Common-Sense Principles For Immigration Reform: April 29, 2010 No. 10-442
Common-Sense Principles For Immigration Reform: April 29, 2010 No. 10-442
Common-Sense Principles For Immigration Reform: April 29, 2010 No. 10-442
10-442
Immigration Reform is Imperative genuine security threats by those who seek to do the
Immigrants and their children are a growing economic and country harm. However, this strategy must be coupled
political force as consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. with vigorous enforcement of civil rights and labor laws,
One in six Texans is an immigrant, according to the U.S. and protection of due process and human rights.
Census Bureau, and 30.9 percent of the foreign-born
As the nation strives for economic recovery, immigrants
population are naturalized U.S. citizens who are eligible to
and their children can play a key role in shaping our
vote. Immigrants make up 20.6 percent of Texas’
1 economic future. In support of this goal, reform of our
workforce and add tens of billions of dollars and hundreds
2 immigration policy should:
of thousands of jobs to Texas’ economy each year.
• Bolster, not undermine, the contributions that
Our economy relies on the contributions of immigrants—
immigrants make to our economy;
both authorized and undocumented. However, the large
population of undocumented immigrants presents unique • Improve labor standards and increase wages for all
challenges that must be addressed. Undocumented workers;
workers make up approximately seven percent of the Texas
3 • Enhance our national security and safety; and
workforce, which creates a black market for labor that
drives down wages and labor standards for all workers. • Respect human rights.
Providing adequate opportunities for legal migration
Immigration Helps Our Economy
would facilitate the enforcement of labor laws and improve
America Needs Immigrant Labor
conditions for everyone in the low-wage labor market.
Even though we are in the midst of an economic recession
Ensuring that future immigration is regulated and with high unemployment, the fact remains that because of
controlled, rather than illegal and chaotic, will pave the declining native birth rates and the aging of the Baby
way for a sensible enforcement strategy capable of targeting Boom generation, the United States faces a potential labor
2
jobs to Texas’ economy each year. In 2009, the combined Immigrants and Public Safety
purchasing power of Latinos and Asians totaled $208.8 Arguments that immigrants are more likely to commit
billion, according to the Selig Center for Economic crime are unfounded. In fact, dozens of studies on the
7
Growth at the University of Georgia. correlation between crime and immigration have found the
12
opposite to be true. A 2007 study by the Immigration
Despite these contributions, some question whether
Policy Center found that, nationwide, native-born men
immigrants take more in services than they contribute as
ages 18-39 were five times more likely to be incarcerated
workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. Again,
than their foreign-born peers. Further, the study found
it is important to distinguish between lawful and unlawful
that, while the undocumented population doubled
immigration. The exact same immigrant doing the exact
between 1994 and 2005, violent crime declined by almost
same job may have a different impact on the economy
one-third, and property crimes fell by more than one-
depending upon whether they are lawfully or unlawfully
quarter. 13
present. As we point out above, if immigrants are here
lawfully and thus able to comply with our laws, they would In addition to examining the impact of immigration on
make an even greater contribution than otherwise. Even crime rates, researchers also have studied whether
so, research on the net impact of the undocumented undocumented workers are more likely to be victims of
population on the national economy for the most part crime. The results of this research suggest that
consistently finds that immigrants make a net positive undocumented workers are both more vulnerable to crime,
contribution—fueling job creation, growing the tax base, because they are known to deal largely in cash, and have
reducing the cost of good and services, and contributing to fewer means for dealing with crime because they are often
14
the solvency of the retirement system. The Social Security afraid of law enforcement. In the short-term,
Administration has estimated that undocumented policymakers can address this problem through appropriate
immigrants contribute approximately $8.5 billion in Social intervention by law enforcement, the courts, and local
8
Security and Medicare funds each year. social service agencies. In the long term, the best way to
prevent the exploitation of undocumented workers is to
According to a 2006 study by the Texas Comptroller,
bring immigrants out of the shadows by providing
undocumented migrant workers contributed $17.7 billion
sufficient opportunities for lawful migration.
