Immigration Reform Now a Matter of “How”
Advocates, Economics, Economy, Employment, Enforcement, Family, Human Rights, Immigration Blog, Legislation, Reform, Undocumented Immigration Add comments
There are plenty of genuine issues worthy of debate in immigration reform—how to really create secure borders and communities, how to predict and manage future immigration flows, how to implement a fair and workable employment verification system, and how to ensure that legal immigration incorporates key values represented by family and work. But what is no longer on the table is whether we should be doing immigration reform, particularly legalization of the undocumented. Yesterday’s release of the IPC/CAP report finally puts to rest the question of whether immigration reform is good for the country. The answer—a resounding “Yes!”
It bears repeating that the bottom line finding of this report is that legalization of 12 million people who are already here in the United States would result in a $1.5 trillion increase in the GDP over the decade following implementation of the law. Taking a more lukewarm approach, that is, simply giving those folks a legal status with no path towards citizenship, cuts that benefit almost in half, but is still a shot in the arm to the tune of $792 billion over 10 years. In contrast, pursuing a mass deportation policy leads to a net loss of $2.5 trillion.
Even more telling, these findings are virtually the same as a Cato Institute report issued last August. Two different major reports coming at the issue from different ideological perspectives, both using scientifically respected economic models, pursued independently, reaching the same conclusion—this is something that can’t be ignored.
These reports confirm what many people have been saying all along—immigration reform isn’t just about immigrants. All Americans benefit from immigration reform because it levels the playing field for all workers. It lets employers who are trying to follow the law do so without worrying about unscrupulous employers who undercut the competition by paying under the table and cutting corners on safety. A well-regulated legal immigration system—that includes addressing the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S.—leads to improved purchasing power, better wages, and ultimately the preservation of jobs and a stronger economy.
The road to economic recovery is a long one. We aren’t going to get there arguing about whether immigrants steal jobs, which they don’t. We are going to get there by figuring out what will improve our economy, get us back on our feet, and ensure a better future for our kids. Immigration is part of the solution. Legalization is a pragmatic and sound choice to move us forward. Let’s stop bickering over whether we should do it and move forward in 2010 on the how.
Photo by BrittneyBush.
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January 8th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
See what happened to this town. Meat factory, illegals, immigration raid, 400 detained. 1 year later 1800 left the town, most of the small businesses closed ( many American owned ), and they needed to bring 150 legal Somalis. The factory works on 30%. Cases still open after one year, some illegals still didn’t get deported.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2009/0605/p17s08-usgn.html/(page)/2
WHY AMERICANS DIDN’T RUSH TO TAKE THIS JOBS ? After a year, Americans still didn’t fill these jobs. WHY NOT if the Americans will take any job, but these illegals took it from them ?
This was only 400 illegals. Imagine that with 12 million…
I do not agree with the mass illegal immigration, but deportation simply not an answer. Give them fines, just like we get when we break the law, do not let them vote for 15 years, pay taxes, learn English, etc. But we just can’t deport them all.
This is capitalism. You don’t want socialism, do you ? Socialist Goverment will protect your jobs from others. Capitalism care about one thing : PROFIT.
We lost so much jobs to China. Business did go there because of cheap labor. What do you think, meat factories will raise wages just to attract Americans ? They’d rather bring their business south of the border… and more Americans will lose their job.
They won’t pay more for picking tomato.. they’ll import tomato from Chile because it’ll be cheaper.
And don’t fool yourself. Illegals didn’t take your or anybody’s job.
In 2007, when we had 12 million illegals, we had 4.9% unemployment.
2009, we have less illegals, and 10% unemployment.
The jobs we lost, well, did not the illegals took. They still work in those jobs we didn’t take in 2007.
4.9% unemployment is what… 6-7 million people ? I can imagine that many people don’t want to work, they’re the lazy ones, they’d rather live off of the Welfare checks, or sell drogs, use drogs, can’t get jobs because they were hard criminals, etc.
Illegals took the jobs we didn’t want. Now we want those jobs. OK, let’s take them. But once the recession is over, and everybody will be back to their old jobs, who will do those jobs again ?
January 8th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Deno, is the best comment that i have ever read.
I agree with you 100%. Talking about unemployment, is exactly like you say, my neighbor is receiving unemployment checks, welfare etc, he speak against immigrants all the time but he is just a lazy guy drinking beer all day and what it is worst, my taxes are paying his beers!!!.
Immigrants are hard workers, they work double shifts, they do not cry like babies, they only care about family and i look my neighbor….. you know what
we have to keep ours immigrants here because with people like my neighbor this country will go down FOR SURE!!!.
WE NEED IMMIGRATION REFORM NOW!!!
January 11th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
[...] Originally posted at Immigration Impact blog. [...]