Illegal Immigration: Pro or Con for America?

Group Members: Alex Cull, Matt Kingsbury, Mike Sorgi,

Huy Tran

Did you know…

Between 1891 and 1920: America received 18 million immigrants

2002: 4 million illegal immigrants

Info taken from the American

Resistance

Question

Should the Untied States take stronger action upon Illegal

Immigration? Why or why not?

Picture taken from MSNBC

Illegal Immigration The act of entering

any country or territory unlawfully

From Canadian and Mexican Border

9/11 terrorists Mostly looking for

job opportunities 7-20 million

people illegallyInfo taken from MSNBC and Dictionary.com

They Should They Shouldn’t

1. Economic Disadvantages and Taxes

2. Jobs3. Crime and

Security4. Education

1. Cheap workers2. Benefits to the

Economy3. Cultural Diversity4. Unwanted Jobs

The U.S. Should Take Stronger Action upon Illegal Immigration

Economic Disadvantages Lack of U.S. Citizenship

Hurts Social Security Money made in USA taken to

Mexico 10 billion dollars a year 1 billion for deportation

Info taken from the American Resistance

Economic Disadvantage (Cont.)

Border control Construction of fences Police X-ray and gamma ray scanner Coast Guard

Info taken from the American Resistance

Taxes Illegals have found a way to game

the IRS’s individual taxpayer identification number system (ITIN)

Issued to people who owe taxes but are not eligible for a social security E.g.; Foreign business owners

Info taken from J.D. Hayworth’s Whatever It Takes

Taxes (Cont.) IRS has issued over 8 million ITINs Illegals can receive ITINs Before they asked for ITINs’ Now they apply when filing a tax return Approval of ITINs’ approve Immigrants

for Financial Benefits Home loans Mortgages Bank application

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Jobs Come to America

looking for jobs Paid “dirt” cheap Guest worker

program 14% of workforce

is foreign born

George Bush’s speech on the Guest Worker Program

Jobs (Cont.) Contractors use illegals Tomato factory, $3.35 an hour

US workers replaced when they demanded normal pay

Approximate 45% wage difference

Immigrants exploited as workers

Info taken from “Illegal Immigrants: Opposing View Points”

Crime and Security

Drug Smuggling 60% of US imported

contraband from Southern border

Terrorist Environmental

Concerns Abandoned vehicles Litter Drug abandonment

Scattering

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Crime and Security (Cont.) Large amount of immigrants

contain criminal record In 2003…

46,000 criminal aliens in federal prison Cost of 1.3 billion dollars

74,000 criminal aliens in state prison Cost of 880 million dollars

147,00 in local jails

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Crime and Security (Cont.) Of the following…

15% property related offenses

12% violent offenses Cause for gang

violence Only category of

violent crime on the increase in the USA

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Crime and Security (Cont.) Document fraud

Documents near replicated Case in which fake work identification

could not be identified until sent to a Crime Lab

Visa’s, birth certificates, drivers license, identification, work papers

Easily susceptible to terrorism

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Education Supreme Court 1982; Philly vs. Doe

School officials may not ask students of citizenship

Illegal immigrant minors California Public Schooling

Populate more than 15% of students Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Nevada

Populate 10%-15% of Students 11 other States

Populate up to 5% of Students

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Education (Cont.) Costs of education is $12 billion for

illegals Any attempt of getting rid of

student results in huge protests Canadian students kicked out of New

Jersey public school Utility bill to prove residency

Info taken from Whatever It Takes

Education (Cont.)

Chart taken from Whatever It Takes

The U.S. Should Not Take Stronger Action upon Illegal

Immigration

Cheap Workers Earned 1-10

billion dollars for U.S. economy per year

Comprise 11.5% of foreign born worker comprise of the American workers force

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Cheap Workers (Cont.) Work well below minimum wages Work includes restaurants,

factories, hotels, and manual labor Hired illegally by American

business owners

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Cheap Workers (Cont.)

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Benefits to the Economy Immigrants lower unemployment

rate Between 1978 and 1982…

US rate between 6% to 8% Today…

US rate between 4% to 5%

Immigrants absorb into US workforce

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Benefits to the Economy (Cont.)

35 million more Americans employed today than 20 Years ago

USA creating more jobs than all of Japan and Europe since 1980 USA takes as many immigrants as

does all of Japan and Europe USA contains lowest rate of

unemployment in industrialized world

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Benefits to the Economy (Cont.)

Medium family income Raised in US in 1981-1998 from…

$39,000 to $45,800Approx. 16% increase

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Benefits to the Economy (Cont.)

(In 1998) Immigrant households… Paid estimated 133 billion dollars in direct

taxes to federal, state, and local governments

Tax receipts paid by immigrant business… Brings tax contribution of immigrants approx.

162 billion dollars

“Immigrants are a fiscal bargain to native taxpayers.”

Info taken from Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing

Benefits to the Economy (Cont.)

Guest worker program 1 billion dollars for deportation 10 billion for service

No need for illegal entry with guest worker program

Info taken from George Bush’s speech on the guest worker program

Benefits to the Economy (Cont.)

Huge net contributors to… Social security

3% of the illegal immigrants that enter the US are over 65

12% of Americans are over the age of 65 Grow to 15% over 20 years

Taxes paid over benefits received cntribute to solving the long term financing problem of Social Security

Medical programs

Cultural Diversity Brings in many…

Religions Foods Traditions Moral values Variety of labor workers

Info taken from Illegal Immigration Opposing Viewpoints

Cultural Diversity (Cont.)

Education Languages Ethnic

Neighborhoods

Cultural Diversity (Cont.) “The American national identity

has never been directly linked to ethnicity or religion”

“Most Latin American immigrants may be a source of strength with regard to family values.”

Info taken from Illegal Immigration

Cultural Diversity (Cont.) Immigrant entrepreneurs

Major source of new jobs Vitality in American economy

Unwanted Jobs Illegal immigrants take unwanted

jobs such as… Farm work Contractor work Factory work Restaurants Hotel maid service

Info taken from Illegal Immigration

Unwanted Jobs (Cont.) Are paid much cheaper than

Americans So less money is spent on paychecks

for companies Problems with this include…

Raids on businesses employing illegals

It is illegal to employ illegal aliens

Info taken from Illegal Immigration

Conclusion The United States should take

stronger action upon illegal immigration.

The United States should not take stronger action upon illegal immigration.

Personal Opinions

Importance of Issue Very current debate in the government Growing in size Potential problem for the American

workforce Changed opinions between biased

people Alters economy Brings cultural diversity