Federal Immigration Policy is Destabilizing Main Street USA

During these extraordinary times, it's not surprising that the economy is on everyone's minds. How can it be otherwise? Retail sales are the lowest they've been in three years. Daily reports of layoffs. Home and auto loans increasingly hard to qualify for and the stock market rises and plummets faster than a thrill ride.

But even with all these things happening, they comprise only one of the issues that face our next president. Fortunately, in the three presidential debates, the candidates addressed the other major issues like education, foreign policy, energy and health care. Yet, they forgot one other major issue -- immigration.

Immigration is one of the most important issues facing 12 million people and directly impacting, to some degree, all Latinos who comprise 15 percent of the nation. Yet, it wasn't even broached by either candidate in any of the debates.

The closest we came to hearing about it was in the final debate when Sen. McCain said to Sen. Obama, "You're running ads that misportray completely my position on immigration."

For those of us who have been waiting to hear what each candidate would do about the ongoing immigration raids, profiling of Latino citizens, the construction of the U.S./Mexico border wall, the prolonged detention of undocumented immigrants in federal custody and the forced separation and deportation of children without their parents, McCain's mention of the word excited anyone who cares about the issue into thinking that finally the time had arrived.

It quickly vanished.

It's obvious that the issue of immigration is a political pariah for both candidates. As bad as the economy is, it's a much safer issue for political rhetoric. And, naturally, everyone would rather talk economy than immigration.

But a new report shows there's no way to talk about the economies of Main Street USA without talking about immigration.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha compiled a cost analysis of the state's immigrant presence, without differentiation of legal or undocumented status.

In the report "Nebraska's Immigrant Population: Economic and Fiscal Impacts," what researchers concluded will undoubtedly be disputed by those intent on convincing the American public that undocumented immigrants are a drain on our society which justifies their forced removal.

Yet, the math illustrates a different reality.

Nebraska's immigrant population jumped 33 percent from 2000 to 2006. In contrast, the native-born population only grew by less than 2 percent during the same time period.

Looking at 2006 data, the researchers found that immigrant spending in the state resulted in an estimated $1.6 billion output to the Nebraska economy. The spending generated between 11,000 and 12,000 jobs in the state.

Immigrants in Nebraska significantly contribute to the state's labor force with immigrants comprising 80.4 percent in meat processing -- the state's single largest industry and driving force for much of the state's economy.

These are the indisputable facts. What the researchers uncovered about how much immigrants actually take away from state coffers will be the real source of contention and dispute.

According to the report, the immigrant population contributed in 2006 about $154 million in the form of property, income, sales and gas tax revenue. Their costs to the government from food stamps, public assistance, health and educational expenses totaled $144.78 million.

In other words, the researchers found that the state's immigrants pay in about 7 percent more than what they use in government support. Also, if immigrants were removed from the state's labor force in key industries like meat processing or construction, the state's production would lose $13.5 billion.

Nebraska isn't alone. Another study set for release by New York City's Adelphi University Economics Professor Mariano Torras finds that in 2006 immigrants contributed $10.6 billion to the Long Island economy. Immigrants exercised $7.5 billion in buying power, helped create 82,000 new jobs, and even paid $2 billion more in taxes than they received in services. These are only two examples.

In these times, where every dollar counts in helping faltering state and city economies, it seems foolhardy for either candidate not to address the immigration issue and dangerous for our government to continue with an immigration policy that goes to the heart of destabilizing Main Street USA.

Comments

[scooperss]

I'm sorry but whenever I read one of these blogs, the first thing that comes to my mind is what's in it for YOU. I doubt it has to do with your family.
I doubt it has to do with helping the illegal immigrants yu say you want to help.

I say these things because I firmly believe the best way to help these people is in THEIR home countries. If their government isn't doing more to create jobs, then their elected officials need to be replaced.

You NEED to be in a country where illegals come from and you NEED to be lobbying their government to DO something for their poor instead of ignoring the problem in hopes of it going away or foisting their problems onto the rest of the world's citizens.

[clr2]

Well said scooperss

[randyjet]

That so called study is worthless for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the refusal to see any difference between legal and illegal immigrants which cause a major difference in figures and facts. It is also flawed in its stupid assumption that the jobs that illegals do in the meatpacking industry results in more wealth. It results in more wealth for the out of state corporations that benefit from the very low wages that the illegals make possible for them. The study to be honest should have noted the FACT that the wages in that industry have declined because of them. The average wage used to be $19/hr ten years ago. It is down to $9/hr. The wealth that would have been generated by using LEGAL workers would have resulted in a 100% increase in the wealth generated with those higher wages. So in FACT there is a net LOSS to the economy because of the illegals.

It is a dumb idea that NOBODY would do the work if the illegals did not do them. The FACT is that those jobs WERE done by American workers until the wages were depressed because of the illegals.

