Negative Effects Of Undocumented Immigration

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The Positive Effects of Undocumented Immigration in America
The American Dream has drawn immigrants to the United States for generations, but today there are over eleven million undocumented immigrants who are looked down upon for their illegal status (americanprogress.org, “The Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status and Citizenship to Undocumented Immigrants”). Anna Quindlen states that: “All the thundering about policing the border and rounding up those who have slipped over it ignores an inconvenient fact: America has become a nation dependent on the presence of newcomers” (“Immigration: Newcomers by Numbers, The Conscious Reader). America seems to have forgotten that we began as a country of immigrants, our ancestors escaping oppression and seeking a new life in a brand new country. Many immigrants still come to America …show more content…

Native-born citizens frequently assume that most immigrants cross the border illegally, but the fact is that most immigrants enter the country legally. Although they enter the country legally with a work, student, or tourist visa, they become undocumented or illegal when they remain in the country after their visa expires (aclu.org, “Immigration Myths and Facts”).. Even if one enters the country illegally, it does not mean that he is a criminal. While undocumented immigrants are here illegally, they have more of a positive impact than a negative impact on America. Undocumented immigrants usually take the jobs that American citizens don’t want to do and are not always treated or paid well. The Department of Labor reports that over half of the 2.5 million farm workers are undocumented immigrants.

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