Immigrants Positive Economic Effect

The raging debate of immigration seemed to be settling down in the United States and with American citizen. That was true until the passing of the Arizona law. It states that a law enforcement agent can stop anyone who “looks” illegal. It has created a whole new set of arguments for and against the impacts of immigration on American society. The effects not only on America but also on immigrants, both legal and illegal, have been enormous. It has created a greater sense of fear in immigrants which is not necessary or beneficial to American society. They have an influence on the American society that would be detrimental to the well being of the country if they were to be removed.

One of the biggest aspects of our society that they affect is the American economy. The common arguments highlight the negative effects of immigration however, the positive outweigh the negative in this situation. For example, if all unauthorized immigrants were removed from America, the American economy would lose eight billion dollars in economic activity. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, ten percent of the total economic out in the Denver metropolitan area came from immigrants in the year 2007. Those who oppose immigration need to do their research to be well versed in the positive side of their effects.

Those opposed argue they are taking jobs from unemployed Americans, they are not paying taxes, and that they are draining the economy. If they were aware of simple statistics, such as 17% of the workforce in Colorado in 2008 was made up of illegal and legal immigrants, they may not be as quick to stand up and oppose the issue of immigration.

Yes, 17% is a lot of jobs to be filled be immigrants however, in the least stereotypical tone, they are our gardeners, housekeepers, factory workers and janitors. They do the jobs that so many Americans are not willing to do. They are not taking positions from those who are unemployed; they are taking positions that even the unemployed are not willing to perform. Because of their legal status, they have a greater difficulty finding work and so they are more willing to take jobs that are considered low class in our society. Without these positions filled, the wealthy citizens, and even the middle class, of America would be dead in the water. By this I mean they have no one to do their laundry, watch their kids, or mow their lawn. Also with the cost of cheap labor that these immigrants bring in, Francine Jipman points out that, there is increased productivity which in turn lowers costs of goods and services. In Colorado, immigrants have this same profound effect on the workforce. In 2002, the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners showed that there were over 24,000 businesses owned by Latino immigrants. Within those businesses they had sales of over 5.1 billion dollars and they employed almost 32,500 people. The fact that these businesses are Latino owned shows that they are not taking jobs from Americans because without immigrants these businesses would not even exist and so those 32,500 jobs would not exist either.

Those 32,500 people employed by Latino businesses in Colorado are workers. However, people must remember, like Carl Quintanilla states, “they're not just workers. They're consumers with money to spend”. They are just like each and every American citizen they have an active role and are participating in the American economy. They are earning money which is taking it out of circulation but they are also putting it back into circulation when they spend it on goods and services. In Colorado in 2009, the Latino and Asian immigrant populations had a combined purchasing power of 26.2 billion dollars, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth. Jipman states that they “contribute more to public coffer in taxes than they cost in social services”. A majority of illegal immigrants leave the country before retirement so they do not gain the benefits of Social Security and Medicare however, they do pay taxes to benefit these services. This in turn means that they are contributing to the comfort and security of all Americans. According to a study by the National Research Council, there are 34 million immigrants in this country and they pay more in taxes than they benefit from public services.

This statement makes many of the arguments against immigrants and taxes void. Many people argue that because they do not pay taxes, they do not deserve to live and work in the United States. There are a large number of immigrants who have entered the United States under false identification and so they are paying taxes it just isn’t under their own name like the normal American citizens taxes are. Also, with the passing of taxation without representation, legal and illegal immigrants are required to pay taxes but they are not allowed to vote. According to a study in 2005 by the Bell Policy Center, unauthorized immigrants paid between 159 and 194 million dollars in taxes. In contrast to that, employers paid only between twelve and fifteen million in unemployment insurance taxes. The difference between these values is enormous and shows the exact ways in which immigrants are not just taking up America’s jobs but they are also pumping the money they make back into the economy through consumption and taxes.

Immigrants that come into our society are for the most part hard working and willing to work almost any job. They have come to the ‘land of opportunity’ for the chance to change their life and also the lives of their families. As a child, I grew up showing horses. In this industry, there are many undocumented workers who work long hours every day taking care of the horses. Because there are live animals involved in their work they hardly ever get a day off. I grew up with the same three grooms who worked at my barn. My parents would give them a gift every Christmas and when they received it, their faces would light up. It was usually money and they knew that this was just a step closer to being able to fully support their family. I was very close with them so when one of them returned to Mexico because his wife was sick it was similar to losing a family member for me. They were always there for me when I was at the barn and they always took fabulous care of our horses. The work was tough and the days were long, sometimes six in the morning to seven at night, but they were always willing to be there night and day and this is something that you could not get an unemployed American to do if you begged them. The guys who worked at the barn were here to find a better life and support their families; they had greater motives than just themselves. They had people at home relying on them.

