Thursday, May 11, 2006
Myths v. Facts on Immigration
Myths
vs. Facts: Commonly used attacks against immigrants
Information provided by:
http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org
FACT: Immigrants pay taxes, in the form of income, property, sales, and taxes
at the federal and state level. As far as income tax payments go, sources vary
in their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90
and $140 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. Undocumented
immigrants pay income taxes as well, as evidenced by the Social Security Administrations
suspense file (taxes that cannot be matched to workers names and social
security numbers), which grew by $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.
(Source: http://www.immigrationforum.org/about/articles/tax_study.htm)
FACT: Immigrants come to work and reunite with family members. Immigrant labor
force participation is consistently higher than native-born, and immigrant
workers make up a larger share of the U.S. labor force (12.4%) than they do the
U.S. population (11.5%). Moreover, the ratio between immigrant use of public
benefits and the amount of taxes they pay is consistently favorable to the U.S.
In one estimate, immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay about $90
billion a year in taxes, and use about $5 billion in public benefits. In
another cut of the data, immigrant tax payments total $20 to $30 billion more
than the amount of government services they use.
(Source: Questioning Immigration Policy Can We Afford to Open Our Arms?,
Friends Committee on National Legislation Document ..G-606-DOM, January 25,
1996. http: www.fas.org/pub/gen/fcnl/immigra.html)
Myth: IMMIGRANTS SEND ALL THEIR MONEY BACK HOME
FACT: In addition to the consumer spending of immigrant households, immigrants
and their businesses contribute $162 billion in tax revenue to U.S. federal,
state, and local governments. While it is true that immigrants remit billions
of dollars a year to their home countries, this is one of the most targeted and
effective forms of direct foreign investment.
(Source: http://www.cato.org/research/articles/griswold-020218.html.)
Myth: IMMIGRANTS TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM AMERICANS...
FACT: The largest wave of immigration to the U.S. since the early 1900s
coincided with our lowest national unemployment rate and fastest economic
growth. Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs for U.S. and foreign workers, and
foreign-born students allow many U.S. graduate programs to keep their doors
open. While there has been no comprehensive study done of immigrant-owned
businesses, we have countless examples: in Silicon Valley, companies begun by
Chinese and Indian immigrants generated more than $19.5 billion in sales and
nearly 73,000 jobs in 2000.
(Source: Richard Vedder, Lowell Gallaway, and Stephen Moore, Immigration and
Unemployment: New Evidence, Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, Arlington, VA
(Mar. 1994), p. 13.
Myth: IMMIGRANTS ARE A DRAIN ON THE ECONOMY
FACT: During the 1990s, half of all new workers were foreign-born, filling gaps
left by native-born workers in both the high- and low-skill ends of the spectrum.
Immigrants fill jobs in key sectors, start their own businesses, and contribute
to a thriving economy. The net benefit of immigration to the U.S. is nearly $10
billion annually. As Alan Greenspan points out, 70% of immigrants arrive in
prime working age. That means we havent spent a penny on their education, yet
they are transplanted into our workforce and will contribute $500 billion
toward our social security system over the next 20 years
(Source: Andrew Sum, Mykhaylo Trubskyy, Ishwar Khatiwada, et al., Immigrant
Workers in the New England Labor Market: Implications for Workforce Development
Policy, Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, Boston,
Prepared for the New England Regional Office, the Employment and Training
Administration, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Boston, Massachusetts,
October 2002.
http://www.nupr.neu.edu/1102/immigration.PDF..search='center%20for%20labor%20market%20studies%20at%20Northeastern%20University%20studies'
)
Myth: IMMIGRANTS DONT WANT TO LEARN ENGLISH OR BECOME AMERICANS
FACT: Within ten years of arrival, more than 75% of immigrants speak English
well; moreover, demand for English classes at the adult level far exceeds
supply. Greater than 33% of immigrants are naturalized citizens; given
increased immigration in the 1990s, this figure will rise as more legal
permanent residents become eligible for naturalization in the coming years. The
number of immigrants naturalizing spiked sharply after two events: enactment of
immigration and welfare reform laws in 1996, and the terrorist attacks in 2001.
