Immigration Reform, It's a Good Thing

America’s ancestors fled Europe because of the maltreatment of the people by the kings and the harsh conditions that they were experiencing. Once they arrived to America they found what they were looking for; a new beginning filled with opportunities. The immigrants of today are much the same. Immigrants come to America because they want a better life for their families and an opportunity to become part of this great nation. Lobbyist ans some congress men are trying to push laws that would allow to round up and deport all illegal immigrants that live in the United States not thinking about the possible consequences and the unfairness to the illegal immigrants that have built their lives here. They argue that illegal immigrants are hurting the economy, the labor force, and draining public services, that are meant to serve the tax payers. Elected officials from around the country and non profit organizations such as National Council of La Raza have come together in support of an immigration reform. I also support an immigration reform and believe that illegal immigrants should be given a chance to reach the American Dream by passing an immigration reform that will help not only the United States economy and labor force, but also the great people that come here to pursue a better life for them and their families.

At the present time the United States is experiencing a recession, but the United States has been through this before and the economy will turn around and continue to grow. Edward Iwata stated,“ The University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic growth projects that Hispanics’ spending power – personal income after taxes – will rise from $490 billion in 2000 to $1 trillion in 2010” (3b). This shows that immigrants have a tremendous buying power that is going to benefit and expand the economy, and they can be part of the solution and not the problem. The housing market is also an area that has been suffering lately with its major problem being the foreclosures of homes. Iwata wrote, “In a study for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, Paral estimates that 231,000 undocumented immigrant households can afford to buy homes – a $44 billion boom if they had mortgages” (3b). Debra A. Miller wrote that two economists found that cities with immigration have experienced a greater economy (69).For example, “By looking at the data on the 100 largest cities studied, the two economists found that for each 1 percent increase in the number of foreign-born workers in a city, American-born workers saw a 0.3 percent increase in real wages” (Miller 69). Continuing on with the economy in cities with a large immigrant population Miller points out that the two economists made four major findings:

The positive effect on U.S. wages stem from immigrants offering education backgrounds and job skills to those of native-born Americans. Immigrants are increasing the variety of services in cities, making them cheaper for American consumers. The immigrant services complement the American-born services, which implies a limited competition and little downward pressure for American- born wages. The new businesses are attracting more investment in cities, helping the cities’ overall economies grow. (70)

Some also argue that immigrants are not good for the economy because they are driving American-born workers out of low-skilled jobs. For example Miller wrote, “The economist – the director of labor market studies at Northeaster University in Boston – argues that the large supply of immigrants has displaced low-skilled U.S. born workers, particularly the young and the poor, from jobs” (102). While this is true Miller has stated that, “… the availability of lower-wage helps create more work for higher-skilled, higher paid workers who are generally native born” (103). With this in mind not only are immigrants helping the economy by taking jobs that American workers are not willing to take, but they are also encouraging low-skilled native-born workers to pursue a higher education and obtain higher paid jobs because of their unwillingness to work for the low wages that illegal immigrants receive. Furthermore, while it is illegal for immigrants to be living in the United States without permission and for employers to hire them, it is not illegal for them to purchase products and services. At the Mexican council one can obtain an identification card called a matricula. With it one can open bank accounts from Washington Mutual Bank and get cell phone service from AT&T. Margaret Haerens also points out other services that can be obtain with just the matricula, such as health insurance from Blue Cross of California and mortgages from Wells Fargo Bank (48). Immigrants are not a burden but a benefit for all of America. The United States economy will continue to grow and expand, but its maximum potential will not be reached unless illegal immigrants are allowed to contribute to it by been here legally.

The labor force is a beneficiary of illegal immigrants who live in the United States. The majority of the unwanted jobs by Americans are welcomed by illegal immigrants. Like Meredith Preston states, “… immigrants have filled the gap by taking manual labor jobs that American workers are unwilling or unable to take (10). Congress has recently passed a bill that will send all 12 million plus illegal immigrants back to their home country, but what they are not considering that many industries that are dependent on illegal immigrants’ labor. It is estimated that, in 2001, undocumented workers served 58 percent of the work force in the agriculture industry, 23.8 percent in household services, 16.6 in business services, 9.1 percent in restaurants, and 6.4 percent in construction (Bacon 11). All these industries will suffer tremendous work shortages that will not be able to be filled by Americans. Today business owners that want to do the right thing, by only hiring legal workers, exist, but these businesses are experiencing labor shortage due to the laws that have been passed by Congress. Employers will be fined and possibly be incarcerated if they do not fire workers that the have received a “no match’ letter. With these laws in effect the underground economy will expand because employers will be forced to pay employees cash and hold no record for it (Herbst 4). The natural rate of unemployment is the point at which a market is said to be at full employment. Throughout the 1990’s the market hovered around the natural unemployment rate (Miller 57). Economist agree that when a market sustains a natural unemployment rate for an extended period of time inflation is quick to follow, but this not the case, the inflation rate never exceeded 3.4 percent through out the 1990’s (Miller 57). Although immigrants where not the sole cause for this phenomenon, immigrants did play a key role. As we all know a crackdown in the illegal immigrants labor force will cause a shortage of labor force in many industries especially the agriculture industry. In 2004, a case like this happened, the crackdown of 2004 caused a great shortage of workers in the lettuce crops. Growers had to leave the crops without being harvested, leaving at the end a loss of one billion dollars. It was also said that it was cheaper for the growers to let the crops rot then to pay American workers the wage that they would demand (Miller 105). Congressman Tom Tancredo, along with many others, has argued that illegal immigrants are draining services that they do not pay for. The reality is that they do pay for these services by paying personal income tax, social security, and Medicare, and they are actually not eligible to use those services because the 1996 welfare reform has disqualify them (Miller 106). How can illegal immigrants be paying income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security if they do not have a social security number? Illegal immigrants can obtain an individual taxpayer identification number that its sole purpose is to pay taxes. The only public services that illegal immigrants can use are emergency medical care and a K-12 education (Miller 106). Immigrants are crucial to the U.S. labor force, and play a great role that no one else can substitute. America must compromise in a solution that will benefit everyone, which is an immigration reform.

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Bacon, David. “The Political Economy of Immigration Reform.” Multinational Monitor

November. 2004. Vol. 25, 11. p. 9-13. 1 April 2008 http://www.multinational.org/

Haerens, Margaret. Illegal Immigration. Detroit: Thomson, 2006.

Herbst, Moira. “Immigration Rules: An Economic Disaster?” Business Week Online

15 August. 2007. (2007): p.10. 1 April, 2008.

<http://web.ebscohost.comnhmcproxy.nhmccd.edu>

Iwata, Edward. “Immigrants Courted as Good Customers.” USA Today

11 May. 2006. (2006): p. 3b. 1 April, 2008.

<http://web.ebscohost.comnhmcproxy.nhmccd.edu>

Miller, Debra A. Illegal Immigration. Detroit: Thomson, 2007.

Preston, Meredith. “Economy Factors into Immigration debate.” American City and

County June 2006:p. 8 & 10.