Should we allow illegal immigrants to enter and work in this country? In the past couple of years, over 11 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States seeking jobs. This is pushing hard working American citizens out of jobs and ruining the economy. These illegal immigrants aren't contributing financially to the economy through taxes, yet are receiving benefits such as free healthcare. The American citizens of this great country need to step up, and take back the land that their ancestors created. We need to do this through being more educated on this topic, taking back jobs that support this country, and getting our lazy selves up and doing the work that we were born to do. If you ask me, we need to stand together and take back the nation that our ancestors build and died for.

According to Begala, the “American workers actually aren't lazy, but it has been shown that that we just like delegating.” (Begala) We have gone into this recession due to the fact that Americans just aren't doing the jobs that our ancestors did. The only way that we as Americans will get our hands dirty is if the “social safety net is contributing to middle-class instability--especially when unemployment is high--and must be re-imagined.” (Tankersley) The Americans of today don’t want to do the menial jobs all the time, so the illegal immigrants are coming in and taking them. This is causing the economy to hurt because the illegal immigrants are being supported by the economy, but aren't contributing by paying taxes, paying into healthcare, and etc.

In addition, the American people aren't educated enough on how illegal immigrants are negatively affecting our country’s economy and this is happening right before their eyes. They don’t see the “sucking of the economy because of the illegal immigrants. In a study done, “267,000 out of the 496,000 high school dropouts (53.8%) were in the labor force…” (The Education of American Workers) This statistic shows us just the sheer number of high school drop outs in the nation. If these people were educated on this subject, then this great nation would see its faults and could begin to fix them.

As I have mentioned before, the illegal immigrants are taking meaningful jobs away from the American people. “Between 2000-2007, an estimated four million illegal immigrants took up residence in the U.S., about two million of whom had no diploma and another million of whom had no education past high school.” (Ruark) These uneducated and unskilled laborers aren't contributing much to the economy, and are sucking the “life” out of the nation.

Currently, illegal immigrants working in America negatively impacts our economy through the benefits they are taking from the government and the people. This impact can be changed easily “by bringing them under the rule of law, bringing them into our system.” (Krugman) This would offer a great solution to this entire problem, which would allow for a structure for everyone wanting to come and live in this great nation. This would mean that they would be paying to support themselves, paying for their taxes and benefits, and contributing to the nation as a whole. This, I believe, is the right thing to do because it is what our ancestors did when they came to this nation.

In conclusion, the illegal immigrants need to start all over and become legal like our ancestors did when they first came here. Also, the Americans need to take some responsibility and do the work that is necessary to provide for this nation. This means that we need to look back to our past and do the things that our great grandparents would have done, like work hard day in and day out, and do the jobs that make this great nation the way that we know it today.


Bibliography:
Begala, Paul. "Who You Calling Lazy?" Newsweek 5 Dec. 2011: 8. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.

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Krugman, Paul, perf. "NY Times." Krugman says immigration reform is best for US, economy is getting better slowly. CNN News, 29 01 2013. web. 1 Mar 2013.

Ruark, Eric A., and Matthew Graham. "Immigration Is Increasing Poverty in the United States." Poverty. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Immigration, Poverty and Low-Wage Earners: The Harmful Effect of Unskilled Immigrants on American Workers." FairUS.org. 2011. 3-17. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

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Tankersley, Jim. "Middle-Class Mystery." National Journal (2012). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.

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"The Education of American Workers." Careers and Occupations: Looking to the Future. Ed. Brian Hoyle. 2006 ed. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

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