What Are The Pros And Cons Of Open Immigration In The 21st Century
INTRODUCTION Immigration in the 21st Century: Pros and Cons In light of the recent September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, there has been a widespread resultant paranoia in the American psyche. Amongst one of the ?preventive measures? to curb further terrorist activities, the American immigration policy was scrutinized upon intensely. Long-time skeptics of immigration, including former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, have tried in recent days to turn those legitimate concerns about security into a general argument against openness to immigration. However, what these immigration skeptics failed to see is that terrorist activities and immigration are two different issues altogether and should not be linked under any circumstance. In this essay, this issue will be discussed in addition to the broader topic in this regard: why the United States should keep its traditional policy of open immigration.
REALITY CHECK Amongst the anti-immigration stalwarts, the primary argument is that continual immigration at the present pace would bring economic woes to this country, particularly in the case of labor competition and wages. However, based on the testimony before the Senate …show more content…
Immigrants pay their own way when it comes to services used and taxes paid. Immigrants use many government services?particularly at the state and local levels--but they are also pay a lot in taxes. Conservatively estimated, in 1998 immigrant households paid an estimated $133 billion in direct taxes to federal, state and local governments. Adding the tax receipts paid by immigrant businesses brings the total annual tax contributions of immigrants to about $162 billion for 1998. In any given year, immigrants may use more in services than they pay in taxes, but over their lifetimes, immigrants are a fiscal bargain to native taxpayers. As their earnings rise over time, immigrant taxes exceed the benefits
REALITY CHECK Amongst the anti-immigration stalwarts, the primary argument is that continual immigration at the present pace would bring economic woes to this country, particularly in the case of labor competition and wages. However, based on the testimony before the Senate …show more content…
Immigrants pay their own way when it comes to services used and taxes paid. Immigrants use many government services?particularly at the state and local levels--but they are also pay a lot in taxes. Conservatively estimated, in 1998 immigrant households paid an estimated $133 billion in direct taxes to federal, state and local governments. Adding the tax receipts paid by immigrant businesses brings the total annual tax contributions of immigrants to about $162 billion for 1998. In any given year, immigrants may use more in services than they pay in taxes, but over their lifetimes, immigrants are a fiscal bargain to native taxpayers. As their earnings rise over time, immigrant taxes exceed the benefits