Illegal Immigration and its Negative Effects

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Illegal immigrants hold over 14 million jobs in the U.S. These jobs should belong to some of the 17 million unemployed Americans. If U.S. citizens would take these jobs unemployment would be at around 2% which is considered full employment. Not only do illegal immigrants take jobs, but they also receive more benefits compared to the taxes they pay. Another negative effect is that many industries pay illegal immigrants a lower wage saving money on the higher wages a native would earn. Even though illegal immigrants bring some rewards the overall negative effects of lower wages, tax burdens, and less available jobs is why illegal immigration should be stopped.
In some ways illegal immigrants do contribute to the economy. They generate extra income for our economy but do lower some wages (Hanson). Illegal immigrants generate extra income because their labor increase brings an increase in output which leads to more income for U.S. businesses (Hanson). (par.)Another positive illegals bring is that they allow the economy to use domestic resources more efficiently. Highly skilled immigrants have a positive net tax contribution and increase a business’s productivity. Illegal immigrants also hold jobs that would be undesirable and that most people wouldn’t want to work these jobs. Another thing to consider is that if all the illegal immigrants jobs were taken away “not all jobs would be taken by natives some would be automated or outsourced.” (Ruark)
One negative of illegal immigration is that the immigrants take advantage of tax benefits. Over 59% of illegal immigrants are uninsured (Ruark). This low rate of insurance comes despite a higher use of Medicaid than U.S. citizens. Around 24% of immigrants use Medicaid compared to only 14% of Americans using Medicaid (Ruark). Immigrants pay less in taxes than they receive in government benefits. This places a burden on native taxpayers (Hanson). Immigrant households in some states are more numerous relative to the native population. This means the immigrants have more children causing them to use public education more. Illegals earn lower wages which means they have lower tax payments while having a greater use of public benefits (Hanson). An example of this was in California and New Jersey where the “NRC estimates that the short-run fiscal impact of immigration was negative in New Jersey and in California” this was due to these reasons of taking advantage of public benefits (Hanson).
One major reason immigrants harm U.S. citizens is that they lower wages.

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