Legislation v.s. Immigration

The topic of immigration as a whole stirs up a lot of discussion among many U.S. citizens, not to mention how much argument that Arizona SB 1070 has stirred up in the past months. Arizona SB 1070 is the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. This Act was signed by Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010 and requires that all aliens within Arizona carry their required documents of U.S. citizenry. The Act is also putting a crack down on those people who may be housing, hiring, or transporting illegal immigrants. This Act encourages racial profiling and should be looked down upon.

Legislators in Colorado have been trying to pass a similar bill mimicking Arizona SB 1070. This bill would allow an officer to arrest a person without a warrant if there was probable cause the person was an illegal immigrant. As the Denver Daily News says, “Multiple opponents of the proposed legislation said they worried that the bill would further erode trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.” Robert Ticer, a member of the Avon Police Department testified on behalf of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police and said, “illegal immigrants might not step forward as a witness or victim of a crime because they would worry about being deported.” Ticer makes a great point because without trust between law enforcement and community, public safety will be at risk.

Many supporters of SB 54 bring up the point that the illegal immigration costs Colorado about 1.5 billion dollars annually; although opponents counter back by saying that SB 54 would cost the state a lot of money also because of all the lawsuits it would inevitably cause, “Arizona’s litigation costs exceeded $1 million within three months of implementing their tough anti-illegal immigration law.” As far as money is concerned this bill does not seem to diminish the costs to the state, but rather increases them while also stirring up a lot of controversy in the court system. The Denver Daily News also says that immigrants are not destroying society like some citizens believe. In their article a spokesman for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy made a great point, “illegal immigrants in Colorado make up 5 percent of the workforce, 3 percent of the income, and put a significant amount of revenue back into the state.” There is a blurry image of immigrants in the United States and this spokesman makes a great point in saying that immigrants actually contribute a lot to the economy and society.

The SB 54 is still trying to be passed, although governor Hickenlooper indicated that he would veto the bill if it were to pass. Hickenlooper has the right mindset in believing that this bill raises way too many controversial issues that Colorado does not need. SB 54 brings up a lot of racial problems and causes a distant connection between community and law enforcement. The bill should not be passed in Colorado.

During a small seminar I attended recently called “Immigration in a New Light” in Driscoll Hall at the University of Denver the Arizona SB 1070 was brought up. This seminar hosted two men, Dr. Miguel De La Torre and Richard Froude. Dr. Miguel De La Torre came to the U.S. from Cuba as a refugee in 1961. He has now been a U.S. citizen for many years. Richard Froude decided to come to the U.S. on his own from London. Froude had some troubles attempting to get a green card. As of right now Froude is not a U.S. citizen and is here as a lawful permanent resident. After both men had told their individual stories there was a time for questions. One women who attended the seminar brought up Arizona State Bill 1070 and asked the men`s opinion on it. Dr. Miguel De La Torre’s answer was very interesting and also quite disturbing. De La Torre said that because of this bill and because of the way he looks, he is more likely to be stopped by the police for questioning over Richard Froude. Richard Froude is Caucasian and unless he was to speak he would most likely not be questioned about his citizenry. The ironic point about this is that Dr. Miguel De La Torre is a U.S. citizen and Richard Froude is not. With the Arizona SB coming into action, many people will begin to be questioned based solely on their looks alone. How do you think it makes someone feel when he or she is pinpointed as an illegal immigrant based only on what they look like? This is embarrassing and wrong and definitely raises questions about the racial aspect of the bill.

Imagine you are an immigrant. You came to the United States from Israel and have been living in the states since you were thirty years old. You have dark skin, dark hair, and as part of your Israeli custom you also wear a turban. It is now ten years later in 2011 and you are living in Arizona where the new State Bill has just been passed. You are driving in your car and are pulled over by a state trooper for going fifteen miles over the speed limit. Along with asking for your license and registration the officer also asks for a your United States citizenry papers. How do you think this would make you feel?

I can imagine you would be embarrassed, self-conscious and feel a bit pin pointed or racially profiled. You have been a United States citizen for ten years now and this has never happened before. Arizona SB 1070 has a negative sense connected with it and seems to be a source of embarrassment and racial profiling of those who “look” like immigrants. Especially because there are people who have a negative outlook on immigrants and their reason for being in the United States, this bill just gives those people the right to point out those who may be immigrants.

As a student at the University of Denver, walking the campus and seeing someone who may be foreign is a common occurrence. These people are just like everyone else. I could only imagine how awful it would be for a college student to be questioned as an illegal immigrant. Also, the people who work in our cafeterias and as part of the dorm cleaning service are mostly foreign also. These people do a service that many people would hate to do, although a service that is very much needed. These people are contributing to the United States work force and for them to be questioned or even worse, deported, if the SB 54 passed, would be completely wrong.

SB 54 is not what Colorado needs right now. The bill would stir up way too much controversy and cost the state a lot of money in lawsuits. This bill should not be passed in Colorado.

