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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 the
issue of immigration reform and, like boxers circling in the ring, opposing
sides 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 helped
President Obama win re-election and they do not want to be the party of “No” on
immigration. Two, both parties understand that Congress is seen by the public
as a pit of petty partisanship and they view immigration as an issue which has
the potential for a bipartisan bill they can all claim as their own.
And though these are good reasons for compromise on
immigration, there are at least five other good reasons for supporting immigration
reform which includes legalization of the undocumented.
1) The current
system actually contributes to illegal immigration. Most Americans don’t
realize that it takes years for a person with a green card to bring their
spouse to the U.S. As a result, some separated spouses obviate the law by
entering 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 person
in “the right way.” Instead, faced with the pressing demands of ripening fruit,
or unkempt hotels, or uncut grass, employers hire the undocumented. Reform is
needed to align supply with demand in the family- and employment-based
categories.
2) Legalizing
the undocumented will help to reduce the deficit. Everyone complains that the
undocumented don’t pay taxes. In fact, the undocumented contribute to
government revenues in many ways, through sales tax, gas tax and “sin” taxes; through
lottery tickets, fees for licenses and applications, through rents used to pay
real estate taxes. And they commonly have Social Security and Medicaid
withheld, often under mismatched social security numbers. (This means that they
put in to that system, but don’t take out - to the tune of $7.0 billion per
year). Allowing the undocumented into the system would yield substantial
increases to federal, state and local coffers in income taxes and FICA
contributions.
3) Immigrants
help to revitalize cities. Immigrants,
whether legal or undocumented, bring new life to old cities. Neighborhoods that
had seen better days are seeing new life, as waves of 21st. century immigrants
replace prior generations. These new immigrants are often thrifty and
hardworking, and move quickly from renting to homeownership. Soon, these
neighborhoods see the opening of small shops, groceries and restaurants,
catering to the tastes of the community. While the sights, sounds and spices of
these changing neighborhoods might roil some of the earlier settlers, without
these new groups, many city neighborhoods would be left lifeless and
impoverished.
4) Immigration
restriction has high social costs for “blended” families. There are an
estimated 12.0 million undocumented in this country. Many of them have U.S.
citizen spouses and children. Deporting them or creating conditions which make
their existence untenable hurts those citizen family members, and drives them
towards dependency. With a wage earner in the household, these families have a
better chance at economic stability and upwards mobility. Without a wage
earner, the children are faced with the negative challenges of single-parent
households, with lower income, more reliance on government support and higher
likelihood of falling prey to drugs, gangs, teen pregnancy and dropping out.
5) Economics
favor legalizing the undocumented. No one thinks it is possible to deport the
undocumented. Estimated costs of removal of the undocumented exceed $200.0
billion. In these days of record deficits, no one in Washington who thinks that
this is a good idea. As for self-deportation i.e. increasing pressure through
restriction, this is self-defeating. Just ask the people of Hazleton, PA or
other 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 no
one would argue that the undocumented do not impose costs in such areas as law
enforcement, medical care and education, on balance, the economic impact would
be substantial and favorable, by some estimates adding $1.5 trillion to GDP
over the next decade.
These are just some of the reasons to get behind
comprehensive immigration reform, including a “path to citizenship.” Other
aspects of reform are less controversial. Yes, we want to secure the border
against threats and we want to promote respect for the law. But we also want to
create an immigration system that helps America be stronger, more vital and
more competitive. At the top end, we want to attract and retain the “best and
brightest” and not erect barriers that discourage them from staying in America.
We also need immigration laws that recognize the demands of our economy in such
areas as hospitality, healthcare and agriculture. We also need immigration laws
that unite families and which do not force eligible immigrants to wait a decade
or 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 beyond
the politics of fear and to summon the courage to enact reform which is in
America’s national interest.
Reprinted with permission. Previously published in the Harrisburg Patriot News and the Trenton Times.
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