The Effect of Illegal Immigration on the US Economy

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The United States of America, being a country founded by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people who have overstayed the time granted on their US, visa or those who have broken the federal law by crossing the border illegally. Matt O’Brien stated in his article “The government thinks that 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007.”(Para, 2) While some argue that illegal immigrants burden the United States of America and its economy, others believe that they have become essential and are an important part of the US, economy. Illegal immigration has helped in the nation’s economic growth by enabling businesses to prosper as the illegal immigrants have provided cheap labor and long hours of hard work. Businesses benefit from illegal immigration by saving a large amount of money since they are not providing insurance both medical and retirement plans for their illegal workers. This results in a lower production cost for the companies and lower prices of goods and services for everyone. Although illegal immigrants may not contribute directly to the economy of the nation in the aspect of paying taxes like income tax, they contribute to the economy in the form of sales taxes by purchasing the supplies they need in the same way a native citizens or legal immigrants do in order to survive and live comfortably. Illegal immigrants do not dr... ... middle of paper ... ...unity College. find.galegroup.com.librus.hccs.edu/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=ret rieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010173279&source=gale&srcprod= OVRC&userGroupName=txshracd2512&version=1.0>.21 Sep. 2011 O'Brien, Matt. "Illegal Immigration Population Has Plunged Since 2007, Federal..." Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA). 02 Feb 2010: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 28 Sep 2011. Madeline Pelner Cosman. "Illegal Immigrants Threaten U.S. Health Care." At Issue: What Rights Should Illegal Immigrants Have?. Ed. Lori Newman. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Houston Community College. .28 Sep. 2011

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