Unocumented Workers

As, Benfitof puts, “critics have claimed that immigrants take on jobs, lower down wages, and drain too much tax money because of social services. However, what they do not realize is that the jobs immigrants take are the jobs most citizens in the host country do not take (Daniel). The immigrants that fill these jobs take the weight off producer and consumers which benefit the economic welfare of the U.S (Daniel). “It is a fact that immigrants are a great source of low cost work, but these cost reductions are eventually passed on to the buyer, so host country citizens benefit from this as well (Daniel). The goods produced through the efforts of immigrants can also generate additional profits as these goods can be sold at lower prices (Daniel). Additionally, “Comprehensive immigration reform could support and create up to 900,000 new jobs within three years of reform from the increase in consumer spending, according to the Center for American Progress(“Ten”).” Also, an additional group of cheap labor increases the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits. Not only that, but as hinted through this paper they also help the United States economies growth. Whitehoue.gov research stated that, “According to the Small Business Administration, immigrants are 30 percent more likely to start a business in the United States than non-immigrants, and 18 percent of all small business owners in the United States are immigrants” (“Ten”). Furthermore, small businesses owned by immigrants employed an estimate of 4.7 million people in 2007, and was able to make over $776 billion annually, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute (“Ten”). On top of the, balanced politics says that the increase in immigration in the United States is increasing the wages of more skilled American citizens who have a higher education past a high school degree

Many people have their own opinions when relating in regard to illegal immigrants hurting the United States economy. There have been numerous of economist say there is no doubt the U.S. benefits from illegal immigrants. All of the undocumented people living in the United States contribute every day in our economy, they contribute as workers, taxpayers and consumers. All immigrants pay sales and property taxes and most pay federal and state income taxes as well. If there was laws like the

Throughout the various books that we have read, one of the many concepts that stood out for me was the well-being and healthcare of undocumented workers. Due to the current criminalization of immigration, most undocumented workers live in a constant state of fear and anxiety. This really made me think about the psychological and somatic outcomes of fear, stigma, trauma, and prejudice for undocumented workers. This brought into question the structural and symbolic violence that causes undocumented workers to suffer from mental and physical illnesses and how the treatment, if any, is administered.

One of the biggest benefits of having undocumented workers is, that they work for decreased wages. This positively affects both employers and consumers. By hiring undocumented workers, employers are able to decrease labor costs due to the fact they are able to pay workers less. The agriculture, construction, restaurant, and hospitality industries are especially reliant on undocumented workers to provide cheep labor and to fill in the large number of low-skill, low-paying jobs. With the decrease in operational costs, companies are able to offer products and

Are illegal immigrants or undocumented immigrants beneficial to America’s economy? Most illegal immigrants have a positive impact on the United States (U.S.) economy. Illegal immigrants have a positive impact on the United States economy because they increase our tax revenue, they add to our social security, and they also increase our employment rates.” In 2000, statistics revealed 8.7 million illegal immigrants resided in the United States” (Knickerbocker pgs.11-12). “A study of illegal immigrants living in Texas showed a 420 million dollar increase in the states economy” (Strayhorn). Companies risk hiring illegal immigrants

There are millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, many of whom are Latinos. Americans today tend to believe that undocumented immigrants are: rapist, drug traffickers, live off the welfare and come to the United States to take American’s jobs. Indeed, American employers are hiring, so jobs are there, but the American people are not doing them. Therefore, someone must do the hard labor that no one wants. Many Latinos immigrate to the United States looking towards a better future for their families. They come with a positive perspective that their children are going to have a better life and are not going to experience any injustices. For many decades, white Americans have oppressed and marginalized undocumented immigrants because

Within the United States there are more than11 million undocumented immigrants. This makes up at least 3.5% of the population total. Immigration law as have resulted in a situation where many undocumented immigrants live and work in the United States, but is also an issue entirely blow out of proportion by media and politician. Undocumented immigrants are beneficial to the US economy because they make up the majority of our work force and bring in billions in revenue yearly.

Undocumented immigrants refer to “people who presently possess no proof of any right to be present in the United States, whether or not they have been declared deportable by the US government (and the vast majority have not)” (Lyon, 2004, p581). According to the United States Census Bureau there are approximately eight to eleven million undocumented immigrants residing in the United States (Porter, 2006). Each year, approximately 500,000 more arrive without legal documentation. The number of undocumented immigrants now exceeds the number of documented immigrant arrivals. The majority of the undocumented immigrants arrive from Mexico (57 to 70%) and Latin America (23 to 24%), with a smaller number from Europe and Canada (5 to 6 %

The US labor force would not survive if it was not for illegal immigrants. If there were no illegal immigrants our labor force would decrease by four percent (Isidore 5). “We could not have grown as much as we did in the 1990s if we did not have immigrants… our growth would have been slower (Isidore 5).” Having illegal immigrants in our labor force increases the amount of resources we have, which increases the amount of production in the country. “Some economists discuss that not only do U.S. consumers benefit from lower prices as an outcome of the low wages most immigrants are paid, but that the convenience of lower-wage labor helps create more work for higher-skilled, higher-paid workers who are generally born in the US (Isidore 14).” Illegal immigrants are opening up higher wage jobs, because they take over the lower wage jobs. Many immigrants take jobs in the field of construction, agriculture

