Analysis Post

It was recorded that there are about 6,000 people illegally immigrated to the US in 2009 and this number is only going to increase! (Recent Trends in Illegal Immigrant Population) Even though the count has decreased slightly in the past few years, millions of people are living here that are not citizens. In a recent post, I discussed about the reasons why Mexicans want to immigrate, but now the fact is that they are in our country and our government needs to react to these numbers. Ezra Klein suggests her right wing opinion that says:

Yes, there's illegal immigration, and yes, illegal immigrants should have to pay fees and learn English, but no, it's not good for American workers or the American economy to have 12 million illegal immigrants living in the shadows, and no, deporting 12 million people is not a realistic option. Put differently, there are two fundamental facts here: Yes, there are illegal immigrants, and yes, we need to find a way to make them legal residents.” (The Atlantic Quote)

In actuality, illegal immigrants bring about economic, business, political, and ethical concerns. These people are causing conflict, specifically in Texas, California, and Arizona, and we need to develop our immigration system accordingly. Even though we will welcome immigrants, there has to be a way to force them to become citizens before taking residency in the U.S.

First and foremost, illegal immigrants are creating unnecessary stress on our financial system. Here are some eye-opening statistics: Illegal aliens’ families impose about $26.3 billion in costs on the federal government, while they only pay about $16 million in taxes. Illegal aliens are not required to pay taxes because they are not citizens even though some do. These costs include Medicaid, food stamps, federal prison and court systems, and aid to school systems. The government provides these benefits to everyone, without distinguishing between citizens and non-citizens, causing our country to go into debt. In essence, the federal government uses a large amount of money paid by legal taxpayers to provide illegal immigrants the same services that citizens have. (The High Cost of Cheap Labor)

Some people suggest giving illegal immigrants amnesty as a solution. Amnesty is a way for the federal government to forgive those who are in the United States illegally and those actions they have taking illegally, using false documents. This forgiveness gives illegal aliens legal citizenship. Even though they have broken our laws, we would be forgiving them and allowing them to stay in America. Isn’t that backwards reasoning? This could be a viable option, but if immigrants were granted amnesty, these people would mostly be unskilled workers who would heavily utilize the government programs and would make minimal tax payments. (Immigration Amnesty) Also, by giving amnesty to them, some believe that it would be essentially encouraging other Mexicans to immigrate illegally. It was stated that “Amnesty sends the message that it is okay to break the law.” (Why Amnesty Isn't the Solution)

Others believe it is imperative for the government to grant amnesty. An article in the Chronicle states “legalizing the status of the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States would boost the economy, creating jobs and increasing wages for native-born workers.” Another report claimed that the GDP could also be increased by about $1.5 trillion dollars in the next decade. (Granting Illegal Immigrants Amnesty would Boost Economy) Either way, if the government rules to grant all illegal immigrants citizenship, there will definitely be positive and negative consequences for the decision.

Secondly, businesses, such as banks, insurers, mortgage lenders, credit-card companies, and cell phone carriers, have contributed to the conflict of illegal immigration. Because there is a large population of illegal Hispanics in the United States, companies make money by selling products and services to them. Big businesses embrace illegal aliens as consumers and have become dependent on their labor. Because of this dependency, businesses know that the deportation of illegal aliens would literally cripple their corporations.

In regards to business, this statistic is incredible: “more than 1 million of the nation’s 2.5 million new jobs went to Hispanics, mostly recent immigrants.” (An opinion of Illegals) These immigrants are taking jobs away from citizens, but because illegal aliens contribute to the job market, companies continue to employ them. (U.S. businesses profiting from illegal aliens) It has been said that the federal government has been less strict about deportation because they are busy searing for potential terrorists since September 11th. If this is true, the government will be not as hash as in recent years and will not fine companies for employing illegal aliens. Even though businesses are required to check their employees’ Social Security numbers upon employment, about “2,300 of the country's 5.6 million employers used a computer system in 2004 to check employee Social Security numbers.” (Embracing Illegals) Thanks to businesses’ desire for profit and to not maintain integrity, illegal immigrants can easily get jobs and make money illegally in our country!!

The politics involved in this debate is also quite extensive. I have found the past two elections important in this issue (The Politics of Illegal Immigration). Based on the votes casted for the 2004 and 2008 elections, the majority of Latinos voted as Democrats, supporting John Kerry and Obama. (2008 Election Results, Latinos Strongly Support Democrats) Specifically since many Latinos disproved of Bush’s stance on immigration, many supported Barack Obama during his campaigning. During his years as President, he plans to legalize immigrants and also encourages the Senate to outline an immigration bill. (Obama backs plan to legalize illegals) In July, Obama gave a speech explaining his continuous support for immigration reform. (President Obama on Comprehensive Immigration Reform).

O'Malley explained his opinion in a debate earlier this week. He called illegal aliens “new Americans” which spawned conflict. Under O’Malley’s term, he has been criticized for making Maryland “a safe haven for illegal aliens and violent drug gangs.” He has done this by allowing driver’s licenses to be issued to non-citizens, being lax about immigration laws declared by the federal government, and telling law enforcement officers “to only report illegal aliens to the federal government when they have been arrested for a very serious crime, such as rape or murder.” (Now Illegal Americans are "New Americans")

Also, Arizona’s governor, Jan Brewer, signed a bill in April of 2010 stating that immigrants are required to carry their immigration papers and/or green cards with them at all times in case a law enforcement officer needs to see their identification. (Arizona Lashes Out on Illegal Immigration) The ruling in Arizona has sparked protests across the country. Some states, such as Texas, New Mexico, and California, disprove of the new law, while other states, like South Carolina, are making efforts to make their own similar laws. (Arizona-like Illegal Immigration Laws May Head Towards the Carolinas)

Another question arises during this discussion: Is it ethical to employ illegal aliens who have forged identification papers and no Social Security numbers? In my opinion, businesses should not be supporting those who do not have legal citizenship. Writers in the New York Times believe the opposite. They declare that since some illegal immigrants are paying taxes, they should be receiving Social Security benefits. Despite the fact that the government has spent most of the money set aside for Social Security, why should an illegal immigrant expect to get the same benefits as me, a citizen? That doesn’t make any sense to me. It just isn’t fair to come into the United States without proper identification and demand all the services that everyone else gets! Even if they are paying into the system, it makes them no different than anyone else who has to pay taxes. There is a simple explanation: they aren’t reaping the benefits that the government provides because they aren’t citizens. (Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions)

Although ultimately, the American government needs to enforce those coming from Mexico illegally, we also need to avoid upsetting Mexico. Throughout history, we have had peaceful relations with them with NAFTA and we need to keep it that way. If we make an outrageously strict immigration policy, then Mexico will not want to trade with us anymore and we need many Mexican products, such as oil, car parts and electronics. (Mexico's Exports to the US) Zogby International took a poll about the relations between the two countries and 62% declared that it was imperative that the United States and Mexico continue to support each other, even through the controversy of immigration. (Zogby Poll) No matter what, we just cannot upset the Mexican government because we depend on many of their products.

As our government continues to debate the issue, here are the current requirements for someone to become a legal U.S. citizen. Make your own decision of whether or not these are reasonable requests. (Naturalization Fact Sheet) Also, I will close this post with an insightful quote said by Bob Filner. He said “As Congress continues to debate ways to address illegal immigration, we must remember the many hard-working legal immigrants that contribute so much to our nation's economy and culture.” (Immigration Quotes)

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