(Source: American Immigration Lawyers Association, Myths & Facts in the
Immigration Debate, 8/14/03.
http://www.aila.org/contentViewer.aspx?bc=17,142..section4 )
(Source: Simon Romero and Janet Elder, Hispanics in the US Report Optimism New
York Times, (Aug. 6, 2003).
Myth: TODAY'S IMMIGRANTS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THOSE 100 YEARS AGO
FACT: The percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign-born now stands at
11.5%; in the early 20th century it was approximately 15%. Similar to
accusations about todays immigrants, those of 100 years ago initially often
settled in mono-ethnic neighborhoods, spoke their native languages, and built
up newspapers and businesses that catered to their fellow migrs. They also experienced
the same types of discrimination that todays immigrants face, and integrated
within American culture at a similar rate. If we view history objectively, we
remember that every new wave of immigrants has been met with suspicion and
doubt and yet, ultimately, every past wave of immigrants has been vindicated
and saluted.
(Source: Census Data:
http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kprof00-us.pdf,http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/censr-4.pdf
)
Myth: MOST IMMIGRANTS CROSS THE BORDER ILLEGALLY
FACT: Around 75% of todays immigrants have legal permanent (immigrant) visas;
of the 25% that are undocumented, 40% overstayed temporary (non-immigrant)
visas. Undocumented immigrants estimated to be less than 2% of the US
population.
(Source: Department of Homeland Security
(http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/index.htm)
FACT: From 1986 to 1998, the Border Patrols budget increased six-fold and the
number of agents stationed on our southwest border doubled to 8,500. The Border
Patrol also toughened its enforcement strategy, heavily fortifying typical
urban entry points and pushing migrants into dangerous desert areas, in hopes
of deterring crossings. Instead, the undocumented immigrant population doubled
in that timeframe, to 8 milliondespite the legalization of nearly 3 million
immigrants after the enactment of the Immigration Reform and Control Act in
1986. Insufficient legal avenues for immigrants to enter the U.S., compared
with the number of jobs in need of workers, has significantly contributed to this
current conundrum.
(Source: Immigration and Naturalization website:
http://www.ncjrs.org/ondcppubs/publications/enforce/border/ins_3.html)
Myth: THE WAR ON TERRORISM CAN BE WON WITH IMMIGRANT RESTRICTIONS
FACT: No security expert since September 11th, 2001 has said that restrictive
immigration measures would have prevented the terrorist attacksinstead, the key
is effective use of good intelligence. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were here on
legal visas. Since 9/11, the myriad of measures targeting immigrants in the
name of national security have netted no terrorism prosecutions. In fact,
several of these measures could have the opposite effect and actually make us
less safe, as targeted communities of immigrants are afraid to come forward
with information.
(Source: Associated Press/Dow Jones Newswires, US Senate Subcommittee Hears
Immigration Testimony, Oct. 17, 2001.)
(Source: Cato Institute: Dont Blame Immigrants for Terrorism, Daniel Griswold,
Assoc. Director of Cato Institutes Center for Trade Policy Studies (see:
http://www.cato.org/dailys/10-23-01.html)
bh
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2006/05/myths_v_facts_o.html
Comments
Uh, I think the current debate is about illegal immigrants, not immigrants in general. You're tryint to pull the wool over readers' eyes by lumping illegal immigrants in with legal immigrants.
Posted by: Steve Sailer | May 19, 2006 9:04:47 PM
Poor Steve. You are the one who is having the wool pulled over your eyes. The anti-immigration movement is categorically not "about" undocumented aliens. It is about immigrants, with their brown skin.
And besides, this distinction is addressed above.
Posted by: Jason | May 20, 2006 8:46:08 PM
A great post, but you must know that the Xenophobic Right will never be swayed by such liberal weapons as logic and reason. The "law & order", economic and security concerns given by opponents of immigration are nothing but a smokescreen to cover their racist fear of change.
I see the immigration issue as much ado about nothing. Access to the U.S. should be quick, easy and painless. With an open border, perhaps we'll one day miss a terrorist sneaking in. That would be tragic but would ultimately demonstrate our values as a free nation. Jack-boot security, with walls and armed patrols, takes away from us what it fundamentally means to be American. The real price of freedom is living with the knowledge that sometimes our freedom costs us our lives.
The bedwetters on the Right would rather be safe than free, which is really no choice after all. It only changes from where the danger comes.
