Thread: IMMIGRATION, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, HUGE STRAIN

Immigration, both legal and illegal, puts huge strain on the country

By: STEVEN A. CAMAROTA - Commentary


Steven A. Camarota is the director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.

The debate over immigration has become one of America's most heated. In a new report published by the Center for Immigration Studies, we provide a detailed picture of the nation's immigrant population. Our conclusions will probably not surprise most Californians: First, legal and illegal immigration is at record levels. Second, immigrants are generally hardworking, yet they create enormous strains on social services. Why? Put simply, many are uneducated.

Looking first at the raw numbers, the Census Bureau data we analyzed showed that the nation's immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached nearly 38 million in March of this year. This is the highest number in the nation's history. No nation has ever attempted to incorporate 38 million newcomers into its society. As a share of the population, one in eight U.S. residents is now an immigrant (legal and illegal), the highest level in 80 years. About one-third of immigrants are illegal aliens. Moreover, 1.5 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) continue to arrive each year.

We found that immigration has a very large effect on the low-skilled labor market. Immigrants comprise between one-fourth and one-third of workers in cleaning, construction and food service occupations. Roughly half of these immigrant workers are estimated to be illegal immigrants. In contrast, just 9 percent of journalists and 6 percent of lawyers are immigrants, and almost none are illegal immigrants. This partly explains why the argument that "immigrants only do jobs Americans don't want" is widely accepted in the media and among elites in general. But the fact is, the overwhelming majority of low-wage jobs are done by less-educated native-born Americans not immigrants.


Unemployment and non-work has grown significantly among less-educated Americans. In 2007 there were more than 22 million adult natives (18 to 64 years of age) with no education beyond high school either unemployed or not in the labor market. Wages and benefits for such workers have also generally stagnated or declined in recent years. Most Americans do not face significant job competition from immigrants, but those who do are generally the poorest and most vulnerable.

The low-education level of many immigrants not only means that they compete with less-educated natives, it is the primary reason so many immigrants live in or near poverty, lack health insurance and use the welfare system. This is true even though a larger share of immigrant households compared to native households have at least one worker. If this problem was put on a bumper sticker it would read: "There's a high cost to cheap labor."

In California, immigrants and their young children comprise nearly 60 percent of the uninsured. Illegals alone are 27 percent. The latest data also show that almost half of those in the state's public schools are either immigrants or the child of an immigrant. We also found that 39 percent of immigrant-headed households in the state used at least one major welfare program, twice the rate for native households.

Because 38 percent of adult immigrants in California have not completed high school, six times the rate for natives, even immigrants who work full time often end up poor, lacking health insurance and accessing social services. Our welfare system, particularly food assistance, and Medicaid/Medi-Cal are geared to help low-income workers with children, which describes a very large share of immigrants.

We can see just how important education is to economic success in two different ways. First, we found that immigrants with a college degree have incomes and use of social services similar to natives. Second, when we look at legal immigrants who have very little education we found that their rates of poverty and welfare use are as high or higher than illegal immigrants. For example, we found that 56 percent of households headed by a legal immigrant who lacked a high school diploma used at least one major welfare program, triple the rate for natives. This is important because an estimated 57 percent of illegal immigrants have not completed high school. Therefore, legalization would not solve the problem of low income and heavy use of social services.

Immigrant use of social services might not be a problem if they generally paid more in taxes than native-born Americans. But the median income of immigrant households is 21 percent lower in California than that of native households, and immigrant households are 36 percent larger on average. The household is the primary unit by which taxes are assessed and services paid. This means immigrants will tend to pay less in taxes than natives and tend to use more in services. This is not the same as saying immigrants do not pay taxes. In fact, even illegal immigrants pay some taxes. However, it does mean they will be a fiscal drain.

If we want to avoid these problems we are going to have to reduce the number of legal immigrants allowed in who have relatively little education. We are also going to have to enforce the law and cause illegal immigrants to go home. Of course, the immigrants themselves clearly benefit by coming to America. And this could be used to justify continuing current policy. But the latest data show that less-educated American workers, public schools, health care providers and taxpayers will feel the effects if we continue down our present path.

Steven A. Camarota is director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.

The debate over immigration has become one of America's most heated. In a new report published by the Center for Immigration Studies we provide a detailed picture of the nation's immigrant population. Our conclusions will probably not surprise most Californians: First, legal and illegal immigration are at record levels. Second, immigrants are generally hard working, yet they create enormous strains on social services. Why? Put simply, many are uneducated.

Looking first at the raw numbers, the Census Bureau data we analyzed showed that the nation's immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached nearly 38 million in March of this year. This is the highest number in the nation's history. No nation has every attempted to incorporate 38 million new comers into its society. As share of the population, one in eight US residents is now an immigrant (legal and illegal), the highest level in 80 years. About one-third of immigrants are illegal aliens. Moreover, 1.5 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) continue to arrive each year.