to the Texas economy in 2005, and paid $1.581 billion in
state sales taxes, fees, and school property taxes. In Fixing a Broken System
contrast, the state’s costs for public education, health care, What’s wrong with the current system?
and incarceration of undocumented immigrants totaled Because our current immigration policy does not reflect
9
only $1.156 billion. the need for immigrants in the U.S. labor market, it fails to
regulate the flow of immigrants in a manner that is
In 2008, unauthorized immigrants comprised 7.9 percent
beneficial to our economy. While abundant economic
of the state’s workforce, according to the Pew Hispanic
10 opportunities exist for immigrants in the United States,
Center. The loss of undocumented labor in Texas would
they have to enter the country illegally to take advantage of
have serious repercussions. A 2008 study by The
them. This not only hurts the economy by depriving
Perryman Group calculated that if all unauthorized
employers of a legal workforce to meet legitimate business
immigrants were removed from Texas, the state could lose
needs, it also undermines our national security, because the
$69.3 billion in expenditures, $30.8 billion in economic
government cannot track the flow of these undocumented
output, and approximately 403,174 jobs, even accounting
11 immigrants. Moreover, it leads to human rights abuses of
for adequate market adjustment time.
the immigrants themselves.
3
Attempts over the last decade to fix our broken within our democracy, we must give workers and their
immigration system have failed because they have been families an option to pursue a realistic path to citizenship.
one-sided, focusing solely on beefing up enforcement while
The Federal Government Should Have Sole
ignoring the real economic need for immigration. From
Responsibility for Immigration
building a border fence, to workplace raids, to
As Arizona’s new law shows, frustration with Congress’
“deputizing” everyone from landlords to social workers as
failure to enact immigration reform is high. Over the last
enforcers of federal immigration law, these policies have
decade, a growing number of states and local governments
proven impractical, ineffective, and costly. In fact, the
have enacted laws and ordinances curtailing basic services
research suggests that tighter border enforcement and
for undocumented immigrants, including health care and
increased penalties for illegal entry may actually have
in-state tuition at public colleges. Other initiatives prevent
increased the population of undocumented immigrants by
undocumented immigrants from renting homes and
creating an incentive for those who succeed in entering the
15 apartments and obtaining driver’s licenses or state
United States to stay. One immigration expert called this
identification cards.
a “perverse cycle whereby additional border enforcement
further decreases the rate of return migration, which These approaches are misguided and unwise. Immigration
accelerates undocumented population growth, which policy and border enforcement are a federal responsibility.
16
brings calls for harsher enforcement.” Cities and counties lack the funds and law enforcement
personnel to participate in immigration law enforcement.
Towards a New Approach
Besides diverting limited resources from state and local
America needs a new approach to managing immigration.
budgets, experience has shown that it impairs the
Texas Employers for Immigration Reform (TEIR) call for
relationship between immigrant communities and law
a market-driven system of temporary immigrant workers
enforcement officials and had led to increased racial
combined with clear, sensible enforcement, disincentives
profiling and civil rights violations.
for illegal immigration, enhanced border security, and a
path to legal status for undocumented workers currently in Restricting access to public services is also short-sighted.
the United States. CPPP is in general agreement with this Denying health care for low-income immigrants leads to
approach. Rather than erecting costly physical barriers at more costly chronic disease and other illness, an
the border and continuing to invest more in border uneducated population will earn less and therefore
enforcement, we need an efficient and sensible contribute less, and laws that keep undocumented
immigration system that is market-driven and vigorously immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses jeopardize
enforced. Such an approach would enhance our national everyone’s safety. Instead of wasting its limited resources
security, strengthen our economy, and minimize human on policing the border, Texas should maintain access to
suffering. At a minimum, a new immigration policy critical public services for undocumented immigrants and
should include a sufficient guest-worker program to meet their children in the interest of having a healthy and
our country’s labor needs, an entry-exit system capable of educated population and increasing our economic
tracking immigrants within the United States, and competitiveness.
