Does immigration help America?

Question

I'm divided on this issue. I have heard several sides to the story and hope that someone can provide me with a truthful honest answer.

Also what do you believe is the best solution to this issue?

Primarily this question is mostly about economic effects on America. At what point do we say no more legal immigrants? What kind of effects on the economy does illegal immigrant have?

There are some excellant answers out there and it's very hard to choose.

I'm gonna go ahead and let you guys choose the best answer.

Answer 1

I'm not a Native American, and technically, I'm in no way shape or form an immigrant of any kind...... and nobody can tell me any different. I looked up immigrant in the dictionary to be sure, and yep, not an immigrant.
100% American born and breed, and proud of it. Not an immigrant bone in my body.

If you want to play those types of "everyone except native Americans are immigrants" game, then technically native Americans are immigrants too... where does it end.

Answer 2

It was in the very late 1800s I think, and Wikipedia does a nice job on this subject. We began doing it because Europe was dumping very ill people on the United States. So were several other countries. The Statue of Liberty, by the way, was NOT there to encourage immigration, but to celebrated freedom and democracy and was done at a time when we were limiting immigration. Further.. the nature of this country was changing fast. Where it had been farmland for 80% of the people, that number was falling fast, and the people were moving toward cities, and industry. World War I made a big dent in the farmers of America and the depression coupled to the drought really nailed the Aggie hard. LOTS of people moved to the cities... there were not nearly enough jobs to go around, and crime developed very nicely in many of those cities. The protectionism came when places like Hell's Kitchen became an international disgrace and we clearly could not take every sick and/or unemployed person from the world. Good luck with the paper.

Answer 3

The argument that we are all illegal unless we are Native Americans is getting old. Before 1776 there were no immigration laws. Therefor, the term 'illegal immigrant" didn't apply.
I am all for legal immigration. However, illegal aliens are a drain to the US. They don't pay taxes. They receive welfare, but don't pay anything in. They take, take, take, but give nothing.
There is no job that an American won't do. The only thing is Americans expect a fair wage.
The illegals make millions of dollars here in the US, and it is sent back to their country. An American would keep the money here in America.
I think the best solution is deportation. We are a great country. This country was built by immigrants. Not illegal aliens.

Answer 4

All Americans, including so-called Native Americans (Indians), are descended from immigrants. 500 years ago or earlier there was little need to manage or control immigration, as there was plenty of room and societies were able to exist separately.

However we are now at a stage where immigration has to be managed in order to preserve some semblance of order in our nation.

You did not specify whether you meant illegal immigration or legal immigration, so I have thus far addressed all immigration.

Legal immigration has helped America by bringing productive people to our shores. To some extent that has been true of all immigration. Sadly, however, illegal immigration has also brought in criminals and unproductive people. It could even have been an avenue for terrorists to enter the U.S,

My doctor is an immigrant from Nigeria. He was a legal and welcome immigrant. I don't have a landscaper, but chances are if I had one he would be an illegal and reasonably welcome immigrant (I would likely prefer an American citizen or a legal immigrant if I had a choice, however.) The criminal who shot his common-law wife and daughter to death a few years ago was an illegal immigrant. He and his actions are unwelcome.

How do we determine which we are getting? There has to be control of some sort, and that pretty much precludes illegal immigration.

Answer 5

Legal immigrating is the best for any country. America herself accepts more than any other country in the world legally. 2 million legal immigrants annually.

Now when any country is economically sound and most every one of that countries citizens are working, making decent wages, able to pay for all their needs. And both the citizens and legal immigrants are paying into that country's system to keep the economic market stable is a good thing.

Now take millions upon millions of illegals who have flooded the country. Some not all pay into the countrys' system. Now
the economic balance of that country has an offset to the system. Because in combination with legal citizens and legal immigrants being laid off in order to make room for illegals or cheaper labor for other industries. Also creates the imbalance regarding the paying into the countrys' system. Because now the country has the illegals and cheap laborers that spend less in the country, and send more home to theirs. (I'm am referring to all the countries these people send money home to, and not singling out any one country) Then they get on social programs, state and federal programs, get their children into the "free" public schools for their education, use emergency rooms at hospitals as their primary care, and physicians, and so on. The imbalance becomes greater, as this all combined becomes a tax burden to the legal immigrants and legal citizens.

The reason is because the legal immigrants and the citizens have been the ones who picked up the tax tabs for those social programs, state and federal programs, funding the schools, and most of all will be the ones stuck paying for those illegals who use the emergency rooms at the hospitals and do not have the ability to pay the bill they have incurred. Those expenses get passed along to those who can pay, and to those who have insurance.

