What is all the fuss about illegal immigration?

They're mostly young and healthy, they pay billions in taxes (sales tax), but dont receive anything in benefits; by working for low wages they make things cheaper for all of you...

I bet I would never find a white person to mow my lawn for less than $200 an hour... And I do enjoy buying those oranges at the highway feeder...

Shouldn't we redirect our anger at our own citizens who are lazy and stay on welfare or unemployment forever eating that chicken that we pay with our tax money for free?

What is all the fuss about illegal immigration?windows xp pro

I completely agree with you... It's easy to point the finger but we will never find Americans to do the jobs they do and If that were ever to happen, they would be asking for ridiculous salaries making things cost alot more...Imagine paying an American $8.00 to pick a tomato, how much is it going to cost us????Plus you know Americans are going to be complaining about benefits... Ppl need to learn to think and analyze before pointing there finger!

What is all the fuss about illegal immigration?microsoft net framework internet explorer

If those are your reasons to justify them coming ILLEGALLY into our country, then I hope you can sleep at night. You obviously are not a patriot.
illegal immigration is a legitimate issue. however, i do agree with you concerning lazy, welfare people not wanting to work.
The word illegal has to mean something. Otherwise why have laws at all. Let everyone do as he pleases.
That's why the corporate America loves them and the politicians secretly pave the way for them to come and stay. That's what you get when you value money more than American lives. The problem stems from the Capitalism nature of your country.
they largely don't pay taxes becuase they are paid under the table and cannot file a W-2 form, and they get free healthcare by providing false information. I myself have been billed multiple times for operations I did not have because an illegal provided the hospital with my address. THey also abuse our culture by completely ignoring it, they abuse our system of welfare and education (money used on vehicles not food, too many children in our schools), too much traffic. Put simply, we are supporting the population of a whole nother nation without much in return, and the mexican economy is growing while their population decreases. Yet, the mexican government kills Guatemalans who cross into Mexico illegally in order to then cross into the U.S. illegally. Hypocrites!
I suggest that you do a little more research before shouting off your mouth,, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about !
We shouldn't get angry at the welfare recipients either. We should be angry about the welfare system. It is the government that encourages the so called laziness. They make you work, yet when you get a $5 an hour job, they kick you off, even though you can't support yourself let alone a family.
Yes, they're mostly young and healthy... but they also come with wives and children that receive food stamps, cash benefits, and medical care at no cost. The sales tax they pay does NOT compensate for all of that. They pay no income tax because they work off the books, and believe me, they don't work all that cheap.

I do agree, though... there should be more anger directed at citizens who are non-productive, non-contributing members of society. We're paying the same amount for them as we are for the illegals. I have no problems with those that come here legally and work their butts off to support their families, only those that come here and milk the system the same way the lazy citizens do. My problem is with ANYONE who takes and takes without giving anything back.

Before all the thumbs down - I realize there are many situations where gov't assistance is necessary, and I don't look down on those that take temporary help to get them through, I've been there myself. We're lucky enough to live in a country where the assistance is available, I just believe there should be limits placed, and incentives given for getting back on your feet, instead of a never ending cycle of handouts like we currently have.
Statistically speaking, most jobs ARE dominated by American citizens and not illegal immigrants. They're here ILLEGALLY, that's what the big deal is. And they get healthcare that I end up paying for with my tax money. And, statistically speaking 80% of their pay goes back to their home country for their family still there, which means they don't even spend that much money in that states to pay sales tax for. If they are here, and they want to stay here, they should pay the taxes I have to pay, get the benefits I get as a citizen, and pay the consequences I as a citizen pay.
you are angry? that's your own fault, get a life
I could have used a illegal today to shovel my freaking driveway.

Now that it is shoveled - send those mofo's back across the border.
You are either uninformed or plain ignorant. Our medical services and entitlement programs are being abused by illegal immigrants. The Chinese make things cheaper for us too but the loss of jobs and the flow of our currency to China will kick us in the butt later. Time we wise up and take back our economy.
there are other people that go through the process and get almost nothing out of it. how do you think they feel? plus...half of the illegal immigrants are criminals.
They pay very little taxes and suck up huge amounts of tax payer funded resources, primarily healthcare, education and criminal justice.

By working for low wages they have had the effect of dramatically decreasing the pay scale. When you factor in what they cost our social, education and judicial system with the lower overall pay rate... they're costing you many times more than they're saving you.

Further, the whole "who would mow my lawn bit" is a failed argument. Prior to the criminal immigrant invasion.. lawns still got mowed, dishes still got washed, houses got built.. the country got along fine.
Ahhh spoken by an out of touch liberal who most likely doesn't live in a border state.

