The Pros And Cons Of Immigrants In The United States

The topic of immigration is one of the most controversial in American history. The United States has long been the “land of opportunity,” where people come to have a better life. Because of its high levels of immigration, many Americans question how they should go about receiving these immigrants. Many options have been considered, such as opening themselves to the world, making emigration unnecessary, admitting only talented workers, or restricting immigration altogether. In the past and still today, immigrants have not been welcomed with open arms and are even subjected to discrimination and hate crimes. Legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the ban on immigration from certain countries in the Middle East are examples of times …show more content…
Skilled workers create jobs. This can be shown in United States workers currently on H-1B visas. H-1B visas allow United States employers to temporarily employ foreign workers. In 2008, Bill Gates said “Microsoft has found that for every H-1B hire we make, we add on average four additional employees to support them in various capacities” (American Immigration Council). It can be confirmed that highly skilled workers create jobs in a study by the National Foundation for American Policy. It found that for every H-IB position request, companies increase their employment by an average of 5 people. Already, highly skilled workers improve the economy. If the majority of immigrants were talented workers, it is clear that the amount of jobs would increase in the United States. This plan also increases technological growth in the country. According to the CATO Institute, during World War II, the sudden increase in German Jewish chemists resulted in a 70% increase in patents in chemistry subfields occupied by these immigrants. This led to an increase of patents by Americans. Highly skilled immigrants still increase technological growth today. According to a study by the Harvard Business School, almost half of the scientists and engineers with a doctorate in the United States are immigrants. These people comprise of 67% of the increase of scientists and engineers between 1995 and 2006 in the United States. Furthermore, only letting in highly skilled workers make the country safer. Many studies have found that education is linked with less crime. For instance, high school dropouts are 3.5 more likely to be arrested than those who have graduated, according to The Mercury News. 68 out of 100 males in prison have not graduated. Highly skilled workers are more educated than the typical immigrant, decreasing the amount of crime coming into the country. Also, because this plan helps the economy, this causes crime to

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The Pros And Cons Of Immigrants In The United States