Effects of Illegal Immigration

Economic Effects Mexican Immigration

Effects of Illegal Immigration on the Population Immigration, over the centuries since the United States first achieved independence, has had an inestimable influence on the character of the average the United States citizen. What has been estimated, meanwhile, are the absolute numbers of both legal and illegal immigrants to the United States.

Illegal immigration alone has brought as many as 20 million residents to the country and at least 10 million total inhabitants. When legal immigrants are also factored in, immigrants to the U.S. comprise approximately one eighth of the total population, over half of which are presumed to lack legal status to live and work in the United States.

Appeals for immigration reform, based on these numbers, are fairly constant from members of the the United States anti-immigration lobby, and in light of the exceptionally high rates of Latin the United States and Mexican illegal immigration (Mexicans make up over half of the current illegal immigrant population) in the United States, the pleas for government intervention get still more numerous and intense.

As evidenced by these statistics, the United States has already seen a sizable numerical impact from illegal immigration on its population. It is the demographic changes of the population, meanwhile, that may loom the largest. At current rates of increase, Hispanics/Latinos will overtake European whites as the ethnic majority. Of course, one would expect there to exist a significant amount of mixing between these two races as well as other minority populations.

Even so, the seeds for intergroup conflict could be sowed by these immigration shifts. While advocates for diversity and, naturally, disenfranchised Latin voters would welcome a rise in the prominence of their brethren and of their culture, those currently in power may call for more draconian immigration policies that may spawn further division between ethnic groups.

Effects of Illegal Immigrants on the WorkforcePrejudice Towards Illegal Immigrants

Prejudice against illegal and legal immigrants alike on the basis of race is also of significant concern to civil liberties champions. While some employers may award positions to illegal aliens for economic reasons (i.e. they can exploit their fear of deportation for low wages), some, too, may be motivated by racial bias. Moreover, illegal immigrants will often be met with negative stereotypes, sometimes attributed to anyone on Latin descent, despite them being hard workers and possibly not even Mexicans, let alone illegal immigrants.

Social Effects of Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration and the system that allows it have caused large effects on the United States, both economically and socially. These effects can be considered positive or negative, depending on the view point of the individual. Statistically, areas where illegal immigrants tend to congregate such as New York or southern California are experiencing an economic drain on social services that are funded by tax-payer dollars. These services include low-cost health insurance or Medicaid, low income housing, and food stamps.

On the other hand, contrary the the majority opinion, statistics may suggest that illegal immigrants actually contribute more to social security and medicare than they actually receive. Still, the social understanding of illegal immigration does not tend to reflect this idea.

Nationwide perceptions have been effected largely by the attacks that took place on September 11th. Social anxieties towards immigrants have increased as a result, and this has correlated in a resurgence of the national security argument levied against increased rights or opportunities for illegal immigrants.