I readily acknowledge the costs. They exist, and you can't deny that. But like it or not, immigrants provide a significant boost to our economy, and provide a large labor force, and help keep prices down especially in agriculture and construction. I can answer with the same thing...a billion here and a billion there...it does add up quickly. And are you willing to pay more for everyday items (possibly significantly in some cases), shutter small businesses that depend on the labor, and take billions of $'s out of our economy by removing all immigrants, while spending billions to to do so?? This isn't a vacuum...removing immigrants from our economy is going to have a negative effect. I'm not sure why that's so hard to understand, and why we aren't focusing on both the costs and benefits.

 

RJS, I understand your line of thinking. It is a logical thought process of how the system "should" work. However, in my humble opinion, what you have described above is an idealist thought process, and not reality. You say that the "illegals" pay taxes and contribute to society. If they are in fact illegal, then they do not have a valid social security and do not pay income or any other taxes aside from sales tax. I think it has already been mentioned, but to my understanding most illegals are payed in cash, whether that be directly from their customer of their employer. Because they are paid in cash, they avoid paying taxes and do not contribute in that aspect.

 

As far as your claim that they contribute to our large labor force, which keeps prices low, I could be wrong here but it seems like we are currently facing some pretty large unemployment rates currently. Maybe US citizens who are currently unable to find a job would be more able to if there were more available positions. I know, they aren't going to be "fun" jobs or whatever you want to call them, and maybe I am being too optimistic in thinking that the average jobless citizen would be more willing to actually do work, than sit back and suck the welfare out of the system, but I have to believe that with more jobs readily available our unemployment rate would decrease. Unlike illegal workers, these workers would be taxed and would actually contribute to the welfare of our state.

And in regards to keeping prices low, that brings upon the whole ethics aspect. Nike can go to Chinese sweat shop that utilizes child labor to have a shirt made, and their prices would be rock bottom (theoretically). However, we have laws to prevent this because we know this is an ethically wrong practice. Should be the same with artificially low prices resulting from illegal immigrant's work here in the US.

Revealed: How immigrants in America are sending $12

Revealed: How immigrants in America are sending $12 BILLION to their struggling families back home | Daily Mail Online

 

"Migrants working in the United States sent a staggering $120 billion back to their families last year, it was revealed today." This was from a 2013 article.

 

Yes and none was used to support their local economy like people claim. We are paying illegals to support the Mexican economy.

Cashing in: Illegal immigrants get $1,261 more welfare than American families, $5,692 vs. $4,431 | Washington Examiner

 

Its not thats I'm against helping people but shouldnt we put native born families first ?

 

And some people wonder why Trump struck a nerve when he decided to be the first politician to actually TRY to make illegal immigration a serious campaign issue. No other candidate on either side (with the exception of Cruz) will tackle it...hence he won the R nomination.

I don't remember that part. Here's a summary:

 

Memory of immigration reform under Ronald Reagan haunts current debate | Tampa Bay Times

 

According to this no fence, thought one was to be built. But, the idea of this bill was to wipe the slate clean and police the border, keep out the illegals and if any made it in, deport them if caught.