For centuries, people have migrated in hopes of a better life. Whether it is for money, to escape persecution, or to find fresh resources; there has always been a constant relocation of people. In our modern time migration of people is carefully monitored, due to threats of terrorism, overpopulation causing scarce resources, In the United States the amount of undocumented people immigrating in to the country has been a hot button topics for decades. In this essay I will address the question, is allowing a constant flux of people to immigrate to the United States beneficial to the economy, or should stricter reforms be put in place to restrict the number of immigrants?
HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION To understand immigration policies today, …show more content…
As state from the American Immigration Council,
“In evaluating the pros and cons of a legalization program, it is important to keep in mind that legalization is not only a humanitarian act; it is also a form of economic stimulus. The example of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) demonstrates that workers with legal status earn more than workers who are unauthorized. And these extra earnings generate more tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments, as well as more consumer spending which sustains more jobs in U.S. businesses. Recent studies suggest that the economic value of a new legalization program would be substantial, amounting to tens of billions of dollars in added income, billions of dollars in additional tax revenue, and hundreds of thousands of new jobs for native-born and immigrant workers alike. In short, a new legalization program for unauthorized immigrants would benefit everyone by growing the economy and expanding the labor market.” (An Immigration Stimulus, …show more content…
Having a means for undocumented illegal immigrants to qualify for resident visas is important for both the immigrant and the government. After passing a thorough background check, and meeting additional requirements, immigrants issued visas will be able to apply for a driver’s license, open bank accounts, and live a life where they are not in fear of being deported. The government will also have a means of tracking immigrant movement through out the U.S. and will have additional revenue from the taxes they newly legal immigrant will be paying. Immigration itself has an important role to play in the nations cultural formation. It is
DISADVANTAGES OF IMMIGRATION
The 2012 DHS Population Estimates report, states approximately 11.5 million illegal immigrants are residing in the United States. (Hoefer, 2012) As stated previously immigrants are more likely to perform manual labor jobs and service industry jobs in order to make a living. This is a problem in some low skilled industries. An undocumented labor force driving wages down has displaced native and documented