Every year, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans cross into the US illegally. The prospect of employment is the major factor that attracts illegal immigrants into the US. Illegal immigrants usually do low skilled jobs. The US government spends billions of dollars on illegal immigrants despite the fact that they pay very little taxes.
Therefore, illegal immigration makes the government lose vast sums of money that it would have otherwise used in development activities. In addition, illegal immigrants help in trafficking drugs into the US. The US government is in process of constructing a multibillion-dollar 700-mile wall along the Mexican border. The wall would deter illegal immigrants from crossing over into the US (Schlyer and Clark 260).
Illegal immigrants are a burden on the government. They use various social facilities despite the fact that they pay very little taxes. In addition, illegal immigrants take up employment opportunities for American citizens. Various parties claim that the government should not use vast sums of money in constructing the wall. However, the economic costs of illegal immigrants are far much higher than the costs of constructing and maintaining the wall (Coates 179).
Mexican drug lords pose a serious security threat to Americans. Therefore, it is vital for the government to take measures that would make it harder for Mexican drugs cartels to operate in America. One of the measures is ensuring that illegal immigrants and illegal drugs do not cross the border (Zartman 122).
Therefore, the wall would improve the safety of Americans by reducing the entry of illegal drugs. Making it hard for illegal drugs to cross into America would force the drug lords to look for alternative markets for the drugs. In addition, preventing the entry of illegal drugs would protect the future of Americans. This is because drugs may destroy the future of American youths.
The US government has various measures that make it hard for illegal immigrants to enter the US. The government checks for illegal immigrants in ports and other entry points. A border patrol helps in preventing illegal immigration along the border. Constructing a wall along the border between the US and Mexico would greatly help the border patrol in tackling illegal immigration. The wall would create an additional barrier that illegal immigrants must overcome before they enter into American soil. This would make it harder for illegal immigrants to cross over into America (Drachman and Langran 26). In addition, the wall would make a strong statement that illegal immigrants are not welcomed in the US.
Construction of the border wall is a labor-intensive activity. Therefore, the construction of the wall would help in generating employment. This is despite the fact that the wall also prevents the entry of illegal immigrants, who take up employment opportunities meant for Americans.
Constructing a wall would greatly help in the reduction of illegal immigration. The wall would help the border patrol in preventing illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants have to avoid the border patrol before moving across the wall into America.
Despite the fact that the government would use vast sums of money in constructing and maintaining the wall, the economic benefits of the wall outweigh its costs. It would reduce the number of illegal immigrants who take up American jobs. Reduction in the number of illegal immigrants would reduce the economic burden that immigrants place on the government. In addition, the wall would help in reducing the influence of Mexican drug cartels in America.
Works Cited
Coates, David. Getting immigration right: What every American needs to know. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, Inc. 2009. Print.
Drachman, Edward R. and Langran, Robert. You decide: Controversial cases in American politics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Print.
Schlyer, Krista and Clark, Jamie Rappaport. Continental divide: Wildlife, people, and the border wall. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2012. Print.
Zartman, I. William. Understanding life in the borderlands: Boundaries in depth and in motion. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2010. Print.