The effect of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy - Term Paper Example

Illegal Immigration Illegal Immigration is a social, economic and security problem for the U.S. numerous polls indicate that a majority of Americans, including Mexican-Americans, want the government to prevent the tidal wave of illegal aliens cascading over the border. A nation without borders is not a nation and this country has been losing control of the borders for many decades, losing prosperity, security and autonomy along with them. One of the most important issues of the White House and Congress should be securing the borders, but homeland security is all but non-existent. This is a complex problem that is not being solved by the congressmen, who continuously fail to act in the country’s best interests. The massive numbers of illegal aliens pouring across mainly the southern border has and continues to cause substantial economic, social and physical harms to legal citizens. These harms occur predominantly to those who are among the most vulnerable segments of the population: minorities, children and the poor. The fundamental reason for the flood of immigration from Latin America, specifically Mexico, is the disintegration of the Mexican economy predominantly resulting from free-trade strategies employed by the North American Free Trade Agreement and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The rampant corruption within the Mexican government has also contributed significantly to the collapse of the Mexican economy. “Due to IMF policies regarding Mexico, its economic output dropped 33 percent in the past two decades” (Small, 2005). During this period, its foreign debt rose 359 percent because of widespread looting of the national coffers. These factors caused the “collapse of all areas of productive economic activity and employment, is the primary driver of the flood of emigrants desperate to leave Mexico, to find some livelihood for themselves and their families in the United States” (Small, 2005). It has been estimated that the added cost to the federal government will be more than $15 billion per year when the present illegal aliens become citizens and begin collecting welfare benefits. The proposed bill will add greatly to this number because it will encourage a new surge of low skilled workers through its guest worker program. Traditionally, immigrants to the U.S. were less likely than those born in America to collect welfare. This historic arrangement has radically changed over the past three decades. Today, immigrant families are at least 50 percent more likely to receive federal benefits than those born in this country. Additionally, immigrants are more likely to adapt their lives to rely on the welfare system and studies have shown the longer immi­grants stay in the U.S., the more likely they are to be on welfare. To further aggravate the situation, when an illegal immigrant becomes a citizen, he can legally bring his parents who also have the right to become citi­zens. The estimated long-term cost of overall federal benefits could exceed $50 billion per year for the parents of the 10 million beneficiaries of amnesty. Approximately half of current illegal immigrants do not possess a high-school level education. Welfare use among this group and for low-skill immigrants granted amnesty is three times the rate for the U.S. born citizens. Over the past two decades, about 10 million people who do not possess a high-school diploma have entered the country and predictably end up on welfare. (Rector, 2006). Illegal immigrants receive more from public monies than they contribute which lowers the standard of living for legal citizens. Illegal immigrants contribute greatly to the overall population growth and health care, education and employment are the most impacted. Salaries are driven down by illegal immigrants willing to work for much less while their children, illegal and legal, overcrowd the schools. It’s the U.S. taxpayer who is sent the bill for their health care services as well. In addition, the large influx of illegal aliens burdens the already inadequate number of units classified as affordable housing and other welfare resources such as energy, water and land usage (“Illegal Immigration”, 2003). Illegal immigrants have already broken the law upon arrival into the country and a considerable number break more including selling drugs, theft, murder, rape, etc. while in the country. The cost to the federal court and prison system alone in 2002 attributed to illegal aliens was $1.6 billion. This does not include the costs to state judicial and penal institutions. It costs Arizona, for example, $80 million to jail illegal aliens yearly. According to a 2002 report by Heather MacDonald of the City Journal, “In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens. Up to two-thirds of all fugitive felony warrants (17,000) are for illegal aliens” (McDonald, 2004). States along the southern border pay out hundreds of millions of dollars every year providing social services for illegal aliens. The children of illegal aliens do not have to prove citizenship to attend public schools which has resulted in overcrowding – a tremendous sapping of resources. It takes more time to teach children that only speak Spanish which thus costs more money. California spends nearly $8 billion every year just in educating the children of illegal aliens and Texas spends about $4 billion annually. (“Breaking” 2005). The federal government already manages the redistribution of a substantial proportion of its citizen’s income. In 2004, for example, more than $500 billion was transferred to the low income segment of the population from taxes levied from the top 25 percent. Legalized mass immigration will cause an imbalance in the proportion of uneducated people as an increasingly higher percentage of the population will earn lower wages and pay little, if any, federal taxes. “The overall costs such individuals will add to government programs throughout their lifetime (including welfare, social security, Medicare, education for children, transportation, and law enforcement) will greatly exceed taxes paid” (Rector, 2006).  