In an extensive research analysis of money dispersed to illegal immigrants in the United States, it has been found that tax payers money is accounted for about $100 billion dollars in funding for illegal immigrants. According to FAIR, “The $113 billion in outlays for services and benefits to illegal aliens and their families represents an average cost to native-headed households of $1,117 a year. Because the burdens of illegal immigration are not evenly distributed, the costs are much higher in states with large alien population” (Fair, 2010). This is far too much money to just be giving it away to people who are in the States illegally. I know I personally, would rather invest it in my college education, an IRA, social security, or pay off bills we have accumulating. So, the amount of money being spent on illegal immigrants in the United States is a huge expense to the American citizens. These monies are being paid out of the taxes paid by the hard working citizens. Every year, billions of dollars are paid out for illegal immigrants in hospitals, public schools, food assistance programs, federal prison, court cost, and deportation. It is appalling to see the amount of help that illegal immigrants receive being “non-citizens.” This money could be put into unemployment, social security, health care, schools, or any other system that seems to be failing us. In fact, due to illegal immigrants attending public schools, more and more money has to be paid not only for them to attend, but for their meals as well. “Education for the children of illegal aliens represents the single largest public expenditure at an annual cost of $52 billion. Nearly all of that cost is absorbed by state and local governments” (FAIR, 2005... ... middle of paper ... ...cquire an adequate education needed to prosper. References CIS. (2004, August). The High Cost of Cheap Labor: Illegal Immigration and the Federal Budget. Retrieved May 15, 2011, from Center for Immigration Studies: http://cis.org/atricles/2004/fiscalexec.html Cohen, R. (2011, March 25). Illegal Immigration, A Call to Reality. Retrieved May 15, 2011, from fromthetenchesworldreport.com: http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/illegal-immigration-a-call-to-reality/2993 Davidson, A. (2006, March 30). Q&A: Illegal Immigrants and the U.S. Economy. Retrieved May 15, 2011, from NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story.php?storyId=5312900 Fair. (2005, June). Breaking the Piggy Bank: How illegal immigration is Sending Schools into the Red. Retrived May 15, 2011, from FAIR: http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=23198&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1741
Stern, Gary M. "Taking a Fresh Look at Illegal Immigrants and the Role they can Play in Restoring the American Economy." The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Nov 01 2010: 19-20. ProQuest. Web. 24 Nov. 2013 .
The United States of America has the largest foreign-born population in the world. With nearly thirteen percent of the total population being foreign-born, one may find it hard to imagine an immigrant-free country (U.S. Bureau of the Census). Immigration has been an integral part of the United States’ overall success and the country’s economy since it was established and without it, would have never been founded at all. Although there are some negative issues associated with immigration and many native-born Americans believe to be more of a problem than a solution, overall it actually has a positive effect. Immigrants in America, among other things, fill jobs where native-born Americans may not want to work or cannot work, they contribute to Social Services and Medicaid through taxes and they help provide the backbone of America, especially by working jobs that natives may have not even considered.
In the U. S today, the approximated population of undocumented immigrants stands at averagely 11 million. Therefore, this has created a hot debate in Congress about the action to take over the undocumented immigrants. Those opposed to illegal immigrants suggest that, their stay in the United States effects U.S citizens on the job market negatively . In addition, illegal immigrants are viewed in certain quarters as takers in the sense that illegal immigrants benefit more from public resources than the american-born citizens of the U.S. However, the reality is that immigrants contribute positively to the U.S economy and pay significantly into the system compared to what they send back home. In addition, the contributions associated with undocumented immigrants involve sustaining the solvency of the SSTF (Social Security Trust Fund). In this sense, the use of cost benefit analysis by those supporting immigration restrictions are unfounded and do not reflect the facts on the ground (Nadadur 1037). The opponents of undocumented immigrants believe that having more undocumented immigrants in the U.S is costly; however, there are no solid reasons to prove that undocumented immigrants are a burden to the treasury. Instead, the undocumented immigrants play an important role in boosting the economy and in particular by taking up jobs those citizens perceive as demeaning because the money they earn goes back to the economy through taxes resulting from consumer spending when they send money back home.
“A Nation of Immigrants.” Pew Hispanic. Pew Research Center, 29 January 2013. Web. 15 September 2013.
Ngai, Mae M. 2004 “Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America” Publisher: Princeton University Press.
... 2002. Mexican immigrants use about $250 million in social services such as Medicaid and food stamps and another $31 million in uncompensated health care, that leaves a profit of $319 million” (218). But should we still allow people to put their lives at risk?
Ruark, Eric A., and Matthew Graham. "Immigration Is Increasing Poverty in the United States." Poverty. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Immigration, Poverty and Low-Wage Earners: The Harmful Effect of Unskilled Immigrants on American Workers." FairUS.org. 2011. 3-17. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Lind, Micheal. "Legal Immigration Harms American workers" Bender, David L. Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. Inc. 1998 pp. 79-83
Thompson, Art. “Illegal Immigration Hurts the Economy.” Opposing Viewpoints: Immigration. Eds. David M. Haugen, Susan Musser and Kacy Lovelace. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2009. 30-35. Print.
The United States of America, being a country founded by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people who have overstayed the time granted on their US, visa or those who have broken the federal law by crossing the border illegally. Matt O’Brien stated in his article “The government thinks that 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007.”(Para, 2) While some argue that illegal immigrants burden the United States of America and its economy, others believe that they have become essential and are an important part of the US, economy.
...ol.” Debates on Immigration. Ed Judith Gans, Elaine M. Repogle, and Daniel J. Tichenor. Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Reference, 2012: 144. Gale Virtual Library. Web. 22 Apr, 2014.
Passy, Jacob. "5 Things to Know About Immigration and the U.S. Economy - NBC News." NBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov.
7. Little, Cheryl. "The War on Immigrants: Stories from the Front Lines." Summer 2008. Americas Quarterly. 29 March 2001 .
Lynch, R., & Oakford, P. (2013, March 30). The Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status and Citizenship to Undocumented Immigrants. American Progress. Retrieved July 2, 2014, from http://americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2013/03/20/57351/the-economic-effects-of-granting-legal-status-and-citizenship-to-undocumented-immigrants/
Nadadur, Ramanujan. "Illegal Immigration: A Positive Economic Contribution to the United States." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 35.6 (2009): 1037-052. Print.