The bad effects of illegal immigration in the usa - Speech or Presentation Example

Negative impacts of illegal immigration in the USA “We should honor every legal immigrant here, working hard to become a new citizen. But we are also a nation of laws.” When we look at the history of illegal immigration to the United States these important words by President Bill Clinton, 1996, come to mind. Illegal immigrations have been a critical problem in the United States, especially when we view the latter half of the twentieth century. The first federal law was passed in 1875, which prohibited the entry of convicts and prostitutes to the United States.

In 1882, President Chester A. Arthur banned almost all Chinese immigrants, paupers, criminals and mentally ill from entering the USA. This was the first time a distinction between legal and illegal immigrants was made and regulated. Moving on we see that Since the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Congress has passed seven amnesties. Some of these include the Immigration and Reform Act (IRCA), in 1986 which serves as a blanket amnesty for over 2.7 million illegal aliens. The second passed in 1994, Section 245(i) Amnesty, which was a temporary rolling amnesty for 578,000 illegal aliens and extension of this, was added in 1997.

The HRIFA 1998 and Life act Amnesty 2000. Despite Americans’ opposition to illegal immigration and amnesty, open border advocates are pressuring President Barack Obama to pass yet another mass amnesty for illegal aliens (End Illegal Immigration, 2011). Americans of all backgrounds are still seriously concerned about the negative impact of illegal immigration, such as with the number of bankrupted hospitals, overcrowded schools, and increased crime. Taxpayers pay dearly for this, illustrating the high cost of so-called “cheap labor” for some unscrupulous employers and their political allies who for decades have watered down immigration laws.

For example, in California alone, as of 2004 the net cost of illegal immigration to taxpayers is estimated to be nearly $9 billion annually Furthermore the NRC found that the average immigrant household receives $13,326 in federal welfare and pays $10,664.00 in federal taxes. Thus, American taxpayers shell out $2,682.00 for each immigrant household (Wooldridge, 2008). Illegal immigration poses problems for the U.S. every year "the size of the population living illegally in this country grows by as much as half a million people" (Zedillo, 2007).

The hiring of illegal workers the employer and employee in escaping taxes. And by avoiding paying taxes illegal immigrants become a drain on social services and public and social burden and a strain on the economy. Furthermore illegal immigrants pose as a high cost in education, health care, and infrastructure. They take jobs that could be used by American citizens and because they accept a much lower payment to get these jobs it results in slumps in the economy and lengthens the unemployment lines.

Also they result in an increase in the population as many of them live in poverty. Cities with the most illegal immigrants also have twice the unemployment rate, 40% more poverty, 40% more serious crime than every other major city. It is also another fact that illegal aliens are willing to work far less than the free market rate. While they work a small portion of many of those job categories their mere willingness to work at such lower wages results in an artificial drag down of the compensation for all workers and they serve as a preferred replacement for the jobs that Americans might want to apply for; Working at these artificially depressed wages results in an increase on the load of the welfare systems, since there are fewer working poor and more welfare recipients.

Another negative impact is the fact that employers pay these illegal workers in cash, which is off the books that results in avoiding taxes putting a further strain o the American economy. For example on the revenue side, the United States may be foregoing $35 billion a year in income tax collections because of the number of jobs that are now off the books. Another fact that can depict the seriousness of this element is that ‘Between 4 and 6 million jobs have shifted to the underground economy since 1990.

These are not "jobs Americans won't do, but rather jobs Americans used to do’ (Bear stearns, 2005). References End Illegal Immigration, 2011. History of Illegal Immigratin in the USA. Retrieved from: http://www.endillegalimmigration.com/History_of_Illegal_Immigration_in_US/index.shtml Wooldrige.F. (2008). Staggering costs of illegal aliens in America. Retrieved from: http://www.rense.com/general81/dtli.htm Robert.J and Betty N. (2005). The Underground Labor Force Is Rising To The Surface. Bear Stearns.

Retrieved from: http://www.illegalaliens.us/images/Bear%20Stearns%20Study.pdf Zedillo.E. (2007). Migranomics Instead of Walls. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/global/2007/0108/014.html