the illegals. They get paid around 10 bucks an hour here in CA....thats MORE than mininum wage. The situation is not fair and is only going to get worse.

Answer 6

If they believe that illegals are a help, they either don't want to look at the facts or they just haven't looked at the facts.

Anytime our taxes have to pay billions to support a group that doesn't add to the economy will be a negative thing.

Answer 7

My personal view is that I don't give a rat's a** if they help the economy. I want all illegals gone!

Answer 8

People believe it because it is true. Having millions of workers who will work for slave labor is a benefit to our economy. The fact is we have at least 10 million illegals working in our country and the economy is strong, and unemployment is low, around 4.5%. I am against illegal immigration, however, I do not ignore the facts which I have just explained.

Illegals do keep down wages in some industries, and a few hundred thousand Americans do lose jobs to illegals, but in the end they benefit the economy. Those who suffer from illegal immigration are the American taxpayers who have to pay higher taxes for the social programs that the illegals use.

Answer 9

They seem to think that since they provide cheap labor, they are helping. HOWEVER, this isn't true.

When you take into account the fact that they DON'T pay taxes and taxpayers shell out BILLIONS each year, the net cost for the illegals is at a huge deficit (AKA we get screwed!)

Answer 10

Wow...!!! you write far too much to make your point.....aint that special???

Perhaps because....they work harder and much cheaper???
Or....because they are more convenient to some hypocritical hirers??????
Or perhaps because, many, very many of them....are contributing to the american economy more than some lazy locals???? no medical cover, lower fees, no vacations nor fringe benefits.....always blackmailed with the INS presence.???
Pick your choice...the answer is there