Home Illegal immigration Dangers An Overview of the Dangers of Illegal Immigration

An Overview of the Dangers of Illegal Immigration

An Overview of the Dangers of Illegal Immigration

Introduction

Immigration has been a global issue for decades, and it remains a contentious topic today. Illegal immigration is a growing concern in the United States, and it is impacting the country’s development and growth. There have been many debates and discussions about how it affects the country in numerous ways.

Illegal immigration is an issue that affects every aspect of American society, from the economy to healthcare. The United States has been facing the problem of illegal immigration for a very long time, and its impact cannot be overstated. Illegal immigration affects the country’s economic growth, education, healthcare, labor market, and various other aspects of development.

In this article, we will discuss how illegal immigration affects America’s development, its negative and positive effects, and how these impacts could change in the future. We will also look at the current pandemic’s impact on illegal immigration and how it could affect the country’s development.

What is Illegal Immigration?

Illegal immigration is the violation of a country’s immigration laws by people who enter the country without permission and then stay in the country for an extended period. Illegal immigration is a problem in most countries, but it is particularly problematic in the United States.

The United States has one of the highest numbers of illegal immigrants in the world, estimated at around 11 million in 2015, and that number has since reached an estimated 12.5 million in 2021. The majority of these immigrants come from Mexico, Central America, and South America. The problem of illegal immigration is difficult to address because of the complex and often conflicting attitudes towards migrants and their rights.

Negative Effects of Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration has several negative effects on America’s development. We will discuss them below.

1. Economic Impact

Illegal immigration can have a significant impact on the country’s economy. One of the negative impacts of illegal immigration on the economy is that it creates a strain on the resources of the country.

Illegal immigrants tend to be low-income earners who compete with legal citizens and residents in the same job markets. This competition leads to a depressed wage rate for both legal and illegal workers. Illegal immigrants tend to work for lower wages because they are not protected by labor laws and regulations, and they do not have the same access to benefits such as health insurance and retirement savings.

Moreover, illegal immigrants also receive government benefits and services without paying taxes that support these programs. These benefits include medical care, education, and other social services.

According to a study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), illegal immigrants cost taxpayers around $116 billion in 2017 due to services such as education, health care, and law enforcement. These costs are borne by taxpayers who are citizens or legal residents.

2. Social Impact

Illegal immigration can also have a significant social impact. One of the social impacts of illegal immigration is that it can lead to social unrest due to the perception that illegal immigrants are taking away jobs from legal citizens and residents.

Moreover, illegal immigrants often live in enclaves or ghettos where they are not integrated into the larger society. This segregation can lead to increased social tensions, crime, and gang activity. According to a study conducted by the Cato Institute, immigrants, including illegal immigrants, have a lower crime rate than native-born citizens.

However, the study also indicates that illegal immigrants are more likely to commit certain crimes, such as drug offenses, human trafficking, and smuggling.

3. Labor Market Impact

Illegal immigration has an impact on the labor market. As mentioned above, illegal immigrants compete with legal citizens and residents for jobs, leading to a depressed wage rate for both legal and illegal workers.

Moreover, illegal immigrants tend to work in industries that require manual labor, such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing, where they may work under unfavorable and hazardous conditions without the protection of labor laws and regulations.

The presence of illegal immigrants in these industries also leads to underreporting of labor law violations and inadequate oversight by authorities. Employers may be incentivized to hire illegal immigrants because they are willing to work for lower wages and without the protection of labor laws.

Positive Effects of Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration also has positive effects on America’s development. We will discuss them below.

1. Economic Impact

Illegal immigration has a positive economic impact on America’s development. Illegal immigrants contribute to the country’s economy through their labor, taxes, and consumer spending.

Illegal immigrants work in industries that are essential to the United States, such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. They provide jobs to legal citizens and residents and contribute to the country’s economic growth. According to a study by the Center for American Progress, immigrants, including illegal immigrants, contribute around $2 trillion to the country’s GDP.

Illegal immigrants also pay taxes, such as sales and property taxes, if they own homes or businesses. According to a study conducted by the Cato Institute, illegal immigrants pay around $11.8 billion in state and local taxes each year.

2. Social Impact

Illegal immigration has a positive social impact on America’s development. Immigrants, including illegal immigrants, have contributed to the country’s cultural diversity, technological advancement, and economic success.

Illegal immigrants are not only an essential part of America’s labor force, but they also contribute to the country’s intellectual capital. They bring skills, education, and work experience that can aid in developing the country’s economy and intellectual capital.

