The Pros And Cons Of American Immigration Reform

According to a study conducted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the cost of harboring illegal immigrants each year in the United States is $113 billion. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that there are approximately twelve million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. Based on these statistics, it is not a surprise that immigration reform has taken top priority on the agenda of the Obama Administration. Suggestions on a workable solution have created a division between citizens, advocates, and political parties. On proposed solution is grating amnesty to illegal immigrants. However, opponents argue that granting amnesty not only violates an important principle within our legal

In an attempt to discredit the Perryman Report, the Federation for American Immigration Reform conducted their own study and found that an estimated $52 billion was spent on education for the children of illegal immigrants (Fox News). Here we have two different reports on opposite sides of the spectrum. In order to fully comprehend illegal immigration on the whole, it is imperative to understand the effects it has on our economy, demography, and the people (citizens/legal aliens and illegal immigrants). Only then, can we decipher whether the pros outweigh the cons or

Their rebuttal to the argument that illegal immigrants harm the economy by displacing low-skilled natives and depressing wages is simply that illegal immigrants do jobs that U.S. workers refuse to do. Because illegal immigrants are considered to be part of the secondary sector (low earnings, unskilled work, and job impermanence) they are more likely to accept jobs in poor working conditions. In addition, they maintain that there is a lack of evidence demonstrating that illegal immigrants and native workers occupy the same jobs