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Running Head: IMMIGRATION

Community Problem Report: Immigration

Maricruz Estrada
Feliciano Arrieta
April 11, 2016

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

Abstract

Recent research on economic, social, and political perspectives toward immigration prove
the importance of illegal workers. The significant increase in the number of immigrant
population living and working in the United States has improve its economy, therefore also
politically. The illegal immigrants of today are very different in so many ways from those who
came hundred years ago, todays workers are more productive, innovative, and inventive.
Immigration most of the time is viewed as conflict, it has become a significant issue in the
United States. Much of the debate on undocumented immigrants focuses in if they are good or
bad to this country. This paper examines the importance of having immigrants in the United
States and how helpful and useful are for American citizens. The impact of economic benefit has
been recognized and has received greater attention to immigration opponents. Immigrants have
been identified as doers and makers population, skilled immigrants that help to improve the
United States economy.

Keywords: Immigration, Economy, United States, Illegal immigrants

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

Introduction

Every day, thousands of illegal immigrants come to the United States with the idea to
fulfill their dreams, this is called the American Dream. Immigrants came to the United States
hoping to have a better life, work, or education. There are more opportunities, benefits,
motivations, protection, and freedom, which are the main reasons why immigrants leave their
homes. Throughout the years, the United States has welcomed millions of immigrants looking
for a better future. According to TIME, Sept 28 2015, fifty-nine million immigrants have entered
the United States since a 1965 reform (2015), this number has been increasing for years.
Immigration is one of the most common and compelling issues that the United States has faced.
Sadly, this desire to do well is not always succeeded by immigrants. Immigration is an important
factor, it is an issue that has been blow out of proportion by politicians and media. Illegal
immigrants benefit economic, social, and political growth of the United States.

Immigration is among the most compelling issues with which citizens as a country have
faced. The undocumented immigrant population is increasing in the United States every day,
leaving immigration as a major source of controversy around the world, raising political and
legal issues. In the early 1990s, 85% of illegal people resided in New York, New Jersey, Florida,
Illinois, and Texas (2013). On the legal side, immigration is becoming massive; in the United
States the population is growing 700,000 per year (2006). A problem presented by immigrants is
security, illegal population take away value by weakening the legal and national security

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

environment. On the political side, it is simply assumed that undocumented immigration
constitutes a drain on national resources. Another considered issue is the growing influence of
Americas Latino population; Hispanics are already the largest minority in the US population.

Illegal immigrants bring real benefits to the United States, beginning with its economy.
Opponents blame immigrants for hurting the economy, but immigrants are not hurting it. The
economy is strong, with higher total gross domestic product. Population today is 12 percent
higher than in recent decades, and there are more Americans working than ever before. As
Stephen Moore pointed out in a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, The increase in the
immigration flow has corresponded with steady and substantial reductions in unemployment
from 7.3 percent to 5.1 percent over the past two decades. And the unemployment rates have
fallen by 6 percentage points for blacks and 3.5 percentage points for Latinos (2005). In other
words, Moore is saying that undocumented population bring benefits to the supply side of the
American economy. Immigrants do bring positive results to the United States economy,
immigrant unemployment rates are lower in the U.S., immigrant families have a positive net
fiscal impact on the U.S., adding $88,000 more in tax revenues than they consume in services,
and Social Security payroll taxes have led to billions funding surplus.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. An enormous amount of immigrants

maintains the United States demographically young, enriched its culture and until this day
immigrants has brought productivity, and enhance our influence in the world. Daniel Griswold,
himself writes, Immigration gives the United States an economic edge in the world economy.
Immigrants bring innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit to the U.S. economy. They provide

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

business contacts to other markets, enhancing Americas ability to trade and invest profitably in
the global economy (2002). Griswold is ultimately stating that immigrants keep the United
States economy flexible. According to an authoritative 1997 study by the National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) it has been concluded that immigrants deliver a significant positive gain to the
U.S. economy. Nowadays immigrants contribution is more seeming than other based sectors.
Immigrant supporters see them as representatives of human capital which help the United States
economy become more productive. Griswold, supports himself in a recent article, Basic
economic analysis and numerous empirical studies have confirmed that immigrants boost the
productive capacity of the United States through their labor, their human capital, and their
entrepreneurial spirit (2012). This comment, gives insight to the different ways immigrants add
to the productivity growth of the United States.