The Evaluation of the Dream Act

Recently, Colorado has considered new laws in order to accommodate immigrant children into both high schools and colleges. The Dream Act in particular, allows immigrants to pay for in-state tuition if they have attended a high school in Colorado. While the Dream Act has been beneficial to immigrants and their education, has it positively impacted the state of Colorado at all? That is the major question. As Americans, and Coloradans, we want to be fair and offer immigrants a good education and a safe place to live, but we also need to realize that this process is taking money and rights away from documented citizens and schools. In order to benefit the Colorado community, the Dream Act should not be passed.

The Dream Act is intended to provide conditional permanent residency to certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools. The Development, and Relief and Education for Alien Minors states that these people must be of good moral character, arrive in the US illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years. In a recent Denver Post editorial, the editors argue that treating the children of illegal immigrants as state residents is the right things to do, both morally and economically. The publisher makes his main point in being that “children should not suffer for the actions of their parents.” These students were brought into the country as babies or toddlers by their family. Technically, they have committed no crime. Yes, it is unfortunate a child must pay the consequences for something they did not do, but as of now it is the law. The law is necessary because it keeps both individual states and the country running smoothly and at peace. Without a law restricting immigration, immigrants would receive ever opportunity every documented citizen did with no price. Everyone would be unequal. The U.S. Supreme Court requires for the state to invest money towards the education of immigrants from kindergarten to grade twelve. Why should we invest millions more towards only four more years of schooling? Overall, this money is lessening the money legal citizens have to be sent to college. This article states that it is only the fair thing to do to let immigrant children pay for in-state college tuition, but what about out of state citizens? Is it fair to allow non-tax paying immigrants a right over tax paying citizens? This law may not directly affect Colorado teenagers preparing for college, but it does hurt out of state students. Colorado students are still paying in-state tuition for an in-state college. On the other hand, students that want to come to Colorado schools are getting an unequal opportunity. They are still paying full payment, whereas immigrants get the benefit of the doubt. If we were being completely fair and treating immigrants as we do citizens, immigrants should be paying full price to attend college. While immigrants have been living here since the time they could walk, they still are not legal state residents. Sending these less fortunate children to school is not frowned upon, but they should not accept the benefits of a state resident. The money is not only taken individually from students, but the majority of the money is being deducted from the education system itself. By having nonresidents pay for in-state tuition, the state universities money diminishes. Again, in order for the Dream Act to be a fair law, immigrants should not be able to pay in-state tuition because lawfully, Colorado is not their state.

The Dream Act was recently further debated by Coloradans. “Why would Colorado be encouraging students to go to college who cannot later get a job because they have no Social Security number or work visa?” This was the major question asked during the hearing of Senate Bill 126 just a couple weeks ago. The reply: “until they are legal in this country, I don’t see what the advantage is of offering them false hope.” It recently passed the education panel of Colorado. This bill is slowly working its way to become a Colorado law. This debate is happening right now in the state of Colorado as we speak. While it may be viewed as fair to allow immigrants to pay for instate tuition, it is also giving immigrants, as Tim Hoover stated, “false hope.” It is almost immoral to give these people this kind of hope of succeeding later in life in America, when there are few jobs available for them at the time. We can send this less educated people to higher universities but as soon as they graduate, they will be right back where they started four years ago without a job.

Illegal immigration is definitely putting a dent in the education system not only in Colorado, but the entire United States. Immigration extends way further than just education. The cost of illegal immigration, including the cost of arrest, detention, and deportation, is being footed by the tax payers of Colorado. Therefore, it is further increasing the burden of the state. Some illegal immigrants do not pay taxes to live in the States. Yes, there are some who do just not in their real name although it does not include all immigrants. In consequence, state residents end up paying much more to appeal to the costs of immigrants. For example, Colorado requested compensation of $24 million from the federal government towards the incarceration of illegal immigrants. The issue is, the federal government only pays for a certain amount in compensation, and the remaining millions depend on Colorado taxpayers to make up for through taxes. Overall, Coloradans are paying for immigrants to live and benefit from this country. Immigrants moving to this country are not only increasing the cost of taxes, but also affect the state physically. As population increases, open space decreases, and housing becomes more crowded. Simple things such as traffic and commuting increases which leads to more roads constructed and money being spent to alleviate it. This leads to more fuel burned, and more money spend on gas. School admissions increase which means more teachers need to be hired and more schools need to be built. The simple necessities and everyday actions are taken back a step just because of immigrants moving into this country.

Overall, immigrants impose a negative effect to both the education and financial aspect of Colorado. While immigrants are not a threat to American society, they impose a negative outcome to the system. The Dream Act is trying to create equality between immigrants and citizens. The passing of this bill will be the true indicator of whether or not this act is ‘fair.’ As a community, city, and state, we need to go out and convince Senator Bob Bacon, Senator Michael Johnston, and Senator Angela Giron to veto this bill to benefit the state of Colorado.