enforceable labor laws to prevent exploitation of workers
Conclusion
by employers. An ideal guest-worker program should offer
To maintain national security, we must be able to control
temporary work permits to undocumented workers now in
our borders. To grow our economy, we must welcome
the United States and address future labor needs. To
immigrants who want to work and who have the skills we
prevent the development of a disenfranchised underclass
need. And, we must enforce our laws in a way that honors
American traditions and constitutional principles. We can
4
do all this through a common-sense, fact-based approach • American Immigration Council
to immigration reform.
• Immigration Policy Center
Reliable Resources
• Migration Policy Institute
This short paper is not a plan for comprehensive
immigration reform. Our nation has much work ahead to • National Immigration Law Center
develop a detailed plan. Every American should
• Pew Hispanic Center
participate in the discussion. As the national debate
unfolds, the following resources will provide reliable • The Urban Institute
information and analysis and help you evaluate our
choices:
________________________
1
“Selected Characteristics of the Native and Foreign-Born Populations,” 2007 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.
2
“An Essential Resource: An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Undocumented Workers on Business Activity in the U.S. with Estimated Effects by State
and by Industry,” The Perryman Group, 2008. http://americansforimmigrationreform.com/files/Impact_of_the_Undocumented_Workforce.pdf#page=69
3
“Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants,” Pew Hispanic Center, April 14, 2009. http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/107.pdf#page=40
4
“Immigrants and Labor Force Trends: The Future, Past and Present,” Lowell, Gelatt, Batalova, Et Al., Migration Policy Institute, July 2006.
5
“Why Reform Is Essential to Immigrant Integration” Daranee Petsod, New Americans, Vol. 5, Issue 2, Fall 2006.
6
“Mexican Immigrant Workers and the U.S. Economy: An Increasingly Vital Role,” American Immigration Law Foundation, Washington, D.C.,
September 2002.
7
“The Multicultural Economy,” Selig Center for Economic Growth, Terry College of Business, The University of Georgia, Jeffrey M. Humphreys, 2008.
8
“Immigrant Union Members Facts and Numbers,” Migration Policy Institute, May 2004.
9
“Undocumented Immigrants in Texas: A Financial Analysis of the Impact to the State Budget and Economy,” Office of the Texas Comptroller, 2006.
10
“Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants,” Pew Hispanic Center, April 14, 2009. http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/107.pdf#page=40
11
“An Essential Resource: An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Undocumented Workers on Business Activity in the U.S. with Estimated Effects by
State and by Industry,” The Perryman Group, 2008.
http://americansforimmigrationreform.com/files/Impact_of_the_Undocumented_Workforce.pdf#page=69
12
For a summary of this research, see “Immigrants and Crime: Are They Connected?” Immigration Policy Center, October 25, 2008.
13
Rubén G. Rumbaut & Walter A. Ewing, “The Myth of Immigrant Criminality and the Paradox of Assimilation: Incarceration Rates among Native and
Foreign-Born Men,” Immigration Policy Center, American Immigration Law Foundation, Washington, D.C., Spring 2007.
14
"Hidden Victims: An Examination of Crimes Against Illegal Immigrants," Bucher, Jake. and Tarasawa, Beth. Paper presented at the annual meeting of
the American Society of Criminology, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia, Nov 14, 2007; and "Immigrants As Victims of Crime and Deviance: A
Meta-Survey," McDonald, William. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), Los Angeles Convention
Center, Los Angeles, CA, November 1, 2006.
15
“Backfire at the Border: Why Enforcement without Legalization Cannot Stop Illegal Immigration,” Douglas S. Massey, Center for Trade Policy Studies,
Cato Institute, June 13, 2005.
16
“The Wall That Keeps Illegal Workers In,” Douglas S. Massey, The New York Times, Op-ed, April 4, 2006.