One main issue in the United States that is always addressed is immigration, on how to deal with it and what are the steps in either giving amnesty or to deport the undocumented immigrants. As people living here in the states, there are always issues with “American residents” complaining about undocumented immigrants and that something should be done about the problem. There should be something done about it, but it should be for the best for everyone, so that means for Americans and for undocumented immigrants in the United states. We as humans need to be able to help each other out in this situation, because America was originally made from people coming from different parts of the world.
Many American residents would prefer that undocumented immigrants were to be deported back to their home country rather than staying here and “taking Americans jobs”. As much as people want this, they don't realize the affect that it would cause the United States, it would shake up the economy and by a great deal. After reading the article, “Immigration Enriches You and Me” by Nicholas Kristof Americans will be able to have an ideal on how undocumented immigrants are helping the economy by being here in the U.S. Many Americans argue that immigrants threaten our way of life, it is true that immigrants may have lower the wages but they have hugely enriched our country.
Undocumented immigrants have contributed greatly to our country, according to the article written , “they have contributed $100 billion to social security over a decade without any intention of collecting benefits, thus shoring up the system” (Kristof 2). This shows that by deporting undocumented immigrants it would greatly affect our social security budget by an enormous amount. This of course isn't the only area that would be affected as reported in 2010, at the state and local level, households headed by unauthorized immigrants paid another eleven billion in taxes alone. This a huge amount that is being contributed and this amount of money is helping the United States economy. Now if immigrants were to be given permits and brought in to the U.S system according to Kristof’s and his research, they will contribute forty-five billion over five years in payroll taxes to the United States economy, and this is reported by the Center for American Progress.
Undocumented immigrants are honest men and women that are helping the economy grow and to support one another. The action of deporting or detaining immigrants is costing the U.S a great amount of money that could be used for more useful plans. This is also causing families to break up and sending children to foster homes by deporting their parents or guardians.
There is another side to this issue, and it is the cost of helping and offering amnesty to undocumented immigrants. The article, “We Cannot Afford Amnesty for Illegal immigrants” by Ed Butowsky helped see what are the issues if the government helps and gives amnesty to all the undocumented immigrants. Recently reported, there are roughly about eleven to twelve million undocumented immigrants in the United States. This is the question that is being asked by the government, “with all our nation’s needs and wants, is granting amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants and increasing our financial burden the best way to spend our money? Is it fiscally responsible?” ( Butowsky 1). Granting amnesty would cost the U.S an enormous amount of money that could certainly be used for something else, but maybe the government shouldn’t grant a huge amount at once instead they should split it up.
The United states currently has a national debt of eighteen trillion dollars, and our country does also spend as a whole about six hundred billion more than we earn through tax revenue. It is also reported by the Heritage Foundation, “ is that each illegal immigrant cost our country $24,000 a year. But ,on average, each pays $10,000 in taxes, so it’s reasonable to say that each immigrant really adds $14,000 a year to our country’s debt burden” (Butowsky 1). If the president grants amnesty our country would have to create 5.6 million new full-time jobs.
