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Common Myths about Immigrants and Immigration

Myth #1: Immigrants take jobs away from native-born Americans.

In fact, the U.S. economy increasingly requires low-skilled workers, as the native-born workforce becomes better educated and less willing to take these jobs. In 1960, half of all American men dropped out of high school and joined the low-skilled labor force; now the number is about 10% (Manhattan Institute). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 10 million unfilled jobs in the United States by 2010, primarily in low-wage service industries (Financial Times). Between 1990 and 2000, the foreign-born population of Tennessee increased by 168%, and the unemployment rate decreased from 5.3% to 4.0% (U.S. Census and TN Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development).

Myth #2: Immigrants don’t pay taxes.

In fact, Tennessee is funded largely by sales and property taxes, and everyone pays these taxes (renters pay the property taxes of their landlords). Despite the legal obstacles, an estimated 60% of undocumented immigrants also pay federal income tax without access to the many federal programs they fund (Pew Hispanic Center). Undocumented workers also pay an estimated $7 billion in Social Security and $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes a year, with little hope of ever receiving benefits (New York Times). By the end of the 2000 tax year, there was $374 billion in the Social Security Suspense Fund from undocumented workers. A 2006 Texas study found that undocumented workers contribute considerably more in taxes then they receive in public benefits, on the order of $400 million a year (Texas Comptroller).

Myth #3: Immigrants come to Tennessee for public benefits like TennCare.

In fact, immigrants come to Tennessee to work, not to get public benefits. Undocumented immigrants have no access to TennCare, except for emergency care and vaccinations. There are tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Tennessee, and only 62 received emergency TennCare in July (Congressional Testimony, TennCare Deputy Commissioner). Even for lawful permanent residents, there is a five-year waiting period for most state and federal benefits. U.S. citizen children living with immigrant parents are eligible for some benefits, but they use them less often than children of natives, and their participation in the Food Stamps program has decreased by 35% between 1994 and 1999 (Urban Institute).

Myth #4: Immigrants don’t want to learn English and need government encouragement.

In fact, within ten years of arrival, more than 75% of immigrants speak English well. For long-term immigrants, less than 3% are unable to speak English well (National Academy of Sciences). Today’s immigrants understand that learning English is vital to full participation in society, and are learning English just like immigrants of the past. The best way to help immigrants learn English is to enable them to work and interact with native speakers, and to improve ESL programs in public schools and local communities.

Myth #5: Undocumented immigrants aren’t willing to play by the rules or wait their turn in line.

In fact, for essential low-skilled immigrant workers, no such line exists. Our economy relies on an estimated 485,000 new, low-skilled immigrant workers each year, but our immigration system provides only 5,000 visas (Pew Hispanic Center). That is a huge discrepancy between what our economy needs and what our immigration system allows. Undocumented immigrants come to this country to perform needed work and provide for their families, and do so through a broken immigration system.

Myth #6: Undocumented immigrants are criminals.

In fact, unlawful presence in the United States is a civil violation of federal law, not a crime. Therefore, undocumented immigration status does not make someone a criminal. While some public figures claim that immigrants are filling our jails, those same individuals support legislation that turns everyday activities into crimes—like driving to work or renting an apartment. According to U.S. Census data, immigrants have the lowest rates of imprisonment for criminal convictions in American society (Migration Policy Institute). The incarceration rate of the US born (3.51) is four times the rate of the foreign-born (.086). According to the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, less than 5% of state prison inmates are non-U.S. citizens, which includes permanent residents, temporary legal residents, and undocumented immigrants. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of foreign-born in Tennessee increased by 267%; but in the last ten years, the overall crime rate has actually decreased, and the rate of violent crime decreased by more than 5% (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation).

Myth #7: Our immigration system can be fixed by spending more money on enforcement.

In fact, funding for border enforcement has increased ten-fold over the last 20 years and the number of border agents has quadrupled, with no corresponding decline in illegal immigration. Economic migrants are forced to cross in more remote parts of the border, lowering apprehension rates and tripling death rates (Cato Institute). Both President Bush and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security agree that effective border control depends on creating new legal channels for hardworking immigrant families.

Myth #8: Our immigration system can be fixed with local law enforcement.

In fact, local law enforcement officers are not trained in immigration enforcement because it would compromise their primary mission: to ensure the safety of our communities. The effectiveness of local law enforcement depends on community trust. If the police asked every victim of a crime for immigration papers, immigrant victims would cease to report crimes, making them easy targets, increasing the overall crime rate, and putting every Tennessean at greater risk. State and local attempts to fix a federal problem promise only to divide our communities, threaten public safety, and escalate anti-immigrant sentiment and discrimination.

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