These $296 billion is basically what taxpayers pay to the illegal workers on behalf of the employers who employs the illegal immigrants. That’s the most important factor for income inequality by a double whammy: citizen workers lost job due to lower pay to illegal immigrants, and citizen taxpayers pay part of the illegal salary through benefits.
Thanks for sharing. I used to think that sanctuary city means a lot more protection for illegals. Is it just 2 things - police doesn’t ask about immigration status (but can find out about it if needed) and police doesn’t detain someone only on the basis of immigration status (but will if they have committed a crime)?
If it’s just those two, then how’s this policy assisting criminals? Or are we missing something else here?
Question is what is ACTUAL USA’s policy on illegal immigration?
If it’s policy is implicitly(inspite of the existing immigration laws) “If you get into the USA illegally & you don’t have a criminal record you can for intensive purposes stay here & have kids who are US citizens & we will use the US citizen children logic to protect the parents in the future(circular logic)”, what is the deterrence for future illegal immigration in the US?
And we now have sanctuary cities which by matter of policy(not implicitly anymore) implement the above.
so, again same question what/where is the deterrence for future illegal immigration in the US?
Why does USA condone illegal immigrants previously?
The only reason I can think of is there are far too many jobs especially the lower paid ones that are unfulfilled by Americans during boom times.
Company would stop renewing the contracts for temps during recession, what should a nation do during recession?
a. Deport them. But we have to be sure those jobs can be taken up by Americans or robots. I have seen many undocumented immigrants hanging around Home Depot, how many Americans want to take up those handyman’s jobs? I heard that there are many agriculture helpers who are undocumented immigrants, apparently they are cheaper than Cat and Deere.
b. Convert them to citizens. Well, only those without criminal records… sure? They could be those who don’t pay much taxes, may be they are those who would earn income tax credit!
Salaries commensurate with a developed country standards will ensure Americans will do those jobs. Once, upon a time students used to do wait staff jobs and paid for their college tuition from that salary.
Economists who talk of demand supply & how supply meets demand and next comes oversupply which leads to lower costs for that product/service seem to forget all that when it comes to lower end labor.
The illegal immigrants are coming no matter what the policy…Unless the border guards are willing to shoot the illegals crossing like on the Berlin wall, they will keep coming, no matter what kind of wall is built. It is time Mexico addresses the causes of why their people are willing to risk death to get out…
Only Mexico and Central America can solve this problem. …They need to take responsibility for the welfare of their citizens and economies…
Without immigration our population will shrink. And we will become Japan where adult diapers outsell baby diapers.
So I am of the opinion that we should welcome all immigrants. Sure, some poor ones may need some help first. But by definition these people are motivated and they work like crazy. Over time our economy will be stronger because of immigrants, legal or not.
Tolerating & not deterring illegal immigration is uncontrolled immigration. We should actually try that i.e. OPEN BORDERS as far as economic migration is concerned.
We will soon find out what it does to USA’s population.
Open border and welfare state don’t mix. I get that. So I am more of an Obama guy. Enforce the laws on the books right now and don’t let more illegals in. But the ones already here we need a realistic way to deal with them. Massive deportation is unrealistic.
In 2012, 4.5 million U.S.-born children under 18 lived with at least one undocumented parent. That was 6.1 percent of the population under 18 – twice the percentage as in the year 2000.
Also, the argument of perpetual growth of human population while might be good for economics must also be examined from a non economic perspective (environment & non human species) [but that’s a separate issue & belongs to a different thread].
Population growth is the main reason for the climate change. The Earth can not bear the ever growing population.
We should focus on improving standard of living, not maximize economic growth using population growth alone.
Reducing illegal immigration is good for limiting climate change, reduce global warming, reduce income inequality.
Basically many goals of the Democratic Party can be achieved more easily if there is no illegal immigrants.
If there is no illegal immigration, democractic party will have no reason to exist. Illegal immigration has caused many issues that Democratic Party has been focusing its energy on. Maybe that’s why Democrats need illegal immigration for their relevance,
The best policy for climate is to keep billions of people in poverty. India produces much less climate changing stuff than US with 4 times of population.
Liberals are right to promote poverty and limit economic growth.