BTW I am a "white person" who mows my own lawn, grew up in an agricultural community and worked in the fields.

To answer your question about "why all the fuss"

1. Illegals are driving wages down for many legal American workers.

2. They are costing American Taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars in entitlement, medical and educational costs.

3. Identification theft when they use stolen Social Security numbers.

4. Drug resistant diseases are one the rise due to illegal immigration, TB in particular since these "workers" aren't being screened.

5. Crimes of all types are up on the border states due to illegal immigration

6. IN California along over 10% of our prison population are people in this country illegally. In FY 2005 LA county spent over $750 BILLION dollars just to proivde services to those people in this country illegally.

So the real question is with all these FACTS I have just listed why isn't there MORE fuss over illegal immigration ?
Although I do see where you are coming from, the adverse effects of illegal immigration are far greater reaching than that. Since they don't technically exist in the system, they do get free services by simply providing false names, addresses, and social security info. I am a Mexican-American that is a legal resident. I work as a paramedic and see first hand the negative impact it has on our economy socially. On the other hand, I do feel that the media and the Bush administration does a good job of using this issue as a diversion. It creates very emotionally heated debates that take focus off of greater economic and social concerns that they don't want to explain or discuss. By pointing fingers and calling people unpatriotic or Unamerican, many feel that it explains why many oppose the way we deal with illegals. I do believe they do contribute millions to our economy, but as you stated before, we have our own lazy citizens creating just as much havoc on our systems.
billions in taxes? the only taxation they pay is some sales tax and a few pay minimal income tax only because they are using stolen identities.

studies have shown for every dollar of tax revenue collected by illegals, it costs us more than two tax dollars paid out.

You can buy oranges from farmers who aren't illegal.

Oh and btw many of those illegals are on one kind of welfare or another also. And they never contributed any tax dollars into the system.

200$ an hour to mow your lawn? what do you pay illegals to do it? when one mows down your flowers, breaks a sprinkler head, or anything like that, do you think they have a bond or insurance to cover that?
Several things abou them irritate many Americans. Lets take it by catagory.

1. They have entered this country illegally. Is this really the best way to show good intentions toward a new country? By breaking it's laws.

2. Many people claim that the illegals are paying enough in taxes to offset the cost that their illegal envasion has cost. Granted they pay sales tax, and the ones with faked paper work (another crime) contribute some to the support of our country. It is still off set (and then some) by the drain on our economy in areas like health care, increased costs caused by having to hire bi-lingual teachers, this doesn't even take into account the silly costs that can also be attributed to illegals (like making sensitivity training seminars the answer for people that don't believe the illegals deserve a citizens rights)

3. $200 to mow your lawn?!?!? Not really the big problem here is parents that don't make their children go out and earn extra pocket change. But even excluding this one example, I am in favor of a guest worker program to help fill the employment needs in this country. Even taking your ridiculous $200 an hour complaint in the light of an exageration, when people complain about Wal-Mart the first thing out of their mouths is usually that Wal-Mart doesn't pay enough. Make up your minds is it really that sane to make all those negative assertions about Wal-Mart then turn around and want to pay slave wages for lawn care.

4. (and lastly) I agree whole heartedly that we have too many people sucking at the government teat and contributing nothing in return. The biggest mistake of the last century was the welfare entitlement attitude that went completely out of control.
95 % of all outstanding murder warrants in Los Angeles are for people known to be illegal aliens. How many Americans are you willing to sacrifice to get a cheap mow job? Willing to die for it yourself?

Illegal aliens do get benefits paid for by the American taxpayers.

My guess is you have been listening to liberals, probably in the education profession, who have been lying to you in their treasonous attempts to undermine American sovereignty.

The $200 an hour figure for lawn mowing is a joke, and millions of Americans would gladly line up to mow your yard for half of that. You tell me with that number that you are too young to have ever managed a family budget so you don't know what such things should cost. Never believe anyone who says no American will mow grass for less than $200 an hour. They are lying to you. Be more careful who you believe, and remember that liberals will lie to you to make you hate America.
I think you have have been greatly misinformed. The word ILLEGAL surely must mean something to you. Also, everything that they do has to be under the table. Why do you think identity theft is so rampant today? Also, the sales tax that they pay is minimal in comparison to the costs involved with allowing them to stay here. They will work for so much less because our dollar is worth more than the peso. They send their money back to all of their family. They don't buy enough here in our states to even bring up the fact that they pay sales taxes. By them working for less than our citizens, this has lowered what businesses are willing to pay our skilled workers. A year ago a job that paid $20.00 an hr now only pays skilled workers who start at $9.75 an hr. They are driving down the amount that our employers are willing to pay for our hard working, educated, skilled workers. This is the fault of the employers and they need to all be investigated and fined if they employ illegals. You obviously don't understand the damage being done to us as a country and our economy. Better get your head out of the sand soon and study up on the problems that they are causing U.S. citizens.
Your kidding, right?

