Illegal Immigration Essay

Josh Stein

Illegal Immigration Essay

14 million, this is the number of illegal immigrants scampering around the United States today.  These people think that there are better opportunities, better jobs, and better living conditions for them within the United States.  Thousands of illegal immigrants run across our borders each year invading the privacy of not only you, the reader, but your family as well.  Sex crimes, disease, car accidents, job stealing, and economic destruction is what they bring along with them.  The Unites States’ borders need to be shut down completely for this to stop or else soon enough, our country will be destroyed.

I have a pretty strong feeling about the topic of illegal immigration because I feel it’s unnecessary for people to think the immigrants can do what they do and feel fine with that.  This is like saying someone can come into your house and live their life like nothing ever happened, and you should just be okay with that.  No.  I understand that America is an amazing place with great attributes and even greater possibility, but entering illegally is not an option.  That is not how this country should be recognized and that’s why the border control should be maintained and upgraded to stop all possible situations in the future.

Illegal aliens aren’t just coming across the border and committing crimes, but also stealing many jobs from people who need them and are actually legal citizens of the U.S.  Unfortunately, most employers these days will hire an illegal immigrant over a more qualified legal American because they won’t except as low of pay as an illegal. These illegal immigrants will accept far below the standard of pay for the U.S. which basically makes it not fair for other Americans.  Americans work for many years and are well qualified for the jobs they would like to have but when someone will do it for less, there really is no competition.  Illegal aliens are not just picking lettuce and digging ditches any more either. It wasn't long ago that being a dry-waller, brick-layer, house framer, painter, roofer, carpet layer, plumber, or electrician was middle class trade. Now it is the work for illegal aliens at far less wages.

Ron Scherer, a supporter of the Schurman-Kauflin study, is a prime example of what Americans can do, and why illegal immigrants are not needed for the so called “dirty work.”  Ron was interviewed in a report about his thoughts on illegal immigrants and told this story.  Ron worked a summer job in a Dole Pineapple plant for 12 hours each day, and six days a week where he lifted, carried, and threw 100 pound sacks of cattle feed.  He carried each bag eight feet to a nearby truck for shipping.  The machines for filling these bags packaged four bags a minute.  That is 240 bags an hour and 2,880 a shift equaling about 144 tons in all.  As you, the reader can see that these jobs don’t have to be done by illegal immigrants.  Hard-working Americans are quite capable of doing any job to its fullest.  According to the Center of Immigration Studies, estimates suggest that cities that have the most inflow of illegal immigrants have an unemployment rate that is twice the rate as in other cities, a crime rate 40% higher, and 40% more of the population under the poverty line.  Illegal immigrants are making keeping this economy under control impossible.  There is no way the United States can account for this many people coming across the border this fast and taking that many jobs and space from legal Americans.  Estimates also show that 41 billion dollars is spent each year on just the deportation of illegal immigrants each year.  The economy cannot afford to take hits like this each year.  Things need to change soon or illegal immigrants will slowly destroy our entire economy.

Although there are many points stating why illegal immigration is hurting the United States, there are multiple points to as why they should be allowed to migrate.  Some of the most ambitious and diligent people come from other countries and bring many new ideas to help the greater good of America.  Bringing these people also brings many diverse cultures to our country expanding each unique lifestyle.  Although immigrants do take many of the jobs Americans would like to have, most of them are very low paying back breaking labor that Americans would not do such as maids, food service, lawn services, and so on.  The last reason, which is really the biggest, is that the United States tries to help people in need is because it gives us the opportunity to give people a better life.  It gives these immigrants endless opportunities and freedoms beyond anything they could’ve imagined in their earlier lives.

Although there are many alternate reasons as to why illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in our country, the cons far outweigh the pros.  There are many alternatives to entering the United States that I feel illegal immigrants just aren’t educated on.  Illegal entry is not an option, and without an alternative solution, the United States of America and its Americans could be looking at problems with our safety, our financial future, and our well-being.