Posted by: Samurai Sam | May 23, 2006 2:56:34 PM
Steve Sailer! I thought you were in jail, man!
Hey Steve! Tell us what your "research" says about the average IQ of illegal immigrants?
If anyone is interested, the following article can be Googlebombed against the keywords "Steve Sailer":
http://liberalavenger.com/2004/09/michelle-malkin-defends-white.html
It was #2 or #3 in Google for awhile but it has slipped to the second page.
Posted by: The Liberal Avenger | Jun 3, 2006 5:29:10 AM
Refered to on http://Danmark.wordpress.com
http://www.bnp.org.uk/news_detail.php?newsId=1118
Compare with:
http://danmark.wordpress.com/2006/06/21/immigrant-load/
http://www.lilliput-information.com/uscan.html
In English also on http://Danmark.wordpress.com
http://danmark.wordpress.com/2006/07/22/causal-interpretation-almost-left-%e2%80%93-except-when-it-fit-into-the-ideology/
http://danmark.wordpress.com/2006/06/14/top-and-buttom/
http://danmark.wordpress.com/2006/06/14/welfare-for-40-years-and-the-results/
Sincerely
Joern Vig
http://lilliput-information.blogspot.com
and
http://dissidentpress.wordpress.com
Posted by: Joern Vig | Nov 2, 2006 9:25:29 AM
Whoever wrote this article must be enriching himself from cheap illegal labor. He most definitely is trying to confuse the issue.
No one I know is against LEGAL immigration.
Everyone I know who is knowledgeable on the subject recognizes that ILLEGAL immigration provides no long term benefits for this country.
One thing for sue - you can't support caring for the environment AND illegal immigration - they are mutually exclusive.
Some folks just can't give up that cheap (slave) labor.
Posted by: cw | Dec 8, 2006 1:13:24 AM
I think you need to talk about illegal immigrants more. The real promblem is illegal immigrants not legal immigrants.
Posted by: John Parker | Feb 21, 2007 9:26:48 PM
You need to talk more about illegal immigration, rather then legal immigration.
Posted by: John Parker | Feb 21, 2007 9:28:31 PM
ok...to all of those who commented on that its about the illegal ones...ur dumb...for one he's not talking about that the problem is about all the immigrants...he is giving facts for people like me to use on their essays and such. and yes we all know the illegal immigration is a social security problem...yea...u people are dumb.
Posted by: Reese | Mar 4, 2007 6:41:26 PM
Myths v. Facts on Immigration...thats what it is dumb asses who dont know how to comment.
Posted by: Reese | Mar 4, 2007 6:42:58 PM
How can ya'll be so cold on the matter?
Like I read somewhere in the myths vs. facts,
Immigrants of a 100 years ago went through
hardships too to reach success. In fact, you are only looking at the first generation immigrants, you ignorant people, the second and further generations are "legal" and tecnically nativists are just further down generations, what if I told your ancestors, you ignorant people, to do the long legal process and wait in their origin country (somewhere in Europe), while slaving for the little money you get to ensure family well-being.
Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 5, 2007 3:15:53 PM
Well People Have To Understand That Illegal Immigrants Come Here To Work For Their Family That Are Still In Their Native Country. They Also Take Jobs Other People Dont Want 2 Do. Like In Construction I've Never Seen A White Guy Workng IN Fixing Bridges...Ect.. Only Black and/or Hispanics. The Real Issue That I've Seen Is Against Hispanics. I Hate It When I Here People Insulting Hispanics If there Not The Only Ones That Are Immigrating Here & Anyway Isn't This Country Suppose To Be The Free Country, The Country That Gives Opportunities? Well It Isn't Really Showing It.
