Illegal Immigration 101

What does illegal immigration accomplish?

Bob, our hypothetical example, is an illegal immigrant.  Bob is intelligent, is able to do college level math, but, speaks broken english.  Bob has 1 child, girl, age 6, that he brought with him.  Sadly, Bob is a widower.  His wife died, of cancer, 2 years before he arrived in the U.S.  

Bob gets a job, using a stolen social security number, packing beauty supplies for shipment.  Bob has the protections provided any legal worker in the U.S.  Bob is paid $2 more than minimum wage and provided health insurance.  Bob works for this employer for 3 months, until HR receives a letter asking to verify his, stolen, social security number.  After HR requests documentation of his identity, Bob decides not to go in to work the next day.

Within a couple days Bob finds another employer that pays "under the table."  This new job does not provide for any protections provided to legitimate workers.  Bob is paid 1 dollar less than minimum wage and is paid in cash, usually on Fridays.  Bob's boss argues that the 1 dollar per hour he is keeping, is only a counterbalance to not deducting payroll taxes.  

Now that Bob is earning less money, he can't afford to pay for child care.  Bob is a good father and will not leave his daughter alone while he works.  Bob goes to the local Job & Family Services center and applies for assistance.  Bob is given free child care, food assistance (food stamps) and health insurance (medicaid).  

This is a sad story, but plausible.

What are the effects here? 

Bob is not protected from illegal employment practises.  

His employer purchases his labor for less than minimum wage.

Bob's employer is effectively subsidized by the State.  

Bob can't move up the ladder of employment.

The wages paid by his employer are lowered for every other employee, because he can pay Bob, or someone like Bob, less than legal wages.

Eventually Bob is hurt at work and he can no longer work.

What are the costs to the public?

Education, medical care, day care, nutrition for Bob's daughter.

Medical care, nutrition, housing for Bob.

Conclusions: 

Illegal immigration lowers wages, for the "working class," overall.

It allows the unscrupulous business owner to charge less for his product while being subsidized by the tax payer.  An unfair advantage. 

It allows for abuse of the illegal immigrant.

Not the solution: Amnesty: It only encourages more illegal immigration.

Possible solution: 

Enforce the current immigration law.  Pass E Verify law, requiring every employer verify legal worker status.  Enforce that law with crippling fines for repeat offenders.  Deport any & all illegal immigrants found in the U.S.  Finally, pass laws allowing people, like Bob, to immigrate to the U.S. and become citizens.

When the left or right says we shouldn't deport illegal immigrants or enforce immigration laws, really, it's a boon for big business, lowering wages & protections for workers.  All while they, and protesters, scream "HUMAN RIGHTS!" 

"Ironic, isn't it..."

-Dan