There are many issues facing Americans today. They include the economy, education, and healthcare. However immigration is also on the forefront of American’s current concerns.
Immigration is the basis of our national identity. It’s these concepts that make us the successful entity that we are today. Our very constitution states in the XIV Amendment Section 1 that all persons born or naturalized in the United States of America are citizens and have the privileges and immunities that come with that classification. The conflict arises when people immigrate to the United States illegally. It creates problems such as loss of tax income, legal citizen job losses and unpaid medical treatments.
‘’ Households headed by illegal aliens imposed more than $26.3 billion in costs on the federal government in 2002 and paid only $16 billion in taxes, creating a net fiscal deficit of almost $10.4 billion, or $2,700 per illegal household’’ (Steve A. Camarota). Ponder the concept if these individuals were legal citizens and paying taxes, how much revenue it would create for our lagging economy. ‘’In 2008 and 2009, 2.4 million illegal immigrants migrated to the United States and 8.2 million legal citizens lost their jobs in the same time period’’ (Steven A. Camarota). Ponder the effects on unemployment rates if illegal citizens were not acquiring jobs. ‘’ According to the California Hospital Association (CHA), illegal aliens cost hospitals across the state about $1.25 billion a year in unpaid medical care’’ (Dave Gibson). Ponder the hospitals that would still have their doors open if they would not have had been required to suffer the loss of revenue while treating uninsured illegal patients.
With all these facts in mind, the question that we face is should non U.S citizens who have entered the United States illegally, be afforded the same constitutional rights and privileges that citizens of the United States receive. Growing up in Michigan, has given me