The Impact of Illegal Immigration on the US
By EFAM Subscriber / Nov 09 • Categorized as Living Overseas •
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Caution – Immigrants Crossing
Without a doubt illegal immigration is one of the biggest problems the US has faced in recent history. Until just a few years ago virtually nothing had been done about the millions of people coming over the border from Mexico. Once on US soil phony I.D.’s and jobs were easy to come by. The government was well aware of it and did nothing for decades. Why? – Cheap fruit? Loyal janitors? Surely the past governments could see a problem brewing. Obviously they missed that one. Now the problem is so big and out of control that no one really has a good solution.
Illegal immigration has contributed substantially to the bankruptcy of several states with heavy illegal populations. The baffling thing about the situation is the selective law enforcement. In many situations when a person who has no proper ID and is stopped for a minor infraction and is obviously from a foreign country (cannot speak English) they are let go after being briefly detained. Often they are arrested later for a more serious crime.
In San Francisco there was the case of the illegal immigrant who was arrested for a minor offense. He was released on bail and committed a triple murder that same day. Why wasn’t this person taken immediately to a detention facility and deported when he was initially arrested? The taxpayers paid for a trial and put him in jail for about the next 50 years at roughly $20K a year. By the way, San Francisco is a self designated ‘sanctuary’ city where illegal immigrants are not scrutinized, are free to operate as they wish and are even encouraged to migrate there.
On the other hand a born and raised US citizen is subject to being prosecuted to the full extent of the law for minor traffic offenses. Those who pay taxes, are educated, have insurance, and have never been in jail or even been convicted of a misdemeanor are not happy that they don’t get to select the laws they must obey. It is little wonder that many US citizens feel they only exist to contribute to the government’s tax coffers. It creates resentment when it is obvious that their tax dollars are supporting illegal people that shouldn’t be on US soil in the first place. When they voice opposition to this financing of illegal immigration they are labeled a racist, insensitive to the poor or mean spirited.
There are really no accurate figures on how many illegal people are in the US. You see numbers of anywhere from 12 to 35 million. To be objective and to not lump all illegal immigrants into one category it would be fair to say the vast majority are law abiding (except for being in the country illegally) and just want a better life.
They contribute to the economy by consuming goods and services. They wouldn’t come to the US if there weren’t jobs. Of course the big justification is that they do all of the jobs no one else will do. In a way it helps the employer who pays them low and doesn’t report them to the IRS. By employing illegal aliens the employer reduces his expenses like health care and unemployment insurance. The employer usually gets a dedicated person to do a menial job by someone who actually values it instead of resents it. But by dodging employment laws the employer becomes an outlaw also.
That has been true but what about now that the economy is down? Maybe a seasonal work program where the immigrants come to work and then return home would be a good idea. This would have to be based on trust that the illegal immigrant would return home out of season. That would be very difficult to enforce.
Perhaps the solution lies in a program where illegal immigrants who can prove they have been in the country a certain amount of time, have paid taxes, speak English and not committed crimes could become citizens. At the same time a crack down on the drug cartels and other illicit activity should be enforced. Stiffer penalties for employers who give work to illegal immigrants would halt a lot of them coming.
Then you have people like Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. You may know him as the hardnosed Sheriff who makes his incarcerated personnel know they are in jail not in a luxury hotel. They sleep in tents in the hot Arizona desert. When they complained he told them that US Marines sleep like this and they didn’t commit any crimes. His prisoners sued in federal court and won the right to have cable TV in jail. The sheriff responded by limiting it to the weather channel and Disney cartoons. He has aggressively gone after the flood of illegal visitors from Mexico. When his officers see what are obvious illegal immigrants he stops them and asks for ID. If they can’t produce it they are detained. If it is proven they are illegal they are sent back to their home country pronto.
