Myths & Facts About the Costs of Immigration in the USA Prepared for Welcoming the Sojourner: Finding the Churchs Voice on Immigration by The Rev. Dr.

Myths & Facts About the Costs Myths & Facts About the Costs of Immigration in the USAof Immigration in the USAPrepared for “Welcoming the Sojourner: Finding the

Church’s Voice on Immigration” by The Rev. Dr. Mark R. Sills

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Ever since Adam and Eve became the first refugees, our ancestors have been moving from one place to another in search of a better life – either by choice, forced by circumstances, or through enslavement.

Most migration is causedMost migration is causedby economic factors.by economic factors.

Capital moves easily across borders.Capital moves easily across borders.

Labor also crosses borders, Labor also crosses borders, for the same reasonsfor the same reasons, but , but with much more difficulty.with much more difficulty.

Three Factors Three Factors TendTend

to “Push” to “Push” MigrationMigration

• People are pushed out of People are pushed out of their homes by povertytheir homes by poverty

• People are pushed out of People are pushed out of their homes by violencetheir homes by violence

• People are pushed out of People are pushed out of their homes by natural their homes by natural disasterdisaster

Four Factors Four Factors TendTend

to “Pull”to “Pull” MigrationMigration• A shrinking labor pool – unfilled jobs draw A shrinking labor pool – unfilled jobs draw

workers into a countryworkers into a country

• International competitive pressure on International competitive pressure on wages forces employers to seek workers wages forces employers to seek workers willing to work for a lower wagewilling to work for a lower wage

• Natural disasters (such as Katrina and Natural disasters (such as Katrina and Ike) demand far more workers than the Ike) demand far more workers than the country can provide internallycountry can provide internally

• Family reunification is the largest source Family reunification is the largest source of legal immigrationof legal immigration

Migration in 2008Migration in 2008

• Because our “pull” factors are so strong, people from Because our “pull” factors are so strong, people from

all parts of the world are moving into the United all parts of the world are moving into the United

States in large numbersStates in large numbers

• Similar large population movements across borders Similar large population movements across borders

are taking place inare taking place in

– Western Europe,Western Europe,

– Central America,Central America,

– Africa, andAfrica, and

– AsiaAsia

Myth #1: The USA is Myth #1: The USA is Being Overwhelmed Being Overwhelmed

by Immigrantsby Immigrants

Where Do the Migrants Where Do the Migrants Go?Go?

• 33% of all immigrants move to 33% of all immigrants move to Western EuropeWestern Europe

• 20% move to the USA20% move to the USA• 7% move to Russia7% move to Russia• 4% move to India4% move to India• 3% move to Canada3% move to Canada

Source: State of the World Population 2006United Nations Population Fund

Foreign Born as aForeign Born as aPercentage of the Total PopulationPercentage of the Total Population

• Russia – 8.5%Russia – 8.5%• Canada – 18.8%Canada – 18.8%• Australia – 19.9% Australia – 19.9% • Switzerland – 22.9%Switzerland – 22.9%• Saudi Arabia – 25.3%Saudi Arabia – 25.3%• Kuwait – 44.1%Kuwait – 44.1%

USA – 12.8%USA – 12.8%

Where Does the USA Fit in this List?Where Does the USA Fit in this List?

Source: United Nations World Population Report 2006 and the United States Bureau of the Census

Impact of NAFTAImpact of NAFTAon the Mexican Farmeron the Mexican Farmer

Crushed by NAFTA, Mexican

farmers head north

By Jack Kurtz/The Arizona Republic

Jun. 18, 2003

10 years of NAFTA

Destroying Mexican

Farmers

By Robert Taylor - World Press Review Jan,

2003

After a decade of NAFTA, Mexican corn

farmers face ruinCanadian Broadcasting Center

Dec 10, 2005

Nafta's Failures Fuel Mexican Illegal Immigration

New America Media, News Analysis, Louis Nevaer, Sep 15, 2006

Mexican Farmers See Death

Sentence in NAFTA

by Pav Jordan, Reuters, December 28, 2002

Impacts of NAFTAImpacts of NAFTAin Mexicoin Mexico

• Some 2 million Mexicans have been forced out of Some 2 million Mexicans have been forced out of

agriculture. These people are from areas with no other agriculture. These people are from areas with no other

job options. They can starve or they can migrate.job options. They can starve or they can migrate.

• NAFTA's service-sector rules allowed big firms like NAFTA's service-sector rules allowed big firms like

Wal-Mart to enter the Mexican market thus far Wal-Mart to enter the Mexican market thus far

putting out of business more than 28,000 locally-putting out of business more than 28,000 locally-

based small manufacturing firms.based small manufacturing firms.

• Wages along the Mexican border have actually been Wages along the Mexican border have actually been

driven down by about 25% since NAFTA. Border driven down by about 25% since NAFTA. Border

wages typically run 60 cents to $1 an hour. wages typically run 60 cents to $1 an hour. Source: The Carnegie Endowment 2006

Myth #2:Myth #2:Immigrants Come Immigrants Come to the USA to Use to the USA to Use

WelfareWelfare

• Immigrants, Immigrants, legal or notlegal or not, are , are not eligiblenot eligible for most for most welfare benefits.welfare benefits.

• Anti-immigrant organizations consistently understate Anti-immigrant organizations consistently understate the taxes paid by immigrants and dramatically over-the taxes paid by immigrants and dramatically over-estimate the cost to the public. estimate the cost to the public.

• A study done in 1991 by the US Government A study done in 1991 by the US Government Accounting Office found that all immigrants together Accounting Office found that all immigrants together in 1990 earned $240B, paid taxes of $90B, and in 1990 earned $240B, paid taxes of $90B, and utilized about $5B in public services.utilized about $5B in public services.

Facts:Facts:

Source: Farrell, Christopher, and Michael J. Mandel. “The Immigrants: How They’re Helping to Revitalize the U.S. Economy.” Business Week 13 July 1992: 114-122.

The Social Security Administration in a 2008 report indicated that un-documented workers have added 8 years of viability to the Social Security System by paying taxes for which they will never receive benefits.

Myth #3:Myth #3:Immigrant criminals Immigrant criminals

are filling up our are filling up our prisons and costing prisons and costing tax payers billionstax payers billions

Lou Dobbs Lou Dobbs recently stated recently stated on CNN that on CNN that immigrant immigrant criminals criminals make up more make up more than 33% of all than 33% of all prisoners in prisoners in the US!the US!

FactsFacts

• Immigrants make up just 4.6% of those Immigrants make up just 4.6% of those incarcerated in state and local jails and incarcerated in state and local jails and prisons.prisons.

• When combined with federal prisons, When combined with federal prisons, immigrants make up about immigrants make up about 7.3% of the 7.3% of the total incarcerated populationtotal incarcerated population in the USA in the USA on any given day.on any given day.

• Of the 2.2 million individuals Of the 2.2 million individuals currently incarcerated in the USA, currently incarcerated in the USA, 160,500 are foreign born.160,500 are foreign born.

Source: United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007

More FactsMore Facts

• Immigrants are much Immigrants are much moremore likely than citizens to be in the likely than citizens to be in the labor forcelabor force

• Immigrants are Immigrants are half as likelyhalf as likely as as citizens to be charged with a citizens to be charged with a crimecrime

Source: Urban Institute, American Immigration Lawyers Association

Neighborhoods with a high Neighborhoods with a high percentage of immigrant percentage of immigrant residents are residents are much less likelymuch less likely to have high crime rates.to have high crime rates.

Source: American Journal of Public Health

The criminalization of undocumented The criminalization of undocumented workers presents a cornucopia of workers presents a cornucopia of opportunities for private industry:opportunities for private industry:

• VF Corp. making uniforms for the thousands of border guards• Contractors working on “the wall”• Food vendors selling meals to detention centers housing 10s of thousands of “detainees”• Lobbyists being paid millions to convince lawmakers to “stay tough” on immigration reform

Detention is a Business!Detention is a Business!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Immigration agency plans new family

detention centers

The federal government is accepting bids

for up to three new family detention

centers that would house as many as 600

men, women and children fighting

deportation cases. October 5, 2008Farmville, VA detention center to

become largest immigration

detention facility in the mid-Atlantic

region. The $21 million project, led by a group of

Richmond investors, is being described as what

could be the “mid-Atlantic hub” for ICE operations.

KBR, the Halliburton subsidiary recently reprimanded for gross overcharging in its military contracts in Iraq, won a $385 million contract to build the centers. According to the Halliburton website -- www.Halliburton.com -- "the contract, which is effective immediately, provides for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations Program facilities in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs."

Halliburton's Immigrant Detention Centers by Ruth Conniff

Very big business….Very big business….

The math is simple. More demand for immigrant detention beds, plus more government funding, equals more business for Corrections Corporation of America. Every year since 2003, the company has made record profits.

Although the U.S. prison population 1.5 million inmates remains the most voluminous on Planet Earth, incarceration rates are slowing to a little over 1% a year increase while the detention side is running 21% annual growth. "What's great is that this industry promises steadily growing profits," offered an upbeat Anton High of Jefferies & Company brokers in a recent New York Times article encouraging investors to “buy in.”

Myth #4: Most Myth #4: Most Immigrants are Immigrants are

IllegalIllegal

There are approximately 34.5 million foreign born people in the USA.

10.3 million already have gone on to become naturalized US citizens with all the rights and responsibilities of any citizen!

2.7 million of these are refugees admitted to the USA by the US State Department.

1.6 million are legal temporary residents, usually school teachers or agricultural workers.10.5 million are Legal Permanent Residents of the

USA, with full legal rights to live and work here, and eventually to become citizens if they so choose.

That leaves approximately 9.3 million people who are undocumented.

Source: Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures, January 2004, The Urban Institute

According to the Department of Homeland Security 75% of all immigrants in the USA are here with legal documents. Of the 25% who are undocumented, 40% have expired documents or are in transition to another

legal status. No more than 10% of No more than 10% of

immigrants in the immigrants in the USA crossed the USA crossed the border illegally.border illegally.

Source: United States Department of Homeland Security, 2007

ICE Conducts 1,172 Raids in 11 Months ICE Conducts 1,172 Raids in 11 Months

From October 1, 1997 through August 31, 2008 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted 1,172 worksite raids across the country.

ICE arrested 4,956 people.

1,022 were either wanted for criminal charges or had a deportation order against them.

116 people were owners, managers, supervisors or human resources employees who were accused of hiring undocumented immigrants.

ICE spent an estimated $66 million conducting these raids.

Source: News Report, Jorge Morales Almada, October 17, 2008

Myth #5: Immigrants Are Myth #5: Immigrants Are Sending Most of Their Money Sending Most of Their Money

Back HomeBack Home

Myth #6: Immigrants Avoid Myth #6: Immigrants Avoid Paying TaxesPaying Taxes

Immigrants make up 15% of the total labor force in the US, and for the past decade have provided half the growth in the labor force.

More than 30% of the low-skilled labor jobs in the USA are filled by foreign born workers.

More than 40% of the Ph.D. level scientists working in the USA are immigrants.

Source: The President’s Council of Economic Advisors, “Immigration’s Economic Impact”, June 2007.

Forty-seven percent of current venture-backed companies in the U.S. have immigrant founders.

The number of Hispanic-owned businesses has grown at three times the national average, while the number of Asian-owned businesses has grown at twice the national average. Source: Migration Policy Institute publication, Immigration and America's

Future: A New Chapter, 2007

Facts:Facts:

Only 50 percent of some 18.9 million Latino immigrants in this country now send money regularly to relatives in their home countries.

Source: Fewer Latino immigrants send money home. By: Julia Preston, May 1, 2008

Investment Immigration to Investment Immigration to USAUSA

• Invest at least $1 million of your own assets ($500K in some target areas)

• Create or save at least 10 jobs for non-relatives and non-immigrants

• Any type of business enterprise qualifies

• You must personally be involved in management of the enterprise

Source: US Department of Homeland Security, 2008

“Give us your rich, your

leisure classes, yearning to be

richer!”

Immigrants Do Pay TaxesImmigrants Do Pay Taxes

No one can live in this country No one can live in this country and not pay property, sales, and and not pay property, sales, and

use taxes.use taxes.

Between 1997 and 2002, the number of businesses Between 1997 and 2002, the number of businesses owned by Hispanics grew by 31 percent -- three owned by Hispanics grew by 31 percent -- three times the national average for all businesses -- times the national average for all businesses -- hitting 1.6 million in 2002 and generating some hitting 1.6 million in 2002 and generating some $162 billion in tax revenue.$162 billion in tax revenue.

The IRS estimates that in 2005 The IRS estimates that in 2005 immigrant workers (including immigrant workers (including

undocumented workers) paid more undocumented workers) paid more than $165 billion in federal taxes, than $165 billion in federal taxes, and more than $85 billion in state and more than $85 billion in state

and local taxes.and local taxes.

Source: Cato Institute, Inter-American Development Bank

Myth #7: Immigrants Myth #7: Immigrants Take Jobs Away from Take Jobs Away from American WorkersAmerican Workers

The FactsThe Facts

• While immigrants do increase the supply of labor in While immigrants do increase the supply of labor in

the country, they also increase the demand for labor.the country, they also increase the demand for labor.

• One quarter of technology companies that were One quarter of technology companies that were

started in the U.S. between 1995 and 2005 had at started in the U.S. between 1995 and 2005 had at

least one immigrant founder. These companies hired least one immigrant founder. These companies hired

450,000 workers and produced $52 billion in sales.450,000 workers and produced $52 billion in sales.

• In Silicon Valley, the epicenter of America’s recent In Silicon Valley, the epicenter of America’s recent

tech boom, over half of start-ups were founded by tech boom, over half of start-ups were founded by

immigrants.immigrants.

Source: New American Media, “More Immigrants Means More Jobs,” April 2007

The Facts

If all of the undocumented immigrants in the USA were to be removed, either through deportation or through their voluntary exodus the impact would be dramatic:For the US as a whole, the immediate

negative effect of eliminating the

undocumented workforce would include an

estimated$1.757 trillion in annual lost

spending,$651.511 billion in annual lost

output, and8.1 million lost jobs.

Source: The Perryman Group: AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE: An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Undocumented Workers on Business Activity in the US with Estimated Effects by State and by Industry, 2008

Essential JobsEssential Jobs• Essential jobs are often being filled by immigrants:Essential jobs are often being filled by immigrants:

– In some states now, more than half of In some states now, more than half of construction workers are immigrants.construction workers are immigrants.

– Nationally, more than 50% of workers in meat Nationally, more than 50% of workers in meat packing plants are immigrants.packing plants are immigrants.

– More than 20% of medical professionals in the More than 20% of medical professionals in the US are immigrants.US are immigrants.

– More than 40% of research scientists in the US More than 40% of research scientists in the US are immigrants.are immigrants.

Source: United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor Statistics

Crackdown on illegal immigration boosts food pricesCrackdown on illegal immigration across borders contributes to increasing cost of food.October 15, 2008

One farmer in Pennsylvania — who before this year had operated the largest fresh-market tomato producing farm in the state — says the policy gridlock [concerning immigration] is forcing him to stop growing tomatoes.