Immigration to this country should provide a benefit, not be a burden to society. Those that support amnesty of illegal aliens currently in the U.S. argue that deportations would result in the splitting of families. Children born in this country could stay but their illegal parents would have to leave. They also express that it would be unfair for a child that has lived in the U.S. all their life to be suddenly thrust into the conditions of a third world country. While that is a compelling and reasonable argument, the cost is too great. By allowing the continued and unabated free-flow of illegal immigrants, this country too before long will assume third world status. “Methods to stem this flow such as building a border fence, deporting all illegal aliens, cracking down on employers and implementing a federal identification system might appear severe to some but are necessary steps in safeguarding America for Americans” (Ponte, 2006). The U.S. could consider adopting similar immigration regulations as in the U.K. where a person cannot immigrate without first securing employment. The British employer must obtain permission from the government upon submitting evidence that the position cannot be filled by a resident. Non-residents cannot apply for state benefits of any type. Legislators should consider the net effect on society and encourage the immigration of high-skilled and well educated people who will contribute to the economic health of the nation rather than low or no-skilled workers who are a heavy economic burden. While some issues surrounding immigration control are varied and complex, adopting English as the official language seemed a simple, straightforward piece of the immigration legislation puzzle. Americans were assured that a 1986 reform law would add tougher penalties for the employers of illegal immigrants and that this step would forever resolve the issue of illegal aliens. Around 16 million illegal immigrants have arrived since then. “The promised employer penalties, which would have gone a long way to solve the problem, have been, at best, loosely enforced” (Ponte, 2006). If Congress were to put the country’s interests ahead of its own, it would pass an illegal immigration bill which grants no amnesty. Congress should also pass legislation amending the Immigration and Nationality Act eradicating the idea that children born of illegal aliens are automatically citizens. That privilege should be reserved for children of legal immigrants. Congress should also criminalize illegal entry into the United States which would force government administrators and health workers to report these people to the authorities. Laws should be enacted that bring criminal charges against all those who aid illegal aliens to gain entry into the country and against those employers who hire them. All social benefits, including medical care, education and welfare for illegal immigrants should be eliminated with the only exception being medical treatment given when first contacted before deporting the criminal. The U.S. can hardly be seen as credible when helping to solve other countries’ problems when it can’t solve its own immigration dilemma, a problem many other countries don’t seem to struggle with. By allowing the continued and unabated free-flow of illegal immigrants, this country too before long will assume third world status. Methods to stem this flow such as building a border fence, deporting all illegal aliens, cracking down on employers and implementing a federal identification system might appear severe to some but are necessary steps in safeguarding America for Americans. The U.S. could consider adopting similar immigration regulations as in the U.K. where a person cannot immigrate without first securing employment. Non-residents cannot apply for state benefits of any type. Legislators should consider the net effect on society and encourage the immigration of high-skilled and well educated people who will contribute to the economic health of the nation rather than low or no-skilled workers who are a heavy economic and social burden. Works Cited “Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending Schools Into the Red” Federation for American Immigration Reform. (2007). May 22, 2011 < http://www.mnforsustain.org/immg_costs_of_educating_legal_illegals_fair.htm > “Illegal Immigration is a Crime.” Federation for American Immigration Reform. (March 2003). May 22, 2011 McDonald, Heather. “The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave.” City Journal. (Winter 2004). New York: The Manhattan Institute. May 22, 2011 Ponte, Lowell. “No Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants.” News Max. (May 23, 2006). May 22, 2011 Rector, Robert. “The Wrong Course: The Senate’s Proposed Amnesty Will Cost a Fortune.” National Review Online. (May 25, 2006). May 22, 2011 Small, Dennis. “What’s Behind the ‘Hispanic Immigration Crisis?” EIR Economics. (July 2005). May 22, 2011 Read More