On the other hand, immigrants also benefit the United States socially, theres been
demonstrated that immigrants contributions are very important and useful to the Unitated States,
the immigrants have been recognized as makers. Immigrants are considered as hard workers
people, they contribute to this country in so many different ways, in this case socially.
Undocumented people come here with a desire to do well; immigrants star businesses, theres
proof that they are more likely to star a business in the United States than non-immigrant
population. If people think about it, at this undocumented business there are a lot of citizens
working for them, immigrants create jobs and give opportunities for American workers, as a
result, unemployment is reduced. They tend to create their own business than working for others.
Others factors they bring to the United States are that immigrants contribute with innovation and
energy; they have new things to share. Other important benefit of immigrants living in the United

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

States is that they increase cultural diversity, their product contribution is quite enjoyable by
citizens. Also, increase standard living, is an obvious result that quality of life improved with
immigration.

Immigrants bring new things to the United States, because of their culture. They are
people with different skills and ideas, provide citizens with new developments and changes,
which leads to society improvement. As they come to the United States looking for better
opportunities, immigrants also contribute to citizens providing them with opportunities,
immigrants increase business flexibility. Most citizens see negatively the idea of immigrants
living in the United States, this community problem is given to debate, but a lot of people does
not see immigrants are very useful and helpful to citizens businesses. For example, if an
American person wants to open a business and his/her main goal is to reach the Hispanic market,
a Hispanic working there for him as sales representative can help and provide language, ideas,
and knowledge that this American boss cant provide to their customers.

In political terms, immigration is a subject very complicated and debated because it has
its pros and cons, economic and political benefits/advantages go hand in hand. Immigrant
population is considered as productive and inventive people, immigrant innovate the United
States with new and sometimes better jobs, leading to a productive economy and a satisfied
government as a result. There has been debate about political rights to immigrants, naturalization
is one of the main requisites for immigrants to take part. Political view is the most difficult to
discuss, because it has its consequences, for example, implications of immigration have brought
contributions to debate divided into ethic and racial perspectives. Immigration can influence the

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

political point of view by the economic and social factors. Camarota, Poston, and Baumle
pointed out an important fact, Another way to at least partly address the problem would be to
encourage legal immigrants to naturalize. This of course would not correct the problem of illegal
aliens, nor would it change the basic fact that low-immigration states are losing political power
(2003). This proves that enforcing immigration law will reduce the amount of illegal immigrants
living in the United States but it also will reduce political power, and reducing immigrants will
reduce economy and the social perspectives.

Immigration has been a community problem of intense debate. Immigrants face day-today racism and abuse, it has its pros and cons, but it is truly helpful to Unitated States economy.
Immigration has shown a positively effect in this nation, illegal immigrant come to the United
States with a purpose and a dream, they break the law, but to grow professionally and improve
their and their families live, not to hurt citizens. So controlling immigration is on hold because
immigration is an important factor and bring real benefits to their lives and to American citizens
lives. Immigration is a problem hard to control, and will be in the future; it has its good and bad
effects but it is a balanced problem.

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

References
Basu, T. (2015). How the past 50 years of Immigration changed America. TIME
Magazine. Retrieved from
< http://time.com/4050914/1965-immigration-act-pew/>.

Camarota, S. A., Poston, D. L., & Baumle, A. K. (2003). Remaking the political
landscape: The impact of illegal and legal Immigration on congressional
Apportionment. Center for Immigration Studies. Retrieved from
<http://cis.org/ImmigrationEffectCongressionalApportionment>.

Griswold, D. (2002). Immigrants have enriched American culture and enhanced our
influence in the world. CATO Journal. Retrieved from
<http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/immigrants-have-enrichedamerican-culture-enhanced-our-influence-world>.

Griswold, D. (2012). Is immigration good for America? Cato Journal, 32(1), 1-4.
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d714aa797304%40sessionmgr110&vid=5&hid=130>.

Hipsman, F., & Meissner, D. (2013). Immigration in the United States: New economic,

Running Head: IMMIGRATION

social, political landscapes with Legislative reform on the horizon. Migration
Policy Institute. Retrieved from
<http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigration-united-states-neweconomic-social-political-landscapes-legislative-reform>.

Kane, T., & Johnson, K. A. (2006). The real problem with Immigration and the real
solution. Heritage. Retrieved from
<http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/03/the-real-problem-withimmigration-and-the-real-solution>.

Moore, S. (2015). More Immigrants, More jobs. The Wall Street Journal. P.A13.
Retrieved from
<http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/03/the-real-problem-withimmigration-and-the-real-solution>.