Facts About immigration

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Immigration Background Information
Before we can understand or suggest changes in the laws governing immigration into the United States we need to define and delineate the meaning of immigration and the meaning of illegal immigration; the nature and extent of the issue and problem and the causes of the problem. Law is a human invention designed to deal with human problems which is why we need an understanding of the problem prior to discussing the laws dealing with it.​
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Brief Characterization of Immigration
  • Immigrants make up 17% of the civilian work force in the United States
  • 77% of immigrants are legally in the country; 23% are illegally in the country
  • Immigrants are 14% of the U.S. Population; in 1970 it was 5% and in 1890 it was 15% (PEW Foundation)
  • Most immigrants live in California
  • By 2055 Asians will be largest immigrant group
  • The top country for immigrants to the U.S. today is Mexico followed by China and India. In 2018 the top country was China
  • 53% of immigrants are proficient in English

Sources of Statistics: Pew Research Center—Key Findings about U.S. Immigrants-Fall 2020 , What We Know about Unauthorized Immigrants Living in the United States—November 2023 and How Americans View the Situation at the U.S. Mexico Border: Its Causes and Consequences-February  2024; Migration Policy Institute-Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration into the United States-March 14, 2023; Urban Institute-Multiple reports on their website; U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; The Cato Institute and the Hoover Institute at Stanford University.)

Causes of Immigration (particularly true of the current illegal immigrants on the southern border)
A. Violence in home country
B. Corruption in home country
C. Better work and educational opportunities in the United States
D. Dislocations due to climate change
E. More freedom and respect for rights in the U.S.
F. Food Security
G. Economic Collapse in their country of origin
H. Illegal immigration business

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice; National Institutes of Health; Pew Research Center, op. cit.; Migration Policy Institute, op. cit.; U.S. Department of State; Library of Congress—Why Immigrants Come to the U.S.; U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops.

Arguments against Immigration with Response (Purpose is not to espouse either side but to demonstrate the complexity of the issue.)
1. Immigrants take American jobs, lower wages. Contrary: The displacement effect is small. Immigrants are attracted to growing areas and increase both supply and demand sides of the economy. Immigrants compete most against other immigrants. Perform jobs American workers don’t want to do. Immigrants create jobs:
(1) Forming new businesses
(2) Spending their incomes on American goods and services
(3) Paying taxes
(4) Raising productivity. Immigrants have accounted for significant increases in the GDP and the NDP.

Sources for Contrary Claims: Brookings Institution; Center for Public Integrity; Pew Research Center; Dr. George Borjas-Harvard University; reports of the Cato Institute and the Hover Institute; Migration Policy Institute; Pew Research Center; Penn Wharton School of Business-University of Pennsylvania; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities; U.S. Federal Reserve System; Brookings Instruction; Cato Institute; Hoover Institute; Carnegie Foundation.

2. Immigrants abuse the welfare state. Contrary: Law limits access to means-based welfare for first 5 years. Immigrants do contribute to social security and are less likely to use welfare than native born Americans.
Sources for Contrary Arguments: Pew Research Center; CATO Institution, Migration Policy Institute; Center for Immigration Studies; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

3. Immigrants increase budget deficit. Contrary: Immigrants have a net zero effect on government budgets. 75% of illegal immigrants comply with federal tax law. Tend to be of an age group where they contribute more in taxes than take.
Sources for Contrary Arguments:  Brookings Institution; Center for Public Integrity; Pew Research Center; Dr. George Borjas-Harvard University; reports of the Cato Institute and the Hover Institute; Migration Policy Institute; Pew Research Center; Penn Wharton School of Business-University of Pennsylvania; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities; U.S. Federal Reserve System; Brookings Instruction; Cato Institute; Hoover Institute; Carnegie Foundation.

4. Immigrants don’t assimilate. Contrary: Immigrants today are assimilating as well as or better than previous immigrants. Current Hispanic immigrants are also assimilating no differently than previous immigrants.
Sources for Contrary Arguments: National Academy of Science; Jacob Vigdor (University of Washington)-Indicators of Immigrant Integration; “The Integration of Immigrants into American Society—National Academy of Sciences.

5. Immigrants are a major source of crime. Contrary: Recent immigrants are less likely to commit crime than are natural born Americans.  There were 1794 convictions against natives per 100,000 natives. 782 convictions of illegal immigrants for every 100,000 illegal immigrants and only 262 convictions of legal immigrants per 100,000 of them. Even true in Texas.
Sources of Contrary Arguments: Texas Department of Public Safety; Nicholas Ajzenman- Immigration, Crime and Crime (Mis)Perception-American Economic Journal-July 21, 2023; Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research FBI Uniform Crime Report; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pew Research Institute.

6. Immigrants increase the risk of terrorism. Contrary: Small risk of being the victim of terrorism from immigrant. The annual chance of being murdered in terrorists’ attacks committed by a foreigner from 1975 to 2015 was 1 in 3.6 million per year. Lower than chance of being struck by lightening or attacked by a shark.
Sources of Contrary Arguments: U.S. Department of State; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Nation Institutes of Health; Pew Research Center.

7. We have the most open borders and it is easy to immigrate. Contrary: America allows greeter numbers of immigrants than any other country. However, the annual flow of immigrants as a percent of our populations is below most other OECD countries because the United States has such a large population. (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)

8. Immigrants destroy the rule of law. Contrary: It is current immigration policy that is destroying the rule of law because it is capriciously administered and unfair.
Sources for Contrary Arguments: American Immigration Council; Government Accountability Office, ACLU; Center for American Progress, Pew, Cato Institute, Brookings.

9. Immigrants bring bad cultures, are un-American. Contrary: Come because they like American culture. More immigrants, studies show, more economic freedom in a country. Immigrants change to fit existing order.
Sources for Contrary Arguments: American Immigration Council, Brookins; Cato Institute; Carnegie Foundation; American Historical Society.

Benefits of Immigration
A. Increase diversity
B. Boost innovation
C. Increase labor supply 
D. Do jobs that natives don’t want to do
E. Help correct slowing birth rate among native born Americans which drives expansion of the labor force resulting in economic growth

​Please refer to appropriate sources cited above.
Originally compiled by : Dr. John W. Ray, member of Sun City Current Issues Club.   Modified by:  Michelle Augustine, Sun City Democrats Club member