[clr2]

"Undocumented immigrants" aka ILLEGAL ALIENS shouldn't be detained they should be deported. I don't care where ILLEGALS come from they should all be deported.

[Chillinout]

No one on God's green earth is illegal. They may be in this country illegally, but they are not illegal. And you really don't need to worry about it too much. The Republicans have done such a good job of destroying our economy, they are all going back to Mexico where they can make more money. The ones that have to worry about illegal immigration are the Canadians, from Americans looking for good paying jobs.

[NoDrama]

How ironic that it was McCain speaking about Immigration reform as the keynote speaker at an ACORN rally in 2006, but now that it seems politically expedient he's jumped on the bi-annual GOP ACORN-hunt. http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2008/10/john-mccain-was-for-acorn-before-he-was.html

[carrieanna]

I am so tired of the vilification of Latinos in the US. I don't understand why this kind of racism is accepted by so many. It wasn't that long ago that Italians and Irish were considered unwanted immigrants.

[RobinSeattle]

There are indeed racist fools out there who vilify Latinos for being non-Anglo.

However, even liberal such as myself are alarmed by the effects arising out of unchecked immigration. There are practical matters of statecraft to be dealt with here. I have partied with, hung out with and played youth baseball with Latinos almost all of my life. I was an activist with a Latino who is now the mayor of a good sized city in southern California who was an immigrant. He is actually kind of like Obama. He's real careful, pragmatic, doesn't demonize the business community and is forward thinking and soft spoken.

Another guy I grew up with was the brother of Bush's Peace Corps director, whose parents came to the U.S. as illegal migrant farm workers.

Nonetheless, Latinos must deal with certain socio-economic realities rather than just blindly cheering on of their ethnic group. I realize what a hard row to hoe Mexicans have in their own country, but it shouldn't be up to us to be a relief valve for that country's problems. There are also certain cultural characteristics of Latinos that tend to hold them back (a lot of teenage pregnancy, for one thing).

Nobody should be a burden on others in their locality. But illegals are too much of a drag on state budgets for the reasons I outlined below. If the Latino community lessens that burden somehow then the concern about the illegals question will dissipate.

[Rule Of Law]

2

Mexicans I've worked with--Americans for generations, and newly/legally arrived--dislike illegals. They threaten their jobs, as much as mine. And though perhaps they can't put it in words, they feel the tension and backlash and know it does not bode well for the future.

If Marisa, or other activists, are Really concerned with the welfare of a people--not just their potential as an easily led political bloc or financial-aid milking wards of the state--they would go to Mexico and Honduras and organize the people to reclaim what is theirs! To fight alongside them to remain citizens in the countries of their birth, the lands They love, and help them gain the opportunities to make their countries places to be proud to work and raise a family. Coming here is a last resort. It shouldn't be.

But I believe that the Marisas have another agenda: one too much like the one most Mexicans ran from at home. Those of higher birth, better education, and even lighter skin, have a way of keeping people down, even while offering them a hand up. Especially if they haven't made the journey across the desert or done the work they're forced to do.

It shouldn't be for this new generation of jefes to set the agenda. They should instead, be listening to the voices of the People. Then they would hear that all they want is THEIR country back. Not "meet the new boss; same as the old boss!"

[Rule Of Law]

1

And I am tired of bleeding heart, politically correct, drawing room, pseudo-liberals not using the brains gawd gave a gnat, whose efforts only help perpetuate a system, designed by Corporatists, that will ensure the degradation and abuse of an entire Nationality of people (I won't say race because it isn't a color thing--I know Sicilians who are darker!) for generations!

This knee jerk Freedom Train mentality is espoused primarily by ivory tower intellectuals whose closest exposure to harvesting grapes or milking a cow has been a bottle of Pinot Noir and some Brie. Get down in the streets with the workers you claim to be trying to help and you will find that most of them would prefer never to have needed to leave Mexico, or Guatemala, etc.

They love their countries the way we love ours. Most are displaced farmers, poor and uneducated, who don't want to work for the meat packers any more than you do. They want to farm. In their country. On their land. But their Oligarchs and ours--the pro NAFTA Elites whose policies have created the diaspora of entire states and the absorption of the land there by the Big Land Owners with economic policies that force poor people out.They see what the second and third generations of their people come to in the States--the gangs, the drugs, the violence and death--and they hate that as much as we do.

[clr2]

Unwanted is different from ILLEGAL and all ILLEGALS are not Latino.

[RobinSeattle]

On the ground, where real America lives, illegal immigration is damaging K-12 education by filling schools with children who can't read even in their own language, more and more scarce resources have to be diverted to get them up to speed on english, they have high dropout rates and they bring increased gang activity to local schools.

Just so that you know, I voted AGAINST Proposition 187 in California because it was bad policy. It would have made the fallout from illegal immigration WORSE.

Communities I have lived in as well as those nearby have been turned into crime infested havens thanks to hispanic gangs. Illegal immigrants are swelling our prisons, driving up law enforcement costs and the houses and apartments where you have 10-20 illegals living in a single unit do little for local living conditions and home values.

This is exacerbated by illegals driving down wages in the construction industry and the meat packing industry you mentioned, among others.

The financial health of hospitals is also threatened by streams of illegals using emergency rooms as their health care when they can't pay.

Dealing with any of this (mass deportations are a needed good start) has become an electoral third rail and thus neither side of the immigration debate is likely to get anywhere, which only increases frustration among community members

There are practical matters of statecraft here. You can't slove anything on mere good wishes and idealism. .

[musselmanm]

Could this not be made up through American labor or better yet, Union American labor.
Prices may rise some but wages would also go up as Americans get back to work.
We need a bottom up recovery.
If illegal aliens get left behind for the good of Americans, I feel somewhat bad but there actually should still be room for many of these imigrants if we begin to rebuild our infrastructure after our election.
This is America! We all prosper whan Americans work. We cannot bear the burden of all of the downtrodden any longer.
Business' have used the low wage earners that come with illegal immigration. We need to reverse this abuse of people of all colors.
We must generate an economy which is once more supported by working people. If we do this we can make room for others and allow them a path to citizenship with their honesty and hard work being taken into consideration. Criminals that are also illegal should be deported upon conviction. We must remove financial aid from countries that do not attempt to keep their own citizens.
By the way I consider myself a liberal.

[presario511]

Has Nebraska really gained? In Illinois, you don't have to identify whether you are a citizen in order to get benefits-- food stamps, medical card, etc. What upsets me about this is not only can I not use the services my tax dollars cover, but if there are illegal immigrants, they use the services. I've worked all my life, paid taxes and obey the law but at the current time I find myself in need of medical attention and without insurance. I could not get medical services from the state because I was not pregnant, had no dependents and don't have an illness/injury that's life threatening.
A torn tendon isn't a disability so I limp and require surgery, but no insurance-no treatment. I work contract, which is taxed and the taxes go to illegal immigrants who don't have to identify themselves in order to receive benefits. I went to a hospital in tears and pain, was refused service, but someone came behind me got treatment when she displayed her medicalcard. Am I angry, yes cause there is no way that the influx of hispanics for example, in 1 area, over 6 months, could all be legal & paying taxes. Entering the country illegally is agains the law! Ok so everyone can't pay the fees, but you are illegal! Yes we have to fix immigration, but to keep allowing illegals to use the system of benefits on the backs of citizens and those legally here doesn't make sense either.

[randyjet]

I suggest that you do as the illegals do and NOT identify yourself except as an illegal from Belize. If they can do it, Americans can and should do as they do. The advantage of saying you are from Belize is that it is an English speaking country, and they have no health care system as Canada does. If you say you are Canadian, they will demand to see your Canadian health care card.

The more Americans do this, the quicker something will be done about the illegals and/or the health care system. If they refuse to treat you, demand to ask why they are discriminating against you, and demand that they give you info on how to get benefits to be treated.

[vicenteduq]

There are projections of the US Census Bureau. By year 2042 the non White population will be the majority.

By year 2028 Youth will be mostly non White, because the White Population is ageing.

I try to gather all data on these topics and I try to find out what is going to happen based on demographic forces, analysis of statistics, polls, bets and campaign spending.

Obama will win by a Big Landslide, .... and Bigger than Obama will be the Obama Coalition, because it will stay after Obama and his ( hopefully ) eight years..

The Coalition includes Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Multiracials, Young Whites, Moderate Evangelicals, the Catholics, Italians, Irish, Polish, etc .... And do not forget the Educated White, the most Moderate and Tolerant Whites. White Women can also be Obama people.

The Demographic Forces that shape the USA will help Obama and his "succesors" or political heirs.

The Racials and Multiracials are increasingly important as Political Capital. And it is very difficult to reverse that trend :

http://milenials.blogspot.com/

http://tossUpStates.blogspot.com/

Vicente Duque

[MessageForceMultiplier]

Marisa, this article is obviously needed given the comments here. Thanks.

[Sir681]

Perhaps you could also research and open a discusion on one aspect of immigration that hardly seems to be addressed, and that is the process of entering, working and staying in this country legally. For example, when an individual comes here legally on a temporary visa, say a work permit or for school, and then would like to become a permanent resident, what are the requirements and how are applications filed.

Most people get all excited and riled up when the topic of immigration is mentioned, but they apparenty have absolutely no idea about the process of becoming a legal resident. They give the impression that all one needs to to is to sumbit an application and wait for an approval, when in fact for the majority of cases, a person cannot apply for himself. Either a family member or employer must apply for them.

