The Significance of Illegal Immigration

America’s exceptional status as a “nation of immi­grants” is being challenged by globalization, which is making both migration and terrorism much easier. The biggest challenge for policymakers is distinguish­ing illusory immigration problems from real prob­lems. One thing is quite clear: The favored approach of recent years—a policy of benign neglect—is no longer tenable. Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives recognize this and deserve credit for striving to craft a comprehensive law during this session of Congress.

Illegal immigration into the United States is mas­sive in scale. More than 10 million undocumented aliens currently reside in the U.S., and that popula­tion is growing by 700,000 per year. On one hand, the presence of so many aliens is a powerful testament to the attractiveness of America. On the other hand, it is a sign of how dangerously open its' borders are.

Typical illegal aliens come to America primarily for better jobs and in the process add value to the U.S. economy. However, they also take away value by weakening the legal and national security envi­ronment. When three out of every 100 people in America are undocumented (or, rather, docu­mented with forged and faked papers), there is a profound security problem. Even though they pose no direct security threat, the presence of millions of undocumented migrants distorts the law, distracts resources, and effectively creates a cover for terror­ists and criminals.

It's important to look at the pro's and con's of illegal immigration before accepting or rejecting it entirely:


Pro's

- The population today includes a far higher percentage (12 percent) of foreign-born Americans than in recent decades, yet the economy is strong, with higher total gross domestic product (GDP), higher GDP per person, higher productivity per worker, and more Americans working than ever before.

- The increase in the immigration flow has corresponded with steady and substantial reductions in unemployment from 7.3 percent to 5.1 percent over the past two decades. Unemployment rates have fallen by 6 percentage points for Blacks and 3.5 percentage points for Latinos.

- Whether low-skilled or high-skilled, immigrants boost national output, enhance specialization, and provide a net economic benefit. The 2005 Economic Report of the President (ERP) devotes an entire chap­ter to immigration and reports that “A comprehen­sive accounting of the benefits and costs of immigration shows the benefits of immigration exceed the costs."

- Immigrant unemployment rates are lower than the national average in the U.S.

- Most immigrant families have a positive net fis­cal impact on the U.S., adding $88,000 more in tax revenues than they consume in services.

- The increasing worry about outsourcing jobs to other nations is just one more reason to attract more jobs to Amer­ica by insourcing labor. If workers are allowed to work inside the U.S., they immediately add to the economy and pay taxes, which does not happen when a job is outsourced.

Con's

- Flouting the law has become the norm, which makes the job of terrorists and drug traffickers infinitely easier.

- The economic costs of terrorism can be very high and very real, quite apart from the otherwise positive economic impact of immigration (for example, one terrorist attack may directly/indirectly cost the U.S. billions of dollars).

- Efficient legal entry depends on a waiting period used to screen applicants, without which creates instability and safety concerns.

- Unregistered citizens take jobs that have been set by the American government to meet the number of employable U.S. citizens, throwing off the supply-demand balance.


To summarize, the real problem presented by illegal immigration is security, not the supposed threat to the economy. Indeed, efforts to curtail the economic influx of migrants actually worsen the security dilemma by driving many migrant workers underground, thereby encouraging the culture of illegality. These facts can serve to drive either support or opposition to American policy regarding the handling of immigration.


Any thoughts?


- Written by Tim Kane and Kirk Johnson, Adapted and contributed to by Josh Bower