Posted by: Janet | Apr 8, 2007 11:32:57 PM
My husband came to this country legally. He then applied to become a resident. His documents expired and he had no way to legally work TWO YEARS LATER when the goverment still hadn't gotten to his case because of the bureaucratic nightmare of red tape involved because the system is so broken. We paid over $1500 in filing fees alone, that clearly doesn't touch the legal fees involved. On three occasions our court hearing was postponed because the governent 1)forgot the file 2)forgot to bring the entire file 3)had a sore arm and couldn't bring the files up from her car. While we were at one hearing the judge informed the immigrant that they could now hear her case because her file that had been lost for 13 months was found behind the desk of a worker who had been out on medical leave. He then informed her lawyer that all the documents proving the torture she suffered in her country had fallen out and couldn't be located, could they please write to someone in China and have them resent? My brother-in-law was approved to become a permanent resident three and a half years ago. Three months ago he finally received his green card. Apparently because of the governments "reorganizing" of processing centers, they are very behind in getting any work done. He had to make an appointment online every 90 days, take off work and drive two hours away to check on the status. If some of you people really knew what it meant to go through the legal process of coming to this country you might rethink your views. Who are you kidding when you say that everyone should come here the legal way when these are just a drop in the bucket of what they face. Until you have experienced the process, please refrain from recommending it. One more note, you need my husband and everyone like him you can round up to pay taxes to take care of you when you or your parents plan on retiring and collecting social security. News alert!! there is not enough money to pay the benefits for all the baby boomers getting ready to cash in. Lucky for you, my husband is required to pay social security taxes for you even though he is not eligible to receive social security payments himself since he is not a citizen. You are welcome.
Extremly frustrated,
Sarah
Williamsburg, VA
Posted by: Sarah | Apr 27, 2007 7:02:11 AM
Thank you Sarah! Don't forget that foreign born immigrants have fought, died and received congressional medals of honor in every war This "volunteer Army" in Iraq has 30,000 foreign born troops fighting for a country that discriminates against them.
Roberto
Omaha Nebraska
Posted by: Roberto | May 2, 2007 6:50:37 PM
you all are just ignorant you all have to think about why youre here if you are not a native american you too are an immigrant and yea illegal immigrants may be a problem but one day you will retire and you will want to get the social security benefits and guess who pays for that ???? they do duh!! they get here and work in the jobs you dont want and they give us americans jobs too dont we sell rent and make houses for them too?? well you have to think about all that cause if they really came to take our jobs then how do the newcomming illegal immigrants still get them? because the jobs are there!! we dont take them because we dont want to!!
Posted by: Robert | May 9, 2007 7:21:50 PM
MINORITY STATUS FOR AMERICANS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT
In his campaign speech of 2000, George W. Bush said, "A vote for me is a vote for a new America" (little did anyone know what he really had in mind.).
Yes Mr. Bush, I would certainly agree that MINORITY STATUS FOR AMERICANS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT, IN FIVE OF OUR MAJOR CITIES, AS EARLY AS 2010, IS CERTAINLY A NEW AMERICA, MR. BUSH...
...AND MINORITY STATUS FOR ALL(!) AMERICANS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT BY 2050 (OR VERY SOON THEREAFTER), IS CERTAINLY A NEW AMERICA, MR. BUSH !!
In California and Texas, Americans of European descent are already a minority, and their share of our population falls every year!
ARE YOU GETTIN' THE PICTURE?
You Need More? Want Some Perspective On How Many Illegal Aliens Are Coming Across The Border and what they're bringing with them? ("an assembly line of diseases into the heart of America")
Well, just take a look, my fellow Americans, at some excerpts from Pat Buchanan's book: "STATE OF EMERGENCY...THIRD WORLD INVASION AND CONQUEST OF AMERICA"
(I have no financial relationship with this book's author, whatsoever):
On November 28, 2005, President Bush, speaking in Tucson, conceded that in five years 4.5 million aliens had been caught attempting to break into the Untied States. Among that 4.5 million, Bush admitted, were "more than 350,000 with criminal records."
One in every twelve illegal aliens the U.S. Border Patrol had apprehended was a criminal. That is, 70,000 felons apprehended each year, 200 felons every single day for five years, trying to break into our country to rob, rape, and murder Americans. On the millions who succeeded on Bush's watch, how many came for just such purposes?
Nearly 8 million foreigners did enter during those five years, 3.7 million of them illegally. If one in twelve was a criminal, 300,000 felons slipped in during Bush's tenure. This is an historic dereliction of presidential duty.
