NathanRouse

Illegal:RightorWrong
Dr.KatherynEast
13Dec2013

Abstract
InAmericapeoplestrivetoaccomplishonecommongoal,tolivetheAmericandream.In
Americapeoplefromothercountriesresideillegallythataretryingtoaccomplishthesamedream.
WhiletheyaredoingitAmericansthinkthatitishinderingtheirabilitytoreachtheirowndream.Based
onfactsaboutgovernmentprogramslikewelfare,foodstampsandtaxationtheillegalimmigrants
considerablyhelpthegovernmentandtheAmericaneconomy.

LegalamericancitizensgetupeverydayseekingtolivetheAmericandreambutthereisa
heighteningdiscomfortwithillegalimmigrantstryingtolivethesamedream.Thefactsarethatillegal
immigrantsproduceandcontributethingstothiscountryseconomythatmakesitpossibletolivethe
Americandream.ThediscomfortcomesfromthebeliefthatillegalimmigrantsaredrainingtheU.S.
economy,butarethey?Bylookingatwelfare,foodstamps,andtaxations,itispossibletomakeafair
assessmentregardingillegalimmigrantsinputonU.S.economy.Oneoftheissuesisillegalimmigration
andwelfare
Welfarebeganinthe1930sduringthegreatdepression.Itwasdesignedtobenefitthosewho
hadaverysmallincomeornoincomeatall.Whentheprogramwasfirstdesignedandcontrolledby
thefederalgovernment.Itremainedthiswayforthenextsixtyoneyears.In1996controlofthe
programwasgiventotheindividualstatesaftercongresspassedalawthatwassignedbyPresident
Clinton.Forapersontobeeligibleforwelfaretheyhavetobemakinglessthanonethousanddollarsa
monthandcanhaveanumberofothercircumstanceslikesizeoffamily,familycrisis,medical
emergency,pregnancy,homelessnessandunemployment.Basedonthepersonssituation,will
determinewhattypeofbenefitsthatcanbeobtained.Whenasingleparentisanapplicanthe/shehasto
workaminimumofthirtyhoursaweekandstillmakelessthanonethousanddollarsamonth.Ifthereis
twoparentsonthewelfaretheyhavetojointlyworkthirtyfivetofiftyfivehoursaweek.Iftheydo
notfollowtheseguidelinestheywilllosetheirbenefits(U.Swelfaresystem,2013,para1,2,3)
Asof2013therewasreportedtobeovertwelvemillionAmericancitizensonwelfare,thatsfour
percentofourpopulationthatsovertheageofeighteen(StatisticBrainResearchInstitute,2013),and
onaveragethegovernmentspendstenthousanddollarsayearperpersononwelfare.Asof2011there
iselevenandahalfmillionillegalimmigrantsinAmerica(procon.org,2012,para1),ifthegovernment
weretoallowtheillegalimmigrantstobeonwelfare,therewouldbefourhundredandsixtymore
peopleonwelfare.Iftherewasthatmanymorepeopletakingadvantageofthebenefitsthegovernment
wouldhavetopaynearlyfivebillionmoredollarsannuallyprovideforthem(StatisticBrainResearch
Institute,2013).
Theotherbigissuethatillegalimmigrantsfaceisfoodstamps.Ourgoalistoalleviatehunger
andmalnutritionbyincreasingfoodpurchasingpowerforalleligiblehouseholdswhoapplyfor
participation(FoodStampAct,1977,line108).ThisgoalsetbytheFoodStampActof1977is
accomplishedbyprovidingmonthlybenefitstolowincomefamiliesthatcanbeusedtobuyfood(Food
ResearchandActionCenter,2013,para1).Theydothisbyallowingeacheligiblepersontohavea
cardthathasabalancejustlikeabankcardwouldhave.Onceapersonhasthecardtheyjustuseit
likeadebitcardwhentheygotogetgroceries.Theycan'thoweverbutwhatevertheywouldlike.
Sincetheprogramisfederallyfundedthegovernmentputsarestrictiononwhatcanandcan'tbebought
withthebenefits.Everyyearthegovernmentspendsseventytwobilliondollarsthatgetsdistributedto
overfourtysevenmillionAmericans(14%).Thatsoverfifteenhundreddollarsperpersononthe
program.Ifthegovernmentweretospendfifteenhundreddollarsonfourteenpercentoftheillegal
immigrantsinamericatheywouldbespendingalmostthreebilliondollarsmoreayearonfoodstamps
(StatisticsBrainResearchInstitute,2013,para1).
EverydayAmericanshavetopaytaxesforgroceries,gas,diapers,property,andmanymore
