Race and Your Community

In this paper I will go into detail of the effects that illegal immigrants have on our system as well as our society. The pro's and con's of these effects are how far we should go with border control, what the benefits are on hiring illegal immigrants, and how immigrants affect healthcare costs.

Illegal immigration has many economic effects on the United States and needs to consider making more boundaries. Illegal immigration has affected our labor force, although it may have many benefits as well, it also has many effects on our healthcare costs and our education.

First, how far should border patrol go? In the 1950's many ranchers would not admit to having illegal workers. In 1954 "Operation Wetback" had started. About 750 agents brought in illegal aliens. Their goal was too capture at least 1000 illegal immigrants every day. Come the end of July, they had seized over 50,000 illegal immigrants in two states; California and Arizona. 488,000 illegal immigrants, who had heard about this, were scared and had escaped the country. Now, based on statistics and evidence there are over 10 million illegal immigrants living in the United States (U.S.). Eighty-five percent are here illegally.

A high-tech surveillance plan has taken affect for a 6,000 mile long "virtual fence" to be installed along the borders of Mexico and the U.S. Boeing plans to install 1,800 surveillance and communications towers loaded with high-powered radar and electronic visual infrared cameras that can operate at night. This technology will allow agents to track anyone within a six mile distance.

Next, the benefits of hiring illegal are tremendous because contractors can have laborers do jobs most workers would not and even pay them half the cost for completing the job. Illegal immigrants all have the capability to function in different levels of jobs. Illegal aliens are a benefit because since they are willing to work at low wages and are just as capable of doing the same job that American citizens can do, they enhance the earnings of U.S. residents. While some of the general public feels that illegal immigrants "steal" jobs from the American citizens, they are actually increasing employment for the work force. The only impact it has on U.S citizens is the competition of highs school drop outs have with the illegal immigrants for jobs. Since they have little education, it is more difficult for the drop outs to find a decent paying job but cannot because most of them are taken