Liberals are alarmed that immigrants are abused in an effort to create cheap labor and inferior social class, while Conservatives wonder, “And… What is wrong with that?” Immigration, illegal immigration, in particular, is a sensitive issue, which continues to grow bigger in scale as modern society becomes more globalized. It seems like nowhere the problem is more pronounced than in the United States, the land known for its diversity and multiculturalism. After all, the U.S. was created at the hands of immigrants coming there to start a new life for themselves. Despite common misconceptions, only 13.7 percent of the American population are immigrants, compared to 22 percent in Canada or 28 percent in Australia (Amaded para. 3). Thus, the actual reason why the issue of immigration is so controversial in the United States is not the overall number of immigrants but the number of undocumented ones, which is almost 11 million, according to Amaded (para. 8).
Problem
I have conducted copious research to examine the issue of illegal immigration in great detail, spending hours upon hours analyzing statistics and the latest research. After all, most of my closest friends are immigrants, and they often share their own take on the current events regarding mass deportations or new immigration policies. After hearing personal stories and conducting my own research, I can assure you that the best stance a nation can have is pro-immigration and not against it. First, immigration expands employment opportunities and, in fact, increases the wages of native citizens. Second, immigrants do not abuse the welfare state since they do not have access to any means-tested welfare in the first five years; illegal immigrants do not have access at all, with the exception of Medicaid. Third, the border problems can be resolved by reforming the legal immigration process and not building the Wall or isolating the country completely.
In order to demonstrate to you my argument and hopefully start an open-minded discussion surrounding the topic, I will justify my stance. I am going to talk about the reasons for supporting legal immigration through reforms. The first myth I am going to challenge is that immigrants steal the natives’ jobs. The second misconception I will address is that immigrants are more likely to abuse welfare benefits funded by taxes. Lastly, I will show you the possible solutions to the problem of illegal immigration, which go beyond banning anyone who wants to come to the country.
Pattern of organization
Immigrants do not lower the natives’ wages or decrease the number of jobs available. In fact, they contribute to the increase in the native population’s income, as evidenced by the research conducted by Giovanni Peri and Vasil Yasenov in 2018 (2). The Mariel Boatlift, which refers to Miami’s population growing by 7 percent in a matter of 42 days due to immigration, had a positive effect on the wages of even low-skilled natives. Even though the increase in the population was extreme and would likely never occur if strictly legal immigration procedures were to be implemented, thousands of people coming to Miami did not negatively affect the area’s economy and natives. In addition, immigration leads to economic growth. “The smallest estimated immigration surplus, as it is called, is equal to about 0.24 percent GDP” (Nowrasteh para. 4). These statistics are adjusted to focus entirely on the American native population. It excludes the financial gains and economic contributions of immigrants over the years.
When the argument about job-stealing immigrants does not work, the proponents of such things as the Wall or other methods of isolation use the welfare card. In reality, immigrants are the main contributors to the existing welfare systems and not abusers. It is important to acknowledge the fact that immigrants do not abuse means-rested welfare (Nowrasteh para. 5). In fact, the research shows that “individual immigrants use public benefits at lower rates and at lower levels than native-born Americans” (O’Shea & Ramon 6). Illegal immigrants do not have access to such welfare at all, with the exception of Medicaid. Additionally, immigrants are actually some of the most prominent contributors to Social Security and Medicaid, with the statistics demonstrating that between 1996 and 2011, immigrant contribution to Medicare was $182 billion, which is more percentage-wise as compared to native-born Americans (Kosten para. 6). During the same period, the United States-born population received almost $70 billion more in benefits than immigrants (Kosten para. 6). Most of the people immigrating are young, so the costs of healthcare for them are minimal. My friend Rita shared with me that most of her relatives and family friends of older age come back to their country of origin anyway once they grow older.
Instead of focusing on flawed anti-immigration arguments, it is imperative for the United States to find efficient solutions to accommodate those who seek asylum or a better life for themselves. Most of the issues related to illegal immigration can be resolved through developing an effective framework for managing migration, and not with Walls or closed borders. The first block of initiatives should focus on incoming migrants (Bier para. 47). It is imperative to establish and maintain a parole program, which would be aimed at helping families to reunite. There should also be sponsorship initiatives for refugees seeking asylum from political terror and violence, which could be funded by the private sector. On the other hand, it is impossible to ignore the immigrants already living in the country, which requires certain opportunities to be provided for them (Bier para. 47). The first initiative implies the legalization of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers within the United States. The second solution is focused on navigating future refugees towards the allocated ports of entry.
Solutions
While illegal immigration remains a controversial topic, it is imperative for modern society to look beyond bias, cultural differences, and false news headlines. Immigrants do not only increase the native-born population’s wages and help the economy; they contribute to established benefits frameworks and, thus, ensure they remain viable. In order to ease the existing crisis, nations need to come to terms with globalization and implement certain solutions such as the creation of parole and sponsorship programs as well as the legalization of the existing undocumented immigrant population. The country, which manages to re-imagine its border control policies and reform regulatory immigration frameworks, is the one, which is going to become a multicultural global power, and the country that ignores reality and isolates itself.
Works Cited
Amaded, Kimberly. “How Immigration Effects the Economy and You.” The Balance, 2021.
Bier, David J. “Legal Immigration Will Resolve America’s Real Border Problems.” Cato Institute, 2019.
Kosten, Dan. “Immigrants as Economic Contributors: Immigrant Tax Contributions and Spending Power.” National Immigration Forum, 2018.
Nowrasteh, Alex. “The 14 Most Common Arguments against Immigration and Why They’re Wrong.” Cato Institute, 2018.
O’Shea, Tim, and Cristobal Ramon. “Immigrants and Public Benefits: What Does the Research Say?” Bipartisan Policy Center, 2018.
Peri, G., & Yasenov, V. (2018). “The Labor Market Effects of a Refugee Wave: Synthetic Control Method Meets the Mariel Boatlift.” Journal of Human Resources, no. 0217_8561R1, pp. 1-39. ResearchGate, doi:10.3368/jhr.54.2.0217.8561r1.