Immigration to US from Latin America - Essay Example

Immigration 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. This discussion will examine the cause, effects and solutions to the immigration of Latin Americans to the U.S.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. 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).

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). Illegal aliens drain social services paid for by legal citizens, $2.5 billion from Medicaid, $2 billion from food aid programs and $2 billion in hospital care from the federal coffers in 2002 alone. 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 a staggering $8 billion every year just in educating the children of illegal aliens (“Illegal Immigrants”, 2007). 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. Simply enforcing the laws presently on the books and deporting illegal aliens is an economic necessity that would also result in decreased crime rates.

Works Cited“Illegal Immigrants Helpful or Harmful to America?” (2007). About Conservative Politics U.S. Available May 30, 2007 from “Illegal Immigration is a Crime.” (March 2003). Federation for American Immigration Reform. Available May 30, 2007 from McDonald, Heather. “The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave.” City Journal. New York: The Manhattan Institute, (Winter 2004). Available May 30, 2007 from Small, Dennis. “What’s Behind the ‘Hispanic Immigration Crisis?” EIR Economics.

(July 2005). Available May 30, 2007 from