things.Whenthishappensannuallythegovernmentmakestwotrilliondollarsontaxes.Thatsoversix
thousandayearforeachAmerican.Iftheillegalimmigrantsweren'thereandpayingthosetaxestoo,to
meetthepreviousyearsamount,Americanswouldhavetopaynearlytenthousanddollars.Thatsaves
Americansnearlyfourthousanddollars,andwithoutthemoneythatiscollectedfromtheillegal
immigrantsthegovernmentwouldbeoutnearlythreemilliondollarseveryyear.Thisismoneythatcan
beusedtopayforthegovernmentfundedbenefitsthatillegalimmigrantsdon'tgettouse.Itcanalsobe
usedforthepublicschoolingthatourcountryhastoprovideforillegalimmigrants.(Williams,2011,para
2)
In2011therewasninetyfourmillionillegalimmigrantstudentsandsevenbilliondollarsisspent
forthemtobeenrolledingradesk12.Withallofthoseillegalimmigrantsit'sestimatedthatby2100
threehundredthousandmoreteachingjobswillbeneededtoupholdthedemand.Thiscanbeahuge
problemforAmericanswhenTheyhavetopaytaxestoo.Butmaybeeducatinganillegalimmigrantcan
haveapositiveeffectonAmerica,maybetheillegalimmigrantcanbringmoretothetablethanalegal
citizen.(Hon.DickLamm,2013)
OneAugustmorningnearlytwodecadesago,mymotherwokemeupandputmeinacab.
Shehandedmeajacket.bakamalamigdoonwereamongthefewwordsshesaid.(itmightbecold
there.)whenIarrivedatthePhilippinesNinoyAquinoInternationalAirportwithher,myauntanda
familyfriend,IwasintroducedtoamanIdneverseen.Theytoldmehewasmyuncle.Heheldmy
handasIboardedanairplaneforthefirsttime.Itwas1993,andIwas12.(Vargas,2011,page1).
Thisisthebeginningofastoryaboutamannamed,JoseAntonioVargas,hewasflowntoAmerica
whenhewastwelveyearsoldtolivewithhisgrandfather.Whenhewassixteenyearsoldhewentto
theDepartmentofMotorTransportationtogethisdriverslicense.Whenhearrivedatthecounterand
begantospeakwiththeladybehindthedesksheaskedforhissocialsecuritycard.Ashehandedher
thecardsheimmediatelystoodup,thisisfake,shewhisperedandtoldhimtoleaveandnevercome
backagain.TodayVargasisadistinguishedwriter.HehaspiecesinTheNewYorker,TheHuffington
Post,andTheSanFranciscoChronicle.SomeofhisworkwonseveralawardslikethePulitzerPrize
andwasevenmadeintoadocumentarycalledTheOtherCity(Vargas,2011,page1).
Withsomanyillegalimmigrantsinthiscountryitseasytonotknowwheretheyare,whatthey
do,orhowtheyimpactAmericans.Withtheinformationprovidedaboveitsclearthatregardlesswhat
themediasayaboutthemIllegalimmigrantshelpthiseconomyflourish.InVargascasesomeoneyou
knowcouldbeworkingforthem,andyouasawritermaybeusingtheworkasanillegalimmigrantto
completeyou'rework.Thinkaboutthatnexttimeanassumptionismadejustbecausesomeoneisan
illegalimmigrantorjustbecausetheyareonthegovernmentpayroll,itdoesn'tmeantheyarelegal,but
theycouldbehelpingtheAmericaneconomy.

Sources
JoseAntonioVargas.(June22,2011).MyLifeasanUndocumentedImmigrant
U.S.WelfareSystemHelpforU.S.citizens(2013)Retreivedfromwww.welfareinfo.org
DepartmentofCommerce.(9.10.2013).Retreivedfrom
http://www.statisticbrain.com/welfarestatistics/
JohnG.Morgan.(August2007).OfficesofResearchandEducationAccountability(OREA)
StevenA.Camarcta.(May2013).ArethereReallyJobsAmericansWon'tDo?Retreived
fromhttp://cis.org/aretherereallyjobsamericanswontdo

RobertonWilliam.(september13,2011).TheNumbers:WhatIstheSourceofthe
GovernmentRevenue.Retreivedfrom
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefingbook/background/numbers/revenue.cfm
ColoradoAllianceforImmigrationReform.(2013).Retreivedfrom
http://www.cairco.org/issues/educationimmigration

Context Showsbeginningtoawarenessofcontext

Audience Showsbeginningtoawarenessofaudience
Usemicroandmacrostructurestomakeiteasyforaudiencetofollowyourthinking.
Purpose Showsbeginningtoawarenessofpurpose
Integrationof
contest,audience
andpