Day 4 - General For/Against Arguments

Today's blog will focus on the differentiating opinions having to do with how illegal immigrants in the United States benefit/harm America or its citizens.

For illegal immigrants:

• Illegal immigrants usually may have a family in the US that is willing to support them, improving their living conditions.

• By allowing illegal immigrants who are already here to reside in the US, they are able to be supported by the family they might have here as well as their family back in their country of origin.

• Illegal immigrants take jobs Americans would not want.

• These immigrants have a better opportunity to live the "American Dream" or become successful in their life - something that very rarely happens in their country of origin, especially if they are underprivileged. (Emotional Aspect)

• Free education, better health care, and more jobs in the United states = Better opportunities for these people. (Emotional Aspect)

• According to an MIT study, it is estimated that illegal immigrants' labor raised wages of college graduates by 0.71%, and of high-school graduates as well as early college students by .59%.

• According to the New York Times staff writer Eduardo Porter, "certain businesses would not exist in the United States without cheap immigrant labor."

Against illegal immigrants:

• Do not deserve to be in the US, they cut in line all the other immigrants who have been waiting for their citizenship the "right" way.

• Labor jobs may be offered to an illegal immigrant in opposition to an American citizen because they are generally, paid much less.

• Jobs that illegal immigrants have may decrease the amount of opportunities legalized immigrants can attain in the United States.

• Increased criminal activity (rape, gangs, other forms of violence).

• Health risks for Americans - since illegal immigrants are capable of bringing a foreign illness to US citizens by crossing the border (i.e.: outbreak of the Swine Flu in Mexico).

• American citizens are required to pay taxes that go to all of those who are currently living in the United States, including illegal immigrants.

• According to an MIT study provided by The Seattle Times, the wages of high school drop-outs have been cut by approximately 2.66% for money that has gone to pay illegal immigrant workers instead.

• $338 billion dollars are spent in total on illegal immigrants per year; money that could be spent on the American people instead, according to this Ameriborn News Constitution article.