Moreover, immigration has always been part of America’s story, and illegal immigrants continue to maintain that legacy. Immigrants have enriched America’s cultural, intellectual, and social fabric, contributing to its diversity and strength.

3. Labor Market Impact

Illegal immigration has a positive labor market impact on America’s development. They fill the labor shortage gap in low-skilled industries, complementing the United States’ workforce.

The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that the United States will experience a shortage of 1.5 million low-skilled workers by 2020. Illegal immigrants can fill this gap by working in industries that require manual labor. This allows businesses and industries to operate more efficiently, lowering production costs and increasing profits.

Illegal Immigration during the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant challenges, including the handling of illegal immigration. The pandemic has affected every sector of American society, including illegal immigration.

The pandemic has disrupted the economy, leading to a decrease in job opportunities, especially for low-skilled workers. This has put a huge strain on illegal immigrants, who work mainly in low-skilled industries, such as hospitality, agriculture, and construction. Illegal immigrants may be forced to return to their home countries, leading to a labor shortage in these industries.

Moreover, the pandemic has increased the demand for healthcare services, leading to a shortage of healthcare workers. This demand has led to an increase in demand for immigrant healthcare workers, including illegal immigrants. However, some illegal immigrants may be hesitant to seek medical care due to their fear of deportation, which can put themselves and others at risk.

The pandemic has also highlighted the need for a robust immigration system that can handle such crises. The pandemic has underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to immigration that can balance the needs of the economy, workers, and society with concerns such as border security and national security.

Conclusion

Illegal immigration has both negative and positive impacts on America’s development. It has an impact on the economy, labor market, and social factors. While illegal immigration may have a negative impact on the economy and labor market, it has a positive social impact and provides support to industries that require manual labor.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought further challenges to the issue of illegal immigration, affecting industries that require low-skilled workers. However, the pandemic has highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to immigration, including a balance of the needs of the society, economy, and border security.

Overall, it is essential to have a comprehensive solution to the problem of illegal immigration while recognizing the role that illegal immigrants play in America’s development. We must ensure that this balance is maintained for the benefit of the United States’ economy, society, and people.


Crime

There has always existed a perceived connection between immigration and crime. Dating back to the early years of the United States, immigration trends began to skyrocket by the mid-nineteenth century. Due to the current absence of background checks completed at this time, many Americans were worried about the vast increases in unknown immigrants.

Just as there was a pervasive racism that effected this sentiment, similar stereotypes exist today towards those entering the country illegally. Many of these anxieties stem from the attacks on 9/11 and growing fears surrounding border protection. Although some of these worries are misplaced, criminal issues arising from illegal immigration do present a difficult set of problems.

For one, recent gang activity throughout Mexico often pours over the primary borders, bringing with it the illegal transportation of guns and drugs. In addition, the general notion that no parameter for documentation exists for one entering the country, as a result of insufficient border-point security measures, clearly presents national security issues to the larger American population.

Mistreatment of Workers

Another inherent danger entangled with the debate about illegal immigration is the possible mistreatment of migrant workers. The majority of illegal immigrants entering the country from Mexico come with the intention of better employment opportunity. Continued work provided for illegal immigrants correlates with the increases of illegal immigration over the past two decades.

This increase in available work has not, however, illustrated any marked different in pay or working conditions. The majority of illegal immigrants are subjected to dangerous work conditions, and are neither provided with any guarantee of employment nor compensation for injuries sustained on a job site.

Due to the fact that a majority of illegal immigrants work in arenas of manual labor, this lack of compensation resonates further. Based on growing trends of illegal immigration, employers have no incentive to raise pay or improve conditions. As a result, these workers are often underpaid and overworked with no representation. The plight of migrant workers reflects employment trends of the early twentieth century more than a modern and just nation.

Abduction, Prostitution, Slavery

Other dangers that stem from the current system of American immigration are comprised of human trafficking and exploitation. As a result of weakly-protected governed borders, criminals have been able to establish international trafficking routes where individuals are taken from Mexico, sometimes against their will, and forced into some wing of criminal activity.

Due to the nature of immigration law, some of these victims are held in the same accord as illegal immigrants. Rather than offering amnesty in certain cases to locate the actual criminals, immigration policy often presents laws that are too rigid to allow for marked growth in national security. Some of the more prevalent cases have dealt with prostitution rings that traffic women from Mexico usually for extremely low wages. Immigration policy argued to be far too complacent when establishing policy to address these violations of human rights – officers require more comprehensive tools to fight this growing danger.