Tyler J, Brian K, Andrew K, Chelsea M

Illegal Immigrants Three categories:

Immigrant who entered the country illegally

Immigrant who overstayed the number of days permitted on their visas

Immigrant who obtained a visa on false pretenses

Why are they here?

Economic incentives

Chain immigration (family connections)

US government inefficiencies

Trade agreements and government failures

Where do they work? According to USA Today:

4% - Farming21% - Service Industries19% - Construction and related

occupations15% - Installation and Repair12% - Sales10% - Management8% - Transportation

Tertiary Sector

Also known as the service sector Services are produced Primary sector

Extraction i.e. fishing, mining, agriculture

Secondary sectorManufacturing

Illegal Immigration In 2008, there were

approximately 7.7 million illegal aliens employed in U.S. jobs.

Typical Mexican worker earns 1/10 of an American counterpart.

American businesses are willing to hire cheap labor from abroad.

Timeline of Immigration Policies 1790 - any free white person could apply

for citizenship after two years of residency. 1798 - Alien and Sedition Acts 14 years of

residency before citizenship and provided for the deportation of "dangerous" aliens. Changed to five-year residency in 1800.

1864 - Contract Labor Law allowed recruiting of foreign labor.

1885 - Contract Labor Law. Unlawful to import unskilled aliens from overseas as laborers. Regulations did not pertain to those crossing land borders.

1917 - Immigration Act provided for literacy tests for those over 16 and barred all immigrants from Asia.

1948 - Displaced Persons Act allowed 205,000 refugees over two years.

1952 - Immigration and Nationality Act eliminated race as a bar to immigration or citizenship.

1986 - Immigration Reform and Control Act provided for amnesty for many illegal aliens and sanctions for employers hiring illegals.

2001 - USA Patriot Act amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden the scope of aliens ineligible for admission

Illegal Immigration Policy Under current U.S. immigration policy, the

Obama Administration will authorize an average of 138,000 new foreigners each month to fill American jobs, regardless of whether the U.S. economy is producing or losing jobs, or whether U.S. wages are rising or falling.

Cons: Health Care Emergency Medical Treatment and Active

Labor Act Under Reagan Administration Passed in 1986 Includes emergency care for illegal

immigrants Emergency Medicaid

Provided for individuals regardless of citizenship, or income-level

Funded partly through American citizens (taxes)

Cons: Health aspect Illegal immigrants are not required to have

health insurance coverageCheaper for employers to hire them over

citizens Can spread germs more easily especially

with the nature of most of their jobs (Ezra Klein)Place themselves and citizens in danger

of sickness/disease

Cons: Taxes

Cons: Welfare System With fewer American citizens working the

provisions of welfare are being supplied to more individuals

Illegal immigrants are paid “under the table”Income is not documented by employers which

allows them to receive welfare benefits in addition to their regular income

Contribution to U.S. Economy

Contribute to the U.S. economy through their investments and consumption of goods and services The total goods and services that they consume

through their paycheck, plus all that they produce for their employers, is close to about $800 billion

90% of the wages that the undocumented population gets are spent inside the U.S. ($400 to 450 billion)

Illegal immigrants tend not to receive federal welfare benefits

They usually pay income and sales tax

Take Low Wage Jobs U.S. education has improved and places

more people through reducing the low-skilled American labor force

Increases productivity Lowers costs of goods and services Results in subsidiary job creation Most Americans would notice little

change in their income if illegal immigrants suddenly disappeared

Other Benefits

Illegal immigrants tend to make more in the U.S. than they could in their homelands

Government spends to secure the border causing an increase in aggregate output

Immigrate according to the state of the economyFill jobs when we need laborMigrate to regions where labor is needed

Proposed Solutions Legalize all of the current illegal aliens in

America (Amnesty) Deport the nearly 12 million illegal aliens Build a giant wall that extends along the

U.S. and Mexican border Continue enforcing the existing laws that

the U.S Government has on illegal immigration

Legalize all of the current illegal aliens in America

(Amnesty) Amnestygranting legal status to a group of individuals

unlawfully present in a country Grants forgiveness for breaking the law Immigration Reform and Control Act of

1986Provided temporary resident status to those who

could prove that they had resided illegally in the U.S for 5 years

After 18 months, it was then upgraded to permanent status

5 years later this led to citizenship

Deport all of the Illegal Aliens

Round up and deport the nearly 12 million illegal aliens in America

According to the Center for American Progress, it will cost 206 billion dollars

Five years

The Great Wall of America

Build a wall that extends over 500 miles along the U.S and Mexico border

Cost around 9 Billion

Berlin Wall?

Continue enforcing the existing laws that the U.S Government has on illegal

immigration http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=YbBWmLMVR_o

Our Solution Grant Amnesty

Allow illegal immigrants to become citizens after workshop completion

Grant American citizenship after 5 years Workshops

Jump start English skillsAmerican history

Increase Border Patrol Increase the number of citizens allowed

in each year