Undocumented immigrants make up a large portion of the workforce doing jobs that are undesirable to many people. They leave their stable live in search of better opportunities for their family. The people who come to the united states do not come because of their own benefit. They come in search of benefitting their next generation. Immigrant workers know that the position that they are in is not the best and is more difficult to change their own path in life, so they put their focus on raising children in an environment where their children can see the benefit if certain commodities like an education. Although they have difficult jobs with small compensations and no benefits, they continue to work to serve as an example that hard work is the

Illegal immigrants help boost the United States economy by paying some taxes. Like American citizens, illegal immigrants may pay local, state, and federal taxes including sales tax that helps support government services that they may not be able to access (Ewing 9). Since more American citizens are becoming aware of the benefits of an education, openings are being created for illegal immigrants in low paying jobs (Nadadur 1037-1052). Americans, unlike illegal immigrants, have more diverse careers. Aliens are more concentrated in specific job areas, resulting in a decrease in immigrant labor cost. This helps boost the United States’ economy (Carter 777-795). Of the approximate eleven million illegal immigrants in the U.S., most work in labor intensive jobs. Careers such as construction and agriculture tend to attract illegal aliens and they account for about twenty-five percent of the work force in these areas (Ewing 9). Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve admits that illegal immigrants help improve the United States economy and does not suggest turning them away (qtd. in Quindlen 90). Anna Quindlen, in her article “Newcomers By Numbers,” agrees with Bernanke and believes that immigrants are the factor that helps keep prices low. She also adds that immigrants are not causing American citizens unemployment, but are simply taking the low wage jobs that citizens are not willing to do and even boosting the economy (90).

12). A 2007 study on immigrants in Arkansas found that the total economic impact of Arkansas’ one hundred thousand, fifty one percent undocumented, on the state economy is nearly three billion dollars (Willis par. 5). Texas comptroller study found that the one million four hundred thousand undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005 contributed 17.7 billion dollars to the state economy (Willis par. 5). Illegal immigrants also take low paying jobs. Most Americans do not like to wash dishes, bust tables, and mop floors, but those are jobs that need to be done. Employers always have trouble finding regular employees to do that kind of work, which is also usually low paying. Americans are not willing to work them whereas the illegal immigrants are. When businesses have trouble filling positions of low skill jobs they only have two choices, raise the wage rate high enough to fill jobs or eliminate positions (Gheen par. 14). Businesses must then raise the prices of their items to make up the difference. Higher prices that the customers of those businesses will end up paying for. Illegal immigration also improves the overall image of America. No other country in the world has the diversity of races,

There is one question that many people always think about when it comes to immigration. Are the undocumented immigrants helping or hurting our economy? There are many people who argue that immigrants hurt the economy, but by having the DREAM Act it will help the economy. “A study released by the Center for Immigration Studies, and immigration research organizations, stated ‘Households headed by illegal immigrants imposed more than $26.3 billion in costs on the federal government in 2002 and paid only $16 billion in taxes, creating a net fiscal deficit of almost $10.4 billion, or $2,700 per illegal household.’” (Haerens 19). On the contrary, if the DREAM Act were to be passed, it would cut the deficit by nearly $1.4 billion and increase the revenues by $2.3 billion over ten years. These students could also add $1.4 - $3.6 trillion in taxable income to our economy (Miranda). There would

Next, a study by Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda states that using a comprehensive immigration plan that involves giving current undocumented immigrants legal status would benefit the country with 1.5 trillion dollars in additional GDP growth over 10 years while increasing wages for all workers. Additionally, tax revenue would be increased by 4.5+ billion dollars over three years. The same study shows the cost of mass deportation, which is 2.6 trillion dollars in lost GDP over 10 years while increased wages for less-skilled workers. These undocumented immigrants certainly have a heavy influence regarding the economy, and it may be beneficial to incorporate them by granting amnesty as opposed to other solutions such as mass deportation. With legal status, the 11 million undocumented individuals can be more productive and help further strengthen the U.S. economy.

An economic boost is something the government longs for and shockingly many illegal immigrants have provided just that. According to an article written by The Nation, “undocumented immigrants contribute about $11.6 billion to the economy annually, including nearly $7 billion in sales and excise taxes and $3.6 billion in property taxes. They are, in economic terms, productive citizens, and pay a higher effective tax rate than the top 1 percent income bracket.” (Chen). This information helps put into perspective how much the undocumented immigrants contribute to america's economy.The thought that illegal immigrants have helped boost our economy is something that does not settle well with many americans. Americans do not like the fact that people who are not even truly apart of the country are the ones helping it rather than the naturally born citizens. The government has spent years trying to find ways to make the economy bigger and better. They never expected immigrants to be the solution.