Yes, they do pay sales tax, as that is taken off at the register. But being unregistered workers - their employers don't collect the required amount for social security, medicare, federal, or state taxes out of their pay. And yes, illegals DO find ways to make use of the benefits they don't pay into - why do you think identity theft is such a big business right now? Even without a forged ID - every hospital in the US is obliged to provide emergency services as needed, no matter who it is - who do you think pays for that?

You would never find a white person to mow your lawn for less than $200 an hour? Why can't you do this yourself? Why can't your own kids/grand-kids do this? No kids, how about a neighbor's kid? Don't use the excuse that white people are too lazy or beneath our status to take on such a job - I as a white person who did mow lawns in my youth at $25 per lawn + expenses (gas, cold soda on hot days, etc) find your comments highly insulting.

I agree that our welfare system does need to change. There are several levels of employment in this country, and everyone dream is to make it to the next tier. But if your at the bottom, you can't expect to start with an executive position - halting illegal immigration might just free up some of these available jobs for those needing them. If your need is great, and a job is available, no matter how low - you need to take it.

Other concerns - Crime. Everyone who comes to this country illegally has committed a crime simply by disrespecting our border laws! Many who cross the border routinely, do so to bring in illegal drugs. Many illegals are wanted for crimes in their home countries. And many do commit crimes while here. Now stopping illegal immigration will not stop all crime committed in the U.S., but will certainly have a significant impact.

War on Terror - 9/11 was not some fictional event. It happened, All of the perpetrators had overstayed their visa's - thereby making them illegal immigrants. People who continue to live in this country either by an expired visa, or have sneaked across the border ARE potential security threats. If you want to turn a blind eye and take the risk - fine. I however am not willing to join you on this one!

Lastly - there are avenues for people to come to this country legally! If they want to get in so bad - get in line. It may take a little longer, but if done by the book they'll BE WELCOMED!
Have you no respect for laws? They are ILLEGAL!
This site provides a counter to help you see what the problem is:

http://www.immigrationcounters.com/

Higher crime, a lower standard of living and a compromised economy are among the problem caused by over 20 million illegal immigrants.

Yes, most are young and healthy and having lots of babies. They are also sending their money to Mexico. I do not hire illegals, but have a neighbor kid that mows my lawn (1/2 acre) for $20. Oranges here are just as expensive as they would be otherwise, the profits for the grocer are just bigger due to cheap labor.

Yes, it's fine to be angry with the lazy folks on welfare - like the millions of illegals tapping into the programs through anchor babies.

I'd like for us to work on our welfare system - among others - but illegal immigrants are making the problem immeasurably worse. I would rather give tax money to a lazy American than a criminal from another country.
1.) Its illegal

2.) Its not sustainable to the economy as detailed below

3.) It creates and feeds wealth disparity because $5.00 dollars American shipped back to a foreign country is worth a lot more in the homeland. If illegal immigrants were not able to capitalize on that fact, they wouldn't do it for $5.00 an hour either.

What then happens is since there is someone who will do the work for $5.00 an hour (it feeds their family back home fine) the citizen trying to feed a similar family in a more costly society effectively ends up with a lower spending power here than the immigrant does back home (don't forget about the conversion rate)

This drives down wages and hurts families of everyone who is a citizen - through legal immigration or through birth, regardless of ethnicity. Yes, it drives costs down, but since wages are also driven down (where do you think the cost reduction came from) you are still left with the same spending power regardless of the actual cost of the item - you are no better off paying 50% less if you are making 50% less.

The flood of available workers also has the same effect in that supply meets demand - when supply is up, demand is low. In the case of unemployment related to illegal immigration and H1-B visa holders, they creates and artificially high demand which raises unemployment and lowers wages.

4.) Illegal immigrants do not pay taxes like citizens pay taxes - don't forget about the roughly 30% off the top citizens are paying in income tax.