Now the Obama Administration is attempting to curtail Sheriff Arpaio’s aggressive policies. The Obama staff has caved into political posturing and the same old, racial profiling argument of the ACLU. They use the Constitution when it’s convenient to allow the flood to continue. President Obama’s attorney general’s office has issued an order to the Sheriff to stop detaining people to check for citizenship. The Sheriff has cited States Rights. He refused the federal order and said that he will take them back to Mexico in his own car if he has to. This issue is currently in the courts. Hmmm, Obama says you can’t stop someone just inside the Arizona/Mexico border fence in the middle of a desert to investigate suspicious activity. However it’s ok to put up a road block and stop me to see if I’m drunk. Many see this as a political maneuver to gain favor with Hispanic voters.
Now, more than ever, the illegal immigration situation is in transition. Many illegals are returning to Mexico because of limited job prospects. Others are turning to crime and staying in the US. Now that jobs are scarce US citizens are eyeballing jobs that illegal Mexicans have. This is creating resentment and the cry of foul is getting louder. In these hard times the federal and state funds going to illegals are under more scrutiny. The fact that illegals have contributed to state bankruptcies and continue to receive welfare has some Americans outraged.
Something effective needs to be done to lessen the negative impact of illegal immigration and it needs to be done soon. What is being done now is too little too late.
Many Americans are fearful that the US is being ruined by lack of control of immigration and cite it as one of the major reasons they want to flee. Are you one of them or do you think immigration, legal or otherwise is beneficial to the American social structure and economy? Please let us have your comments.
Looking at the situation from the other side of the fence. I’m in Mexico and I’m treated with respect, even though the U.S. has interfered with Mexican politics for over a hundred years’ Read History and you’ll see this is true. Anyway it’s disheartning to see young men have to leave their families just because they need work…why do they do it??? One reason is that Foreign Companies come here to exploit the people looking for cheap labor…. They pay a minimum wage of $5 dollars a day, I don’t think an American would put up with that. Then they hear there are jobs in N.Y. or L.A. or whereever that pays $10 dollars an hour. so 10 to 15 % of the country migrates. It’s all about greed of the manufacturing complex. And I know for a fact that if they can get a worker for 10 cents a day less in China or VietNam or where ever, they will mercilessly pull up stakes and move on. I have talked to young boys thinking of illegally entering the U.S. by dangerously crossing snake infested deserts just to get a miserable job and be insulted by racists, tried to talk them into staying in their own country and fight the injustice, even if it means suffering. For a country to have to depend on a heartless neighbor is humiliating. Better to make an alliance with Europe. The European Union allows its members to move freely between its countries…What does NAFTA do???? Looks like nothing more than capitalist greed to me. Mexicans stay at home…let them pick their own cotton , weed their own gardens and watch prices skyrocket when they find that no one there wants to work for minimum wages or even work!!!!!
Very racist slant by ‘BOB’. Obviously he has an axe to grind and is taking it all out on the citizens of the USA. Bob does not realize what goes in to making a country tick. If ole Bob thinks the US dollar is becoming the German WW2 Mark, then what does the Mexican Peso becoming? Mexico has plenty of natural resources as well as many mineral resources including oil. Mexico can become very self sufficient but due to their very corrupt government, Mexico will stay a notch below other nations because of the mordida (the bribe) and its corrupt government ways. Apparently Bob does not see that. What Bob sees is the mean nation to the north like Michelle Obama sees.
Yes, we have a very socialist leaning corrupt president here but Mexico has had its fair share of corrupt politicians for the past 100 years. Looking at Mexico is a textbook example of what could happen to a nation that only plays into politicians hands.
I have traveled Mexico from stem to stern in my years. My parents owned a home on the beach there back in the late 50’s and 60’s. My best friends are Mexicans. They see what happened to their country. And they have the foresight to see what is happening here. Nobody will be able to change Mexico as the players keep on making that country a 3rd world nation. So hold the anti – American comments BOB and open your mind and small sphere of knowledge to see what is actually going on.