What They’re Bringing With Them
(in addition to more people than this nation can support)
Because the vast majority of immigrants, legal and illegal, now come from rural areas, towns, and cities of the most impoverished nations of the hemisphere, where sanitation is often poor and health care nonexistent, they impose other costs upon the American people
High among these is the appearance of contagious diseases that researchers and doctors eradicated long ago. Malaria, polio, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and such rarities of the Third World as Dengue Fever, Chagas’ disease, and leprosy are surfacing here.
In the states that border Mexico, writes NewsMax.com, columnist George Putnam, there is “ a steady, silent, pervasive invasion of the Untied States by an unarmed army carrying an assembly line of diseases into the heart of America. Illegal aliens are also bringing in syphilis and gonorrhea. Bedbugs have invaded the United States for the first time in 50 years, with 28 states reporting recent infestations.
For forty years, only 900 cases of leprosy, or Hansen’s disease had been diagnosed in the United States; in the first three years of the twenty-first century, 7000 cases were discovered.
Posted by: John | May 25, 2007 4:30:45 PM
The "native" statistics include "American' born children of illegal immigrants. In other words, these anchor babies are called Americans in the statistics. The statistics are skewed.
Posted by: Lory | Dec 4, 2007 5:05:34 PM
All of yall people who think all illegal immigrants are bad should go and try doing everything by yourselfs!You all will not be able to do not one thing without an immigrant having something to do with it!I'm a 16 year old girl who was brought here when i was about 4 or 5 years and yes i'm illegal with no green card or watever and does it seem like i dont know english?That i dont know how to spell?That just because I'm a girl and illegal i'm already pregnant and already dropped out of school?Well no!Eventhough I'm aware that once i grow up and over the age of 18 I'm not going to be able to work legally I still try my best at school and at home but sometimes I think,"why am I even attending a magnet highschool if I'm not going to be able to go to college legally?".And does that sound fair to me?No!Ofcourse not!I have not done anything to harm this "world of yalls" or to damage it, I was not asked to be brought here!I just wanted to remind all of you who said we just come here and steel your jobs dat we dont steel them.We do those jobs "we steel" because yall won't do them!And because unlike yall we do have a family to take care of and love!Because we might be illegal and poor but we are not criminals!Not all of us!And for those who do appreciate us i want to thank yall!I really do mean it from the bottom of my heart!
I came here lookin for facts/statistics for my essay and look what I ended up writin.Its weird how things happen ha?
Posted by: tacos | Sep 30, 2008 8:45:03 PM
All of yall people who think all illegal immigrants are bad should go and try doing everything by yourselfs!You all will not be able to do not one thing without an immigrant having something to do with it!I'm a 16 year old girl who was brought here when i was about 4 or 5 years and yes i'm illegal with no green card or watever and does it seem like i dont know english?That i dont know how to spell?That just because I'm a girl and illegal i'm already pregnant and already dropped out of school?Well no!Eventhough I'm aware that once i grow up and over the age of 18 I'm not going to be able to work legally I still try my best at school and at home but sometimes I think,"why am I even attending a magnet highschool if I'm not going to be able to go to college legally?".And does that sound fair to me?No!Ofcourse not!I have not done anything to harm this "world of yalls" or to damage it, I was not asked to be brought here!I just wanted to remind all of you who said we just come here and steel your jobs dat we dont steel them.We do those jobs "we steel" because yall won't do them!And because unlike yall we do have a family to take care of and love!Because we might be illegal and poor but we are not criminals!Not all of us!And for those who do appreciate us i want to thank yall!I really do mean it from the bottom of my heart!
I came here lookin for facts/statistics for my essay and look what I ended up writin.Its weird how things happen ha?
Posted by: tacos | Sep 30, 2008 8:46:09 PM
hi I'm working on a bill about making an easier to become a U.S. citizen can you send me facts that would help me with my bill
Posted by: marisa Barragan | Feb 20, 2009 9:57:50 AM
i think everyone that is a minority should stay where they were born, America is for American's. (:
Posted by: Jenn | May 8, 2009 12:17:52 PM
marisa Baragan, you do relize that "America" includes ALL of North and South AMERICA?! So why would you even post something like that? You are obviously ignorant and need to become more educated before writting stupid things you have no understanding of. And lastly if your not Native American you shouldn't be talking, because I'm sure your ancestors were once illegal immigrants. Please due your research and stop with your selfishness.
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Posted by: james ramey | May 12, 2006 4:33:27 PM