The best solution I can think of is get them (the illegals) off ALL of our state and federally funded programs. The social programs. Give legal immigrants and citizens the jobs first.

I heard that Felipe Calderon is making a trip up in February of 2008. He's very concerned about his illegal citizens here in the U.S. The solution to that is he take them all back with him with the conditions that he actually changes his countries corruption, and policies to care for his own people so that they don't have reason to illegally enter this country again. That would take care of the infux from his citizens who are here illegally.

Answer 6

No it's taking jobs away from real Americans born and raised here. I've seen so many families be on the the streets and hoping for a hand out that was born and raised here and the Mexicans laugh in their face and give them a dollar. You just look at the homeless they are Americans you will never see an immigrant homeless. Not in America. That isn't fair that the illegal immigrants have a home in America and the true Americans are throwed to the side like garbage.

Answer 7

Legal immigration helps America.

Illegal immigration hurts America. Illegals are hurting the economy. Most of the money they make they send to their own countries. Illegals don't pay taxes nor pay into Social Security. Health care industry is a nightmare because Americans have to pay for illegals medical costs. Schools, police departments, hospitals have to spend money to teach their employees Spanish because illegals refuse to learn Englsih (money that could be spent elsewhere!!). The list goes on and on and on.

Answer 8

You've got to divide it into legal and illegal.

Most legal immigrants are good for the economy.
They are well educated and come into the country with marketable skills and work legally in the country paying taxes.

Illegal immigrants though also are good for the economy---in the SHORT RUN. Providing cheaper labor for the job market but at a cost to the American worker. And to the government because of the decrease in tax revenue.

Think about this for a second.

They reduce the salaries that will be paid to Americans because American workers will have to work for less money to stay competitive with the labor force of illegals that continue to flood into the country.

let me put it this way.
If having low skilled and poorly educated people was good for a country---Mexico, Gautamalua and Honduras would all be filthy stinking rich. compared to America and Canada.

The answer is simple--fill the jobs first with Americans--and if a company needs to hire someone from outside the country make them pay for that person to come in legally at the going salary rate for that type of job.

Put in place a way to quickly establish the status of a worker.
by having instant checks on the socail security numbers used to gain employement.

Heavily fine companies that are caught using illegals.

Set up a hotline to report companies that are suspected of using illegals with a small portion of that fine used as a reward to the person that turns them in. Use the rest of the money from that fine to hirer more border control agents and Immigration officers.

Answer 9

well.......it brings people who have ideas,knowledge,so it helps expand us.also it brings laborers who we do need but not as much.it brings culture,class,art.diversity makes the US not boring.who really wants everyone the same?don't you like being able to go to the grocery store and buy stir-fry for one night then the next night have tacos?immigration enriches our lives by bringing diversity which helps us learn about our world around us.what is better?reading a book or asking your best friends parents about what it was like when they were growing up in their homeland?economically immigration also helps us.think of all the GREATS that immigrated here.arent you glad they were on our side?like Einstein,and many others.

if their govt. would clean up we wouldn't have half of the illegals as we do now.that is the only way to stop them as i see it.their country must stop causing them to flee.

*edit*
how can you tell if a immigrant is going to snap?you don't know.not all people who kill their spouse or child have a past criminal history.so how do we know when we give out a green card if later they will be a killer/rapist/etc?you just point out these cases as the are illegals and get the widest coverage especially now with all the immigration debate.

ok economic side.
well most legal immigrants tend to get on welfare,note that i did not say all.but yes they do pay taxes.they bring new services and goods with them.so that help boosts economy.
illegals tend to get caught and put in jail wich tax payers pay for.some use their citizen born children to get welfare.now some do pay taxes.but their children use our schools,get free lunch.most dont ever try to pay any hospital bills accrued by them but so dont some citizens.they cause accidents and since they cant get insurance they cause insurance rates to go up.thats just to name a few.

*note*
only skilled people can get a visa to came here.so the illegal laborers have no way of legally comeing.

Answer 10

Immigration is the main reason in which America is formed and makes it so great. The original Americans are the American-Indians so technically, if you're not an American-Indian, you're an immigrant.

Illegal immigration is what hurts America. This creates a lot of problems such as exploitation, loss of job for the legal immigrants, and others.

The best solution is a balance, promote immigration but legally. Legal immigration is always better than illegal immigration.