Bob,
You disgust me. You have no clue as to what is going on do you?? I live in CA and I am surrounded by illegals. They drive new cars and live in nice houses. They don’t pay any taxes. I see many of them buying food in the super market with food stamp debit cards. My taxes are paying teachers to teach their illegal kids in all the schools. Both my sister and I have been involved in accidents with illegals with no auto insurance. I see them in the emergency room at the hospital, waiting in line. They have no health insurance and soon will if Obamacare passes. I am sick of this crap. They all need to be deported back to wherever they came from. Twenty five per cent of all the inmates in federal prisons are illegals and we are paying about $40,000 per year to keep them there. This has got to stop soon. It has been estimated that without immigrants picking our vegetables, it would cost the average family about $200 more a year. I would be happy to pay that knowing that my country is free of these people that are nothing more than parasites, mostly ignorant, no desire to assimilate into our culture, learn our language, and obey our laws!!!!! Take your Mexican flag and stick it where the sun don’t shine!!!! God Bless Sheriff Joe in Arizona!!! We need more like him!!! REVOLUTION IS COMING!!!
My Mother was an immigrant. She spent the last 50 years of her life in the US, and never stopped trying to perfect her English, nor did she expect the school system to help her for free. I’m presently in Central Europe teaching English. If I want to learn the language of the country, guess what folks, I gotta pay for it. When I move to France, guess what folks, I gotta pay to increase my knowledge of French. A country can not be free if the burden of education, health care, and other services lies on the backs of a few. It’s called bankruptcy, deficit spending, negative cash flow or any other name you choose. Suzanne made some comments about freedom that kind can only exist in a utopia. Under her premise, all people should be free. What about that illegal immigrant in San Francisco who killed 3 people. Should he be free? My friends from Prague cannot come to the US without tons of paperwork and expense. They both work for US companies, and speak perfect English. The only thing they can’t do is crawl under the fence. I have, and have had, friends from many cultural backgrounds. I am not racist, ageist, sexist, homophobic or do I belong to any hate group. These labels do nothing but deprive me of my right to free speech. It’s a cop out comment from people who don’t have a good argument to substantiate their stand. I will not be returning to the US for this and many other reasons. Suffice to say, if the US doesn’t get a grip on this and other problems, the country as we know, it will no longer exist. Why do you think so many CEOs want salaries in the millions? Because that’s what it’s going to take. They’re not stupid. The dollar is becoming the new German Mark after World War II. Not worth anything. I know, I track the rate of exchange every day.
Some good points, here. But generalizations don’t build your credibility. Nor does ignorance of the facts. For example, you write:
“Maybe a seasonal work program where the immigrants come to work and then return home would be a good idea. This would have to be based on trust that the illegal immigrant would return home out of season. That would be very difficult to enforce.”
Such a program exists. It has existed for decades. It’s called the H2 program. And yes, it suffers some of the problems which you cite: many who enter on that visa don’t return home when they should. Many do.
Barry Kelley,
You disgust me! Out of every one who has left a comment clearly you are the ignorant one. Just because the have houses and drive nice cars does not mean they dont pay their taxes. You are just a HATER. And just becuase they dont speak your language dose not mean they aren’t educated. Do you know for a fact they dont pay taxes? Do you really ask every mexican you see if they are illegal or not? You are so close minded and repugnant.
My feeling is that if you are here then you should be contributing to society, right now that means paying taxes. If you aren’t paying taxes but you are using all the government programs then you are a drain on the system.
If there are too many of those types of parasites then the system will simply collapse as it will be paying out more than it is bringing in. I wish our country would eliminate income tax and just have a federal sales tax, then everyone who purchases goods and services will be paying into the system.
We could cut a lot of cost by making a requirement that you must be a citizen in order to get government benefits. No citizenship, no benefits. Period. I am not heartless but the problem is if you have too many people taking advantage of the system without contributing something back then it hurts everyone who is contributing and in the end the whole system could collapse. I don’t really think there is any easy answer, but I think eliminating federal income tax and moving to a sales tax would help.