Illegal Immigration Growing on the U.S.

Illegal Immigration Growing on the U.S.

In “Illegal Immigrants Do Not Harm America’s Economy,” Brian Grow and his colleagues, reporters for Business Week, argue that rather than damaging it, illegal immigrants actually help the economy by paying taxes and advancing general economic growth. The writers are responding to claims that illegal immigrants receive unwarranted negative attention for supposed drains on public services. They also address the fact that, despite possible legal ramifications, companies hire undocumented workers in higher numbers than ever before while the government seems to turn a blind eye. They speak of depressed wages, increased spending, and ambivalent government policies. Grow and the other writers try to persuade their readers, originally patrons of Business Week Online, to be more cognizant of illegal immigrants’ contributions to their local economies as well as the national economy. They use personal narratives, which may or may not convince the reader depending on his or her point of view and personal experience, and limited statistical data – evidence that is generally more influential to the objective reader – to make their case. Despite evidence that could be more concrete and objective, Brian Grow and his associates make a fairly convincing case that, as their numbers and spending power increase, illegal immigrants are fast becoming a crucial part of the United States economy.

The writers draw us in on a personal level by beginning their essay with the story of the Valenzuelas, a married illegal immigrant couple with two young girls. The writers, in calling the

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Velenzuelas by name, give them a sense of tangibility and make it easier for the reader to relate to the family. Th...

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... contribution to his opponent, Tancredo softened his proposal to reduce foreign aid instead of the tax. The writers use this example to demonstrate the power of companies who cater to immigrants and by association the economic power of the immigrants themselves.

The writers advance the idea that “There’s no point in pretending that millions of people aren’t here, so let’s find ways to deal with them....” (50). Through narratives and a sprinkling of statistical information, the authors of “Illegal Immigrants Do Not Harm America’s Economy” make a good – though hardly irrefutable – case that illegal immigrants are becoming an increasingly significant part of the United States economy.

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Works Cited

Grow, Brain, et al. “Illegal Immigrants Do Not Harm America’s Economy.” Illegal

Immigration. Margaret Haerens. Ed. San Francisco: Thomson/Gale, 2006. 45-52.