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| Immigration Reform Rally 2010 (Photo credit: Anuska Sampedro) |
Five Good Reasons for Supporting Comprehensive Immigration Reform(and legalizing the undocumented).
By Matthew I. Hirsch (copyright 2012)
Since the election, renewed attention has been focused on theissue of immigration reform and, like boxers circling in the ring, opposingsides seem to be inching towards some kind of compromise.
Why this sudden tack into the current of controversy? One,the Republican leadership recognizes that shifting demographics helpedPresident Obama win re-election and they do not want to be the party of “No” onimmigration. Two, both parties understand that Congress is seen by the publicas a pit of petty partisanship and they view immigration as an issue which hasthe potential for a bipartisan bill they can all claim as their own.
And though these are good reasons for compromise onimmigration, there are at least five other good reasons for supporting immigrationreform which includes legalization of the undocumented.
1) The currentsystem actually contributes to illegal immigration. Most Americans don’trealize that it takes years for a person with a green card to bring theirspouse to the U.S. As a result, some separated spouses obviate the law byentering the U.S. illegally or by overstaying. Similarly, it takes years for a U.S.employer sponsoring a foreign professional or skilled worker to bring that personin “the right way.” Instead, faced with the pressing demands of ripening fruit,or unkempt hotels, or uncut grass, employers hire the undocumented. Reform isneeded to align supply with demand in the family- and employment-basedcategories.
2) Legalizingthe undocumented will help to reduce the deficit. Everyone complains that theundocumented don’t pay taxes. In fact, the undocumented contribute togovernment revenues in many ways, through sales tax, gas tax and “sin” taxes; throughlottery tickets, fees for licenses and applications, through rents used to payreal estate taxes. And they commonly have Social Security and Medicaidwithheld, often under mismatched social security numbers. (This means that theyput in to that system, but don’t take out - to the tune of $7.0 billion peryear). Allowing the undocumented into the system would yield substantialincreases to federal, state and local coffers in income taxes and FICAcontributions.
3) Immigrantshelp to revitalize cities. Immigrants,whether legal or undocumented, bring new life to old cities. Neighborhoods thathad seen better days are seeing new life, as waves of 21st. century immigrantsreplace prior generations. These new immigrants are often thrifty andhardworking, and move quickly from renting to homeownership. Soon, theseneighborhoods see the opening of small shops, groceries and restaurants,catering to the tastes of the community. While the sights, sounds and spices ofthese changing neighborhoods might roil some of the earlier settlers, withoutthese new groups, many city neighborhoods would be left lifeless andimpoverished.
4) Immigrationrestriction has high social costs for “blended” families. There are anestimated 12.0 million undocumented in this country. Many of them have U.S.citizen spouses and children. Deporting them or creating conditions which maketheir existence untenable hurts those citizen family members, and drives themtowards dependency. With a wage earner in the household, these families have abetter chance at economic stability and upwards mobility. Without a wageearner, the children are faced with the negative challenges of single-parenthouseholds, with lower income, more reliance on government support and higherlikelihood of falling prey to drugs, gangs, teen pregnancy and dropping out.
5) Economicsfavor legalizing the undocumented. No one thinks it is possible to deport theundocumented. Estimated costs of removal of the undocumented exceed $200.0billion. In these days of record deficits, no one in Washington who thinks thatthis is a good idea. As for self-deportation i.e. increasing pressure throughrestriction, this is self-defeating. Just ask the people of Hazleton, PA orother cities that decided to drive out the illegals with tough laws. In short,the vast majority of the undocumented are here to stay. In contrast, while noone would argue that the undocumented do not impose costs in such areas as lawenforcement, medical care and education, on balance, the economic impact wouldbe substantial and favorable, by some estimates adding $1.5 trillion to GDPover the next decade.
These are just some of the reasons to get behindcomprehensive immigration reform, including a “path to citizenship.” Otheraspects of reform are less controversial. Yes, we want to secure the borderagainst threats and we want to promote respect for the law. But we also want tocreate an immigration system that helps America be stronger, more vital andmore competitive. At the top end, we want to attract and retain the “best andbrightest” and not erect barriers that discourage them from staying in America.We also need immigration laws that recognize the demands of our economy in suchareas as hospitality, healthcare and agriculture. We also need immigration lawsthat unite families and which do not force eligible immigrants to wait a decadeor longer to come legally to America.
For some Americans, immigration feels like a threat – to culture,to jobs, to ways of life. This is not an unusual sentiment or a new one.Ultimately, it will be up to our lawmakers – in both parties – to look beyondthe politics of fear and to summon the courage to enact reform which is inAmerica’s national interest.
Reprinted with permission. Previously published in the Harrisburg Patriot News and the Trenton Times.
http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/opinion_legalizing_undocumente.html
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