We found that immigration has a very large effect on the low-skilled labor market. Immigrants comprise between one-fourth and one-third of workers in cleaning, construction and food service occupations. Roughly half of these immigrant workers are estimated to be illegal immigrants. In contrast, just 9 percent of journalists and 6 percent of lawyers are immigrants, and almost none are illegal immigrants. This partly explains why the argument that, "immigrants only do jobs Americans don't want," is widely accepted in the media and among elites in general. But, the fact is, the overwhelming majority of low-wage jobs are done by less-educated native-born Americans not immigrants.

Unemployment and non-work has grown significantly among less-educated Americans. In 2007 there were over 22 million adults natives (18 to 64 years of age) with no education beyond high school either unemployed or not in the labor market. Wages and benefits for such workers have also generally stagnated or declined in recent years. Most American do not face significant job competition from immigrants, but those that do are generally the poorest and most vulnerable.

The low education level of many immigrants not only means that they compete with less-educated natives, it is the primary reasons so many immigrants live in or near poverty, lack health insurance and use the welfare system. This is true even thought a larger share of immigrant households compared to native households have at least one worker. If this problem was put on a bumper sticker it would read: "There's a high cost to cheap labor."

In California, immigrants and their young children comprise nearly 60 percent of the uninsured. Illegals alone are 27 percent. The latest data also shows that almost half of those in the state's public schools are either immigrants or the child of an immigrant. We also found that 39 percent of immigrant-headed households in the state used at least one major welfare program, twice the rate for native households.

Because 38 percent of adult immigrants in California have not completed high school, six times the rate for natives, even immigrants who work full time often end up poor, lacking health insurance and accessing social services. Our welfare system, particularly food assistance, and Medicaid/Medi-Cal is geared to helping low-income workers with children, which describes a very large share of immigrants.

We can see just how important education is to economic success in two different ways. First, we found that immigrants with a college degree have incomes and use of social services similar to natives. Second, when we look at legal immigrants who have very little education we found that their rates of poverty and welfare use are as high or higher than illegal immigrants. For example, we found that 56 percent of households headed by a legal immigrant who lacked a high school diploma used at least one major welfare program, triple the rate for natives. This is important because an estimated 57 percent of illegal immigrants have not completed high school. Therefore, legalization would not solve the problem of low income and heavy use of social services.

Immigrant use of social services might not be a problem if they generally paid more in taxes than native. But the median income of immigrant households is 21 percent lower in California than that of native households, and immigrant households are 36 percent larger on average. The household is the primary unit by which taxes are assessed and services paid. This means immigrants will tend to pay less in taxes than natives and tend to use more in services. This is not the same as saying immigrants do not pay taxes. In fact, even illegal immigrants pay some taxes. However, it does mean they will be a fiscal drain.

If we want to avoid these problems we are going to have to reduce the number of legal immigrants allowed in who have relatively little education. We are also going to have to enforce the law, and cause illegal immigrants to go home. Of course, the immigrants themselves clearly benefit by coming to America. And this could be used to justify continuing current policy. But the latest data shows that less-educated American workers, public schools, health care providers and taxpayers will feel the effects if we continue down our present path.

Steven A. Camarota is Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... _15_07.txt

Hey Skip,

Edit out the underlines in the title, it's got the board layout all screwed up...

Originally Posted by PinestrawGuys

Hey Skip,

Edit out the underlines in the title, it's got the board layout all screwed up...

I shortened the title, but there were no underlines. It appears OK now.

R/ Skip

Whatever you did worked...

I can't believe I'm actually APPLAUDING the 9th Circus...

Yes I know exactly what you mean!
I have said the same thing at least six times already, and I still can't believe it!

We should only accept educated immigrants for jobs that require a degree. There was talk at one time about issuing points for people who want to immigrate here and it looked at various things such as education and in what. It seemed like a good idea.

Why don't we stop with the Musical Country game.

If things are so bad and people are starving around the world, why pick up a some of them and bring them here to make their life better, leaving the rest in dire straits.

Why don't we take the foreign aid and see it goes directly to the people - or to do things that benefit the people, not despotic rulers, and work to make the country better for everyone.

Moving poor people around the world does little for all mankind and hurts the countries, like us, that are at the point in time, able to help the world.

For all those that think they can make life somehow 'fair and equal' - think about what they are doing to the ones left behind?

There are 4 billion people in the world poorer than mexicans

Keep in mind that most of them give up a job to sneak in here

That's a fact.

The pay is better and the 'safety net' is wonderful.

Originally Posted by swatchick

We should only accept educated immigrants for jobs that require a degree. There was talk at one time about issuing points for people who want to immigrate here and it looked at various things such as education and in what. It seemed like a good idea.

America accepts millions of educated immigants and rewards them
by making them wait in line for years.