Katy Johnson
The United States is home to an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, many of which come from the border. Illegal immigrants has many consequences for this country. For one, undocumented workers have created an “underground” economy. Immigrants work for an employer, undocumented, and thus are not subject to minimum wage laws, and even more, deprive national state and local economies out of millions of tax dollars. Some use a fake social security number, thus paying into the system, but never seeing the returns of the Social Security and Medicare fund they pay into.
Illegal immigrants also slow down our already crumbling health care system. In order to avoid deportation or simply because they don’t make enough at their undocumented job to pay a doctor, immigrants resort to hospital emergency rooms for a cold or other minor sicknesses. By law, hospitals are required to treat anyone who walks in the door, insurance or not. The American government and tax payer end up picking up the bill.
There are numerous other effects illegal immigration has on the inner workings of this country. But, lawmakers have been putting the blame on the immigrants themselves, rather than go about immigration reform in the most beneficial way. Let’s not waste taxpayer money and build ineffective walls and cross our finger and pray immigrants will stop crossing the border. Immigrants from Mexico are escaping unimaginable poverty, a war against drug lords, and a government who refuses to stand up for the economic reform. If it was America facing these issues, we’d migrate too. Remember, when our ancestors from Ireland faced famine, they moved to America. Or when Nazi’s invaded Europe, our ancestors escaped to America. When oppression and hardship faced our ancestors, the American borders opened up and welcomed new immigrants to the country.
Immigration reform is beneficial to the country. Immigrants don’t take jobs from Americans, but they become business owners and supply America with more jobs, and more jobs means more tax revenue, which means greater economic prosperity for America. Immigrants who are documented take jobs which means more money in their pocket, which means more money is in circulation, which means more tax revenue, which means more economic prosperity for America. Immigration is good for the economic state of this country. Considering we are in the wake of a serious recession, we may want to bring immigration reform to forefront of political debate.
This blog is a compilation of opinions, news, and facts that aim to educate the reader on the necessity for immigration reform in America.
