Illegal immigration rebuttal
Monday, February 16, 2009
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There are some people who don’t believe that illegal immigrants should be granted amnesty, and that laws that prevent people from coming to the US outside of the proper channels should be more consistently enforced. Here are some of the arguments these people put forth to further their argument:
– Illegal immigrants cost the US education system money. Under the fourth amendment, children born on American soil are automatically given US citizenship, despite the nationality of their parents. In some states, such as California, the children of illegal immigrants are given in-state tuition rates to our public universities. One example of how this works, using a logical extension of the facts, is that a child born in Virginia, whose parents were descendents of the original settlers, must pay more to attend a college in California than the child of an illegal alien. This may cost our public universities money in tuition lost from these first-generation Americans, who may otherwise pay out-of-state tuition.
– Illegal immigrants are a drain on our health care system. All naturalized peoples, before being granted US citizenship, are required to undergo testing to ensure that they aren’t carrying any infectious diseases. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of people who enter the country illegally. There are untold numbers of illegal immigrants who bring with them diseases which may manifest themselves among their own communities or regions, infect others, and end up making many people too sick to be able to work for a period of time (which is harmful to production).
– Illegal immigrants hurt our work force. It’s true that the main reason people want to come to our country is for economic opportunity not available in their own nation. Because of this, jobs are taken by those that are willing to work for less than minimum wage, if companies (illegally) allow this to happen. This means that Americans, especially younger Americans, have fewer opportunities to earn a living because the jobs available to them are taken by those who would do the same job for less money. This may be a burden on our economy, for fewer number of illegal immigrants graduate from college than do American citizens, and if citizens cannot pay for their education, they are unable to help our country stay technologically relevant.
These are just a few of the arguments that proponents of tougher immigration laws point to when making their case. There are varying degrees of validity to all of these claims; for example, would it not be a good thing for any US citizen to receive an affordable education, regardless of where their parents were born? And isn’t it true that plenty of diseases come from international travel? I may not agree with these arguments, but it’s important to consider all sides of an issue and to be familiar with arguments from all sides before solidifying your opinion. Spouting off hearsay and allowing yourself to listen only to viewpoints similar to ones you already hold does nothing to further either healthy debate or your own intellectual maturity.
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