Unauthorized immigration to the united states - Essay Example

Immigration is something with which the Northern Continent became the United s of America. Without immigration, today’s US would have been a RedIndian country. Only because Europeans came, and illegally removed the Red Indians and colonized the Northern continent of the Americas, is the USA a country today. So than why must illegal immigration be a problem today? Even today half of the economic power in USA is run by the illegal immigrants. In the article entitled ”Unauthorized Immigration to the United States” by Thomas Espenshade, it is brought to our attention the amount of illegal immigration taking place in the US and what are the affects of the formal on the US labor force and the US economy.

It must be remembered why the Europeans migrated from Europe to the Americas. They were facing problems in Europe. Why must today when some Mexican immigrant, is facing difficulty in his/her country and, flees to the US is called an illegal immigrant? He or she should be treated with respect and given proper documentation to become a visitor or a worker. The easiest point to argue is that it is not good for the immigrant themselves to come to US illegally. “More than a fifth of the illegal sample was paid less than the minimum wage on their most recent job”(Espenshade 207).

As mentioned, illegal immigrants are paid overall fewer wages than legal immigrants. One important point must be kept in mind. The so-called fewer wages are still more than what the immigrant can ever earn in a country like Mexico. The immigrant will be able to support their entire family the basis of that low wage. It is a low wage to the average American, not the poverty stricken Mexican who is living like a king in the US compared to his Mexican family members. It important to keep in mind what kind of country the immigrant is arriving from.

There should be a different law for people wanting to migrate from third world countries. The general view among the average American citizen is that when immigrants arrive they take away jobs from the average American. Or if not that, due to vast labor availability they lower the wage standard for everyone. However, the truth is anything but that. “When the broader US economy is examined, it is difficult to find strong evidence of negative effects on native workers”(Espenshade 208). It is a known truth that the undocumented labor force is performing jobs that the average American would like to execute.

The undocumented worker in working in the fields, or as labor in the construction field or other petty jobs that do not pay much anyway, regardless of the workers’ work status. The average American would like to finish their studies at least till their high school and than work in an office as a blue collar worker. They have no competition with the fieldworker or the labor force which is mainly formed by the undocumented worker. This is simply a misinterpretation formed by the political parties and the media to misguide the native workers.

Another concern mentioned in the article that do the illegal immigrants receive more in health and education than they pay in taxes? “Do undocumented residents of the United States receive more in publically provided education, health care, and other social services than they pay for in taxes (e.g. sales taxes)?”(Espenshade 209). It is questioned here that are the illegal immigrants receiving more benefits than they actually pay for. Since they are undocumented workers they do not pay taxes out of their salary, they only pay taxes like sales tax.

For this precise reason, the immigration process should be made easier so that the worker will no longer hide from the government rather work with the government and pay the taxes due. This way the government will receive more funding and will able to better provide for everyone. It is understood at the moment that most illegal immigrants are a burden on the government at the moment. However that is because the illegal immigrants are forced to hide and not come forward. They obviously have a fear of being caught and ultimately sent back to the poverty stricken land they came from.

The US should make the some sort of work eligibility program for the illegal immigrants so that they will not be afraid to document themselves. Once they are documented two problems will be solved. Their wages will automatically increase and they will be paid with regular paycheck. Once they start receiving a regular paycheck like everyone else, they will have to pay taxes, which will significantly help the government in aiding everyone. Illegal immigration is a problem that can be controlled easily and should be paid great attention to.

It is not a pesticide issue that should completely be wiped out. It is a social problem that the Americans must assist in and provide aid for. America is always the first to go and help other countries whenever they need any kind of help, whether social or political. Than why must the people who enter the US with severe need of help are discouraged and deported? The writer fully understands these implications and their causes. In his review, the writer due fully states the facts about illegal immigration and its unbiased affects on the labor force and the US economy altogether.

Many aspects of this so called gigantic issue, illegal immigration, are explored in the article. A solution, offered by the writer, is that the government can tackle this issue in three ways. One is to find the illegal immigrant after he/she has moved in the US. Second is to catch them while crossing the border. Third is to catch an unauthorized trip which is being planned to the US before it begins. However in my opinion it is not the government’s intent to catch these undocumented workers.

Let’s face it the government does realize that half the US economy is run through their illegal work force. Than why cannot the government do something to make all this legal? The undocumented workers should be supported. The government should approve a plan where people can enter the country legally and at least work here for a few years until their financial situation back home is stabilized. United States of America has been the land of opportunity since the beginning, than who are we to change that today?

Do we really have that right to take away this prospect from other people when availed it ourselves? Is that fair?Work Cited PageEspenshade, Thomas J. "JSTOR" Unauthorized Immigration to the United States 1995: 195-216. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 21. 17 Nov. 2005 .