So, for all those persons who are here legally on a temporary basis, paying taxes, obeying the law, and would like to become permanent residents, if they don't get married to a citizen and have that person or an employer file for them, then at the end of their temporary visa, they will have to either leave the country or join the ranks of the illegal immigrants.

[Rule Of Law]

If you are interested in creating a permanent sub-class of menial workers who can be easily cowed and abused by the giant American Corporations and the Oligarchs who run them; a second class of citizens who by the nature of the work they do and the wages they do it for are condemned to a caste system as rigid as any in India--prevented by their own culture from achieving integration on one side, and on the other, separated from the rest of America by their illegal status and competition they create for jobs that used to go to native born Americans of every national descent--then your article is the blueprint for how to accomplish those things.

When we break the laws our country was founded on, ignore the welfare of our legal citizens who arrive here, documented and with proper processing, every day from all parts of the world, and wrap our reasons for doing so in Dollar Signs--sure to appeal to the mainly Republican business owners who use these illegals as disposable slaves--you are helping to create a society with inbred inequality and generations of families that will know only back breaking indentured servitude and despair. Good going.

[RobinSeattle]

That's a pretty nice summation Rule.

[sirklw]

This comment has my complete agreement. So many arguing in favor of illegal immigrants will use the tactic that opponents to it are motivated by racism. There may be those opponents who do so, but at the core of the opposition to illegal immigration are property lines. They are as imaginary as our nation's border. If any individual expects our laws and law enforcement to protect our property rights, we as a nation have the right to demand it for our borders. No more than I would accept any individuals invading and abusing my real and personal property do we accept any non-citizens of whatever origin to invade and abuse our nation and it's wealth.

Reform the immigration process - fine.
Extend all the proper rights and opportunity to people here legally - fine.

But just as I enforce who enters my house and when, how they'll act when they're there and when it's time for them to leave, so must we start by asserting the same control over our border. And we musn't let the cart be put ahead of the horse. Border control, first, then immigration reform.

[celticjag]

It is intellectually dishonest to conflate illegal and legal immigration and then write a post championing immigration. You mention the meat processing industry, which is Nebraska's largest, but you fail to cover the corporate avarice and illegal immigrants who devastated a once well paid and stable workforce! Ten years ago the average wage in the meat processing industry was $20 hr. with benefits and the workers were predominately minority and legal immigrants. Today the average wage ranges from $9-$13 hr. with few benefits, long hours and unsafe working conditions. The low wages and increased profits have not translated to lower meat prices, but just the opposite. In addition, there are a number of lawsuits, filed by legal immigrants, over their loss of jobs.

[Rule Of Law]

Oh god, don't bombard us with truth--it might unsettle our tenous hold on the make believe reality we prefer to live in....:)

The REAL wages are a great point. And the reason they are possible is that government with industry destroyed the unions that once made those jobs desirable.

[tomhuggan]

Your example of Nebraska is what I would call a "best case" scenario. And I believe the numbers you gave. The best thing the immigrant population can do is sit it out. Don't shoot arrows at angry indigenous people with guns. Keep your head down and your hard work up. Don't make a lot of noise, don't be slobs. It's better to take the country intact, over generations, than to burn it down conquering it. When the country does go bankrupt, and Texas returns to sovereign status, there will be enough European-like country for the Europeans to live in. There will be enough Mexican-like country the Mexicans to live in. There will be enough African-like country for the Africans to live in. Balkanization does not have to be violent. Alaska and Hawaii, will have the chance, to be free. But a constitutional convention would be the best way to start the process, and our soldiers could come home to keep the agreement peaceful.

[CaptainVideo]

The most harmful effect of illegal immigration is that it increases the supply of unskilled and semi-skilled workers, which reduces the real wages of such workers and therefore reduces the standard of living of American workers and legal immigrants. Therefore you have a larger number of people working at such jobs, but they are working at lower wages than they would be if there were no illegal immigrants. The United States would be better off if the total number of people working in low and semi-skilled jobs were less, but wages in such jobs would be higher. Therefore data that illegal immigrants increase the quantity of employment are simply irrelevant to the issue.

These reports ignore this issue both because they lump legal and illegal immigrants together, and because they make the unjustified assumption that an increase in the number of people working is an unqualified good, and ignore the effects on real wages.

[CaptainVideo]

"without differentiation of legal or undocumented status"

This is the favorite trick of the open borders crowd, lumping legal and illegal immigrants together. It ignores the fact that there are major differences between the economic effects of people who come here leagally, and those who sneak into the country illegally. By lumping the two togenter, the harmful effects of illegal immigration are hidden by the beneficial effects of legal immigration. No conclusion can be validly be drawn about the effects of illegal immigration from studies that lump leagal and illegal immigrants together.