AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants Is Bad for the United Sates



Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants Is Bad for the United Sates

Introduction

The United States of America was founded and built by hardworking and innovative immigrants. Immigrants, whether legal or illegal, perform most of the dirty and arduous jobs that many native-born Americans are unwilling to perform. They are hardworking and taxpaying individuals that positively impact our economy and our communities. Many immigrants, especially illegal immigrants (those who enter the United States illegally or without proper documentation) work long hours and for little pay. There are over 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States who deserve a chance to have a good job, earn citizenship and become a legal member of American society. According to the Organization for U.S. Immigration Support, amnesty can be defined as “the government's pardon for violating policies relating to immigration or politics”.

Discussion

The federal government forgives these individuals for using false documentations to more easily get employment in the United States and be able to remain in the country. Amnesties allow illegal immigrants or undocumented workers to gain permanent residency in the United States. In 1986, the United States granted its first amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, allowing them to receive a Green Card which could lead to the attainment of United States citizenship. Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants is beneficial to the United States because it will bolster the U.S. economy, increase tax revenues, and allow millions of people to attain the American dream of homeownership and education, thus benefiting American society. For these reasons, all illegal immigrants should be granted amnesty.

Illegal immigrants are beneficial to the United States economy. They perform the necessary high labor and menial jobs that many native-born Americans are unwilling to do. According to the March 6th 2007 issue of Conservative Politics: U.S., President George W. Bush was quoted as saying, “There are people doing jobs Americans will not do. Many people who have come into our country are helping our economy grow. That is just a fact of life” (Bemak & Chung, 2003). Increasingly fewer educated, native-born American workers are unwilling or unable to perform the strenuous jobs that don't even require a high school diploma…but immigrants are. According to an immigration policy brief written by Rob Paral of the American Immigration Law Foundation, it is evident that immigrants come here to fill available jobs by the “fact that, as of 2005, 94% of adult male undocumented immigrants and 86% of adult male legal immigrants were in the labor force. Immigrants are already an integral part of U.S. society and an indispensable part of the U.S. labor force” (Bemak & Chung, 2003). Illegal immigrants also contribute to the United States economy by purchasing American goods and services. They purchase houses, automobiles, as well as, patronize the local supermarkets and Mom and Pop stores. Francine Lipman of the Chapman University, School of Law strongly believes that “undocumented immigrants contribute to the ...