Immigration's Fallout: Fewer Fresh Tomatoes?March 26, 2008

Myth #8:Myth #8:Immigrants Don’t WantImmigrants Don’t Want

to Learn Englishto Learn Englishand Assimilateand Assimilate

• Within 10 years of arrival 75% of immigrants speak Within 10 years of arrival 75% of immigrants speak English well.English well.

• There are extensive waiting lists for all the English There are extensive waiting lists for all the English classes at our Community Colleges, and many churches classes at our Community Colleges, and many churches have active ESOL programs.have active ESOL programs.

• The percentage of immigrants who apply for The percentage of immigrants who apply for citizenship (which requires fluency in English) has citizenship (which requires fluency in English) has never been higher.never been higher.

Source: United States Department of Homeland Security: Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services 2007

The Manhattan Institute just released a study (May, 2008) The Manhattan Institute just released a study (May, 2008) which found that today’s immigrants assimilate more which found that today’s immigrants assimilate more rapidly than previous waves of immigrants.rapidly than previous waves of immigrants.

The FactsThe Facts

Myth #9:Myth #9:Building a Building a

Wall Will Stem Wall Will Stem Illegal Illegal

ImmigrationImmigration

Cost of a border wall was Cost of a border wall was supposed to be only $3 million per supposed to be only $3 million per mile or $568 per foot.mile or $568 per foot. Latest estimates for construction Latest estimates for construction and maintenanceand maintenance of 700 miles of of 700 miles of fencing is $60 billion (or $85 fencing is $60 billion (or $85 million per mile). million per mile). Total length of border between Total length of border between USA and Mexico is 1,969 miles.USA and Mexico is 1,969 miles. Total cost to build Total cost to build and maintainand maintain an entire border wall would be an entire border wall would be more than $168 billion.more than $168 billion. Thus far, Congress has only Thus far, Congress has only allocated $1.2 billion!allocated $1.2 billion!

Canada’s border with the USA equals 3,987 milesCanada’s border with the USA equals 3,987 miles Coastlines of the USA total 12,383 miles unless Coastlines of the USA total 12,383 miles unless inlets and bays are included in which case they total inlets and bays are included in which case they total 29,093 miles29,093 miles

Myth #10:Myth #10:We are not against We are not against

immigrants, just those who immigrants, just those who come to the United States come to the United States illegally. They should go illegally. They should go home and get in line to home and get in line to

come here legally just like come here legally just like our ancestors did.our ancestors did.

Historical Facts:Historical Facts:

First, are you sure your ancestors came here “legally?”

• Driven by a declining economy and unfair economic policies most of the Ulster-Scots (often called the Scotts Irish) who settled in the US and Canada were forced off their lands by foreign economic policies just like the Mexican workers coming to the USA today.• More than half the Ulster-Scots who migrated to the United States did so by first going to Canada and then crossing the border without documents, just like the Mexicans coming into the USA today.

Source: Journal of Scotch-Irish Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2

Reality CheckReality Check

• Because of US Immigration Law, virtually the only Because of US Immigration Law, virtually the only Latin Americans who can Latin Americans who can legallylegally immigrate to the immigrate to the USA are:USA are:– Close relatives of US citizens (it currently takes between Close relatives of US citizens (it currently takes between

12 and 15 12 and 15 YEARSYEARS to process the application for to process the application for permission to come here).permission to come here).

– Highly educated scientists and technicians being sought Highly educated scientists and technicians being sought by major corporations for by major corporations for temporary residencetemporary residence in the US. in the US.

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Latin Americans fleeing economic Latin Americans fleeing economic disaster and starvation have disaster and starvation have virtually virtually nono legal avenue for legal avenue for

coming to the USA.coming to the USA.

This is true also for many of those This is true also for many of those who most need to migrate to the who most need to migrate to the USA from places like Haiti, some USA from places like Haiti, some parts of Asia, and many countries parts of Asia, and many countries

in Africa.in Africa.

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