Sales tax varies from state to state, and some don't even have it. Lets assume 6.5% for argument sake - On a 50,000 dollar income, you pay $15,000 in income tax, spend say $25,000 and pay $1,625 in taxes. An illegal immigrant earning the same spends the same $25,000 and pays the same $1,625 in sales tax, no income tax and sends the rest out of the country to their family which hurts our economy by taking money out of it - that's part of what drives inflation.

For two people earning the same wage, this is a 1100% difference in taxes paid into the system. That means the average citizen is effectively taxed at a rate around 11 times higher than the average illegal immigrant. Don't argue the sales tax issue - its peanuts compared to income taxes.

5.) Illegal immigrants do indeed get benefits - health care for example, no insurance, that's correct, but that causes them to go into the emergency room which is orders of magnitude more costly than preventive and maintainence care that would have avoided the problem. Who pays for that? Yep - the citizen with their income taxes and higher insurance rates.

Another benefit is education - but they are not paying property taxes to pay for it. In California right now, a new school would have to be built EVERY DAY to have enough classrooms for kids. Why? Because illegal immigrants are getting the benefit of public education without paying their fair share for it.

Food stamps - that is a program paid for by taxes illegal immigrants don't pay.

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I agree with your comment about welfare. However, pointing out a different problem doesn't make the original one you asked about go away.

I don't think solving the welfare problem is going to happen if illegal immigration isn't solved first - illegal immigration is going to bankrupt this country far before welfare will. Its also worth noting that the number of people collecting welfare has been dropping nationally since before 1996. Its 57% lower than it was in 1996 in fact.

As far as unemployment, the number people collecting unemployment matches the number of working illegal immigrants according to census data at about 7,000,000. Its worth noting that the number of illegal immigrants is also rising every year.

These numbers indicate a relationship between unemployment, dropping wages and illegal immigration. These things hurt the income and tax base that pays for roads, schools, health care, etc.,... They also indicate that welfare (around 2,000,000 recipients is not as big of a problem as it might seem from a numbers perspective.

You can't help someone if you destroy yourself in the process - a nation can't help another nation if it destroys itself in the process. This is what national policy is doing right now - this is why the fuss over illegal immigration.

Immigration is what made America, illegal immigration is one major thing helping to destroy it. Its not anger towards legal immigration. Rather, when it comes to illegal immigration, its anger toward policies that make it possible, towards the illegals that take advantage of the situation and the corruption in the countries of origin that make is desirable.

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Does that help to answer your question about why all the fuss?
I am with you. I think some people are just whipped into a frenzy by Fox network and Republicans trying to take the focus off the mistakes of the war.
Basically. I don't believe that the illegal immigrants take jobs... the lazy people committing welfare fraud are still going to be unemployed even if all the illegal immigrants go home. They do jobs that we need done, and they work hard. People just want a scapegoat..and at this moment, it's the illegal immigrants. They use healthcare and sometimes other services, but in comparison to what they contribute, it's minimal. They contribute billions of dollars into taxes and social security yet cannot get back that money. The majority of them are paid by check, not by cash, no matter what people say. They are here illegally simply because it is so difficult to come legally for many of them. Many of them are so poor, they don't have a bank account, own property, or have an education, and these things are 3 requirements that must be met in order to get a visa. I'm sure they would rather go through the proper procedure and be here legally, instead of walking up to 40 hours in a desert, risking getting killed, injured, robbed or raped. It is not true that half of them are criminals. I am an immigration lawyer and the vast majority of them are just here to work, and have a better life. For those of you who have never been to the real parts of Latin America, I suggest that you go. That way you can the poverty that people live through everyday. And by "real" Latin America, I do NOT mean tourist attractions like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. And in response to identity theft, many people, especially those with Spanish last names, actually sell their birth certificates and social security numbers. This is not to say that it is right to use those documents, but it happens.
Remove the last paragraph and you have something. The righteousness and anger aimed at immigrates is disgusting in the maximum.

For Gods sake, the Immigrates are workers who come here and get paid by companies and private citizens of America who know very well that taxes are required when you have wages, but how many of the Americans who hire illegal immigrants are brought to justice for stealing tax money?

The American people have to start being honest with themselves about just how wonderful we really are..

This clamor for penalties is hypocritical to the maximum decree.

Americans today are feeling very sorry for themselves, so sorry that they forget to open their minds, and hearts to others that we use to profit for ourselves. Americans are good at making rules, but not following rules.

It is time to take a look at your shadow America. Just watch what your shadow is doing and then get all righteousness toward others off our own backs.

Don't forget that we robbed the land from the Indians and the Mexicans who proceeded us to America. Should we not be compensating them in some fashion, if not, then lets give the land back!

Then they can hire us to do their dirty work.