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

[billofgoods]

you used the word "Immigrants" numerous times ..No where did I see the words illegal,criminal or even the nauseating undocumented used....If we use the same laws that Mexico uses for illegals then fine.It is fact that where ICE has been successful crime has decreased

[Rule Of Law]

There was a documentary about people from Central America trying to enter Mexico illegally. You don't want to know how they were treated by the Mexican authorities!

[RobinSeattle]

This is from Gustavo Arellano, a hispanic journalist:

"But Mexicans hate Guatemalans mostly because of immigration, Guapo. Mexico can barely control its southern border with Guatemala because the Guatemalan government does nada to secure its side, leaving Mexico exposed to illegal immigrants, drug runners and terrorists. Guatemalans top Mexico's annual list of the most-deported. And the Guatemalans who do cross over dress funny, are darker-skinned than the average Mexican and don't like salsa—some don't even speak Spanish! Guatemalans are the Mexicans of Mexico—and who doesn't hate Mexicans?" http://www.ocweekly.com/2005-09-15/columns/ask-a-mexican/

[jeffrey678]

Rising unemployment, recession, falling wages, outsourcing, factory closings, economic meltdown, lack of health insurance, vanishing pensions, wall street ripoffs. Immigration is lower on the priority list.

[Paul]

Illegal immigration is sooo Republican: privatizing the benefits and socializing the costs.

Employers who get to underpay the illegals fatten the bottom line.

The rest of us have to deal with overcrowded housing, schools and emergency rooms.

Illegal immigration must be stopped because it is immoral. It creates an exploitable class of humans in America just like slavery in the 19th century.

Our economic system has to evolve past the need for exploitable labor.

[Rule Of Law]

"Our economic system has to evolve past the need for exploitable labor."

Right on Paul. Now that China and the rest of Asia will look less attractive for American industry due to the economic melt down we've created, that cheap workforce must be replaced. Mexico is the logical breeding ground for the low wage workers that the Elites demand for their factories. And the entire open borders crowd--Whether they know it or not--are doing the work of their Masters!

We DO need to evolve beyond a system that trades in human misery.

[Mavin1620]

When an immigrant goes to work in the USA, give them a work card, put them on the tax rolls and go with it.

As a member of Main Street, I want good workers. In Western Washington State, every other truck has a magnetic sign advertising for drivers. Every employer from those who hire at minimum wage (or less like McDonald's -- it's a training job) to those who pay $50/hour and more are looking for workers who show up every day, do their job, and can pass the random drug tests. These three factors probably add another 3% to the unemployment figures. Immigrants seem to be able to do these three things.

WA State has the highest minimum wage in the nation, and to get unskilled laborers who are willing to show up and work, our starting pay is 20% above minimum wage. We would pay more for trained employees, but we can't find them. The recent bump in minimum wage did not affect us. We have long known we have to increase our starting wage to get any employees at all. By the way, full time at minimum wage is about 1 week per month shy of being able to rent an apartment in most areas we serve.

[CaptainVideo]

"We would pay more for trained employees, but we can't find them. "

If you cannot find them, that means you are not paying ENOUGH more. If you offered a high enough wage, you could get the workers you need, but it might be a lot more than you are prepared to pay.

[jeffrey678]

Advertise for workers in Ohio, a Michigan. I heard that truck drivers are losing money from fuel costs. Many truck drivers can't afford to drive anymore.

[Overd0g]

Please stop. If one illegal sends their kid to public school, the drain is enough to nullify any tax revenue (if any) received from a lifetime of their paychecks. When they go to the emergency room, it get's even worse. The U.S. needs immigration, but from people that are a net plus to society, not a drain. We can't import the poverty of Mexico without impoverishing ourselves.

[Alexandro]

You seemed not to have read the article - what a shame. It clearly states that Nebraska gained more than they had to pay out (that includes health btw., as explicitly stated) - 7% more. Your argument about the kid being sent to school is as flawed as your overall observation!
So by your definition you would only allow immigrants which are a "net plus" to society (however you define that); what about our fellow citizens which are a drain to society? Are you going to kick them out because they are in need of our help and they are in many cases victims of this society rather than just a drain on it?

[Herodias]

Go ahead, tell this to the meat packing industry. Do you think you import immigrants? The available jobs do. And who is giving the jobs to immigrants? American employers. On the other hand, you, an american citizen, do you want to work in meat packing industry? Be honest to yourself. Here are two choices: either americans will start working on meat packing factories for meager pay so americans can still enjoy affordable meat, or americans can demand fair pay for this kind of job (so that they can pay for health insurance!) and then americans cannot afford meat.

Whether the immigrants are drain or no drain on public funds is impossible to determine if you forget to add the price of meat into the equation and if you are not willing to answer yes to the question: do you want to work in meat packing factory.

And how curious it is that we get angry at the immigrants who are trying to feed their families just as you are trying to feed yours but the employers are off limits.No one is angry at employers who actually employ the immigrants. Is this because the employers are americans and 'oh no' we do not want to be angry at ourselves? Or is it because such employers skillfully channel our anger to those who do not have any legal rights to begin with?

[Rule Of Law]

No, actually American companies do advertise for workers south of the border. That's how they learn about the jobs. It's not a nice thing to do to either the illegals or to us. I AM angry at the Employers--most of all! What they do is immoral and obscene. It's a return to the days of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" where men are treated with less dignity than the cattle they butcher!

Also I notice you avoid the word "illegal." They are, for the most part, you know. As for who would or wouldn't do those jobs, I'm afraid to bust your bubble, but there are millions of legal Americans who could and would! Though the work has been tainted with the racist colorings of the Corporations who use brown skinned people as slaves, there are many Americans of all races who would take those jobs.

The main reason--And the ONE no one addresses here, ever--that the illegals have been recruited for meat packing, especially, is, that the Meat Packing Industry wanted to bust up the Unions! They did it by closing plants in states with tough Unions and standards and moving to others like Colorado and Wyoming, hiring undocumented (illegal) workers and forbidding the creation of Unions or worker representation with the threats that have been used for over 100 years--firings, beatings, murders. It is much easier to do those things to people who have no legal recourse. Call them slaves. That's what they are.