Illegal Immigration and the Welfare State

Opponents of illegal immigrants receiving healthcare services do not believe that illegal immigrants should have access to healthcare when so many Americans are uninsured. Illegal and undocumented immigrants, according to opponents, do not have a right to healthcare because it is a benefit that they do not deserve and that taxpayers cannot afford. Furthermore, illegal immigrants, who seek publicly funded healthcare services in the United States, cause a financial drain not only on the healthcare system but also the national economy. For example, FAIR (Federation for American Immigration) estimates that the cost of reimbursed medical care in California in 2004 was about $1.4 billion and $.85 billion in Texas, with one of the frequent costs to U.S. taxpayers being the delivery of babies to illegal alien mothers.

Many might argue that immigrants do not pay enough in taxes to cover the public services they receive from the government at the present time. According to Maria Santana on CNN MONEY, illegal immigrant “Collectively, they paid an estimated $10.6 billion to state and local taxes in 2010, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Illegal immigrant in most states does not qualify for welfare, food stamps and Medicaid. What most people seem to forget is that illegal immigrants do not even get any benefit from their daily job, some have no name or record if anything was to happen in their line of work. Some employers see them as dispensable with no question. Yet, these same employers take out taxes, Medicare and other

“The economy consists of the free flow of money, goods and services as well as the production of such goods and services. Illegal immigration has a direct economic impact, though the details are a little more complicated than the storyline of they 're taking our jobs.” (Hirby). In discussions of illegal immigration strictly through only an economic perspective, a controversial issue is whether undocumented immigrants in the United States of America ultimately represent a taxation liability or prosperity. While some argue that undocumented immigrants take more out of government funded programs than they pay to the economic interests of America, specifically they don’t pay taxes that legal American citizens do and essentially are an economic burden. Others contend that undocumented immigrants consistently pay billions in taxes, and contribute much more than they are costing the government.

By legalizing illegal immigrants more taxes will be collected and all the bills would be paid, and if they are unable to pay it will show on the record. Many legal Americans have limited or no health-care benefits and must rely on subsidized assistance in the form of programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. All government-subsidized programs to fund health care for indigent patients have finite resources. Yet, the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants, through no fault of their own, have medical needs and emergencies—for which most tabs are picked up by taxpayers (Negy 140). The argument that undocumented immigrants pay taxes and are thus entitled to subsidized health care is flawed for two reasons. One, the majority of undocumented immigrants

Immigration is a major topic in the Immigration presidential Race right now. I am on the side of getting comprehensive immigration reform. Reform is the term used in political discussion regarding changes to the current immigration policy. In the political sense of the word, "immigration reform" may include promoted, expanded, or open immigration, as well as reduced or eliminated immigration. Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for years, moving decisions into the executive and judicial branches of government and pushing the debate into the halls of state and municipal governments. Meanwhile, the fates of the estimated eleven million undocumented immigrants in the country, as well as future rules for legal migration, lie in the balance. I believe the government should provide a fair path to citizenship for the millions of people living in the United States illegally because most people come to America for better lives. Donald Trump is the leading candidate for the republicans in this year’s election. He is known for his extreme views and opinions on immigration. I will analyze Trump’s arguments to counter against mine to make my argument the best that it can be.

A. America, to everyone around the world – even to those who have not stepped on its land, is acknowledged as the "Land of Opportunity," a place applauded and revered for its allocation of freedom and equality among its inhabitants. Because of this, those seeking to flee poverty and lack of resources to sustain their lives come this country to experience the "American Dream." One might ask, however. why the presence of illegal immigrants is still apparent within the country 's boundaries if everyone on this territory is equal to one another. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States was estimated at 11.5 million in 2011. The population of these illegal immigrants flourished by 27% between 2000 and 2009, as stated by the Department of Homeland Security. With the growing rate of undocumented immigrants, is the government taking action to solve this setback? Fellow classmates, do you think your country is fulfilling its accepted identity? Is America really the "Land of Opportunity"? Is the concept of the American Dream attainable to everyone? Is the presence of equality and freedom apparent in the country? Seemingly, these perceptions are granted only to American citizens. What about those undocumented immigrants – should they have the rights, privileges, and benefits as the rest of us?

An analysis of all fifty states in 2012 revealed that undocumented immigrants actually paid between $90 and $140 billion in federal, state, and local taxes (Anchondo, 2010), therefore, it cannot be assumed with

United States taxpayers pay approximately $113 billion a year for illegal immigrants and $84 billion of the cost is paid by state and local governments. The main cost to taxpayers is the education for the children of illegal aliens. The cost of education in children of illegal aliens is estimated about $52 billion and most costs are covered by state and local governments. Majority of illegal immigrants do not pay income taxes. The author suggests an approach to discourage upcoming illegal immigration is not to employ them and deportations. The author thinks policy makers are responsible to look for ways to cut the fiscal burden of illegal immigration. California’s budget deficit of $144 billion in 2010-2011 and is estimated that $21.8 billion

“Every day thousands of illegals stream across the 2,500 miles of border with Mexico. According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS, the total number of illegals in America from this source increases by 275,000 annually. Already the United States is host to an illegal population of 7 to 12 million, of whom the vast majority are Mexican or Hispanic in origin. These illegal and unwelcome guests help themselves to jobs, education, welfare and unemployment compensation. The many whose salaries are paid under the table pay little or no taxes. And they are easy prey for unscrupulous employers and politicians” (Hayes 2000)

• I attended a Homeland Security Hearing in regards to the Appropriation Bill. There, we were informed about the enormous amounts of money set aside for programs such as border control, visa security, and construction of the border wall, all adding up to $44.3 billion. Speaker Loey states “It’s a waste of money” and implied that it is outrageous that only “$2 million is going to needed projects such as bus security.” Another Representative explains, “We must not only think strategically but ethically as well, balancing the two.” Many believed that this bill would destroy the families whose parents are immigrants and target non-criminal immigrants.

The vast majority of immigrants are not eligible to receive public benefits, such as Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or food stamps, for many years after their arrival in the United States. Legal permanent residents (LPRs), must pay into the Social Security and the Medicare systems for approximately 10 years before they are eligible to receive benefits when they retire. In most cases, legal permanent residents cannot receive Supplemental Security Income, which is available to U.S. citizens, and they are also not eligible for means-tested public benefits until 5 years after receiving their green cards.

According to Longley (2005) Due to California’s need and use of immigrant workers there is a huge cost associated to the support of immigrants which includes incarceration and healthcare. According to a

Immigration, both legal and illegal, has been an issue since the first European set foot on the shores of this country. Approximately 400,000 new illegals enter the United States each year. With an estimated 11,000,000 people currently living in the U.S. illegally, the problem has reached critical mass (Haerens 18). Dealing with this, costs the country an estimated $113 billion annually: $16.4 billion in Texas alone (Barnes C1). According to the Center For Immigration Studies, tax credits paid to illegal immigrants exceeded payments by illegals by $7.3 billion during the period from 2005 to 2010 (Schulkin 2). Education, health, food assistance, police, and municipal support, also contribute to the overall cost. Many experts and

The Center for American Progress’ reports in 2010 unauthorized immigrants paid $13 billion into Social Security and received only $1 billion in services—a net contribution of $12 billion. From 2000 to 2011, unauthorized immigrants paid $35.1 billion more into Medicare than they withdrew. (1)

Immigration and Economic Growth: Putting Policy on Hold”, 2003) When you do the math, it makes a good deal of sense to spend the little that we do—if not more—to keep them healthys (Karvounis, 2007). Care for undocumented immigrants represents a tiny fraction of the nation’s health care burden. They receive minimal care; they pay taxes. Between one half and three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay state and federal taxes. They also contribute to Medicare and provide as much as 7 billion dollars a year to the Social Security Fund. Further still, undocumented workers pay sales taxes where applicable and property taxes—directly if they own and indirectly if they rent (“Undocumented Immigrants as Taxpayers”, 2007).