Costs and Benefits of illegal immigration in the US

[Spooderman]

How to deal with illegal immigration is a debate that has gone on for a long time and requires a lot of statistics to back up the points.

I want to see whether the immigrants help the economy and society more than it hurts them.

According to FAIR, Illegal immigration costs 113 billion dollars a year, although that is clearly a biased organization. Another study showed they pay 10.6 billion in taxes, which doesn't make up for the 113 billion.

According the the FAIR report, the biggest contribution was 52 billion for education, which may not be apropriate to include since the students might become working citizens.

A report by the Perryman Group, showed that the immigrants generate 245 billion dollars in revenue for the US GDP.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/02/immigration-costs-fair-amnesty-educations-costs-reform/

Although illegal immigrants are not eligible for welfare, they can take other government programs.

Another issue is crime. 27% of federal prisons are non-citizens, although I don't know how many came here legally. 95% of outstanding arrest warrants for murder are done for illegal immigrants, although outstanding arrest warrants are done for those who evade them, which illegal immigrants are more likely to do.

There's also impact on jobs and wages. Illegal immigrants usually compete with Americans who do not have a college degree, and several studies have shown a small decrease in jobs and wages, but not any too bad.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5312900

If anyone has more information regarding this, and their take on the illegal immigration issue please post it.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Give them a pathway to citizenship. It's economic, and it's the right thing to do. And most importantly, it's inevitable for 90% of the illegal immigrants living in America.

Having said that, I would be suspicious of any data collected by FAIR. They're a hate group with ties to Neo-Nazi groups like the Pioneer Fund.

 

[summerteeth]

Give them a pathway to citizenship. It's economic, and it's the right thing to do. And most importantly, it's inevitable for 90% of the illegal immigrants living in America.

Having said that, I would be suspicious of any data collected by FAIR. They're a hate group with ties to Neo-Nazi groups like the Pioneer Fund.

I agree pathway to citizenship but that also has to come with an increase in border security and larger immigration reform that allows us expedite the process. I just feel if we don't secure the border we'll have to deal with this every 30 years or so.

 

[Baramos]

I like eating food. That's one reason to allow immigration.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I feel alot of anti-immigration sentiment is thinly-veiled racism.

I'm pretty certain if white Canadians were sneaking in, no one would care.

 

[summerteeth]

I feel alot of anti-immigration sentiment is thinly-veiled racism.

I'm pretty certain if white Canadians were sneaking in, no one would care.

I don't believe that to be true. I think very little of it has to do with racism. We've seen in the past that immigrants who were Caucasian from Europe were discriminated against and huge/violent anti-immigrant movements rose up as a result.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I would say it's mostly racism as well.

You can tell just by who the people most outspoken about immigration are. FAIR comes to mind.

That's not to say you can't oppose illegal immigration for non racist reasons, it is obviously an issue. But groups like the Minutemen are just Neo Nazis using a Gadsden flag.

Arizona's immigration law was actually written by a man with Neo Nazi ties.

 

[Stryderk]

I feel alot of anti-immigration sentiment is thinly-veiled racism.

I'm pretty certain if white Canadians were sneaking in, no one would care.

And here is the racism card.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

And here is the racism card.

So when are people allowed to bring up racism?

Never?

Who makes these rules?

 

[Thundercrack85]

Yeah if you don't think racism is an issue in this, then I have a bridge I would like to sell you.

 

[sdaniels7114]

I think we should let anyone in who wants in, on probation. If you can't get a job and you can't stay off the police's radar then out you go. I, for one, didn't do anything to earn my citizenship and my mother, who was an immigrant from Ireland, faced an entirely different set of circumstances when she showed up in the late 50's.

If you're worried about Social Security running out soon why not bring in a bunch of 20somethings to start paying into the system right away? Same thing with health care. It really doesn't matter what system you use, a bunch of healthy younger adults (willing and or required to work) will fix even the most awfullest HC system that can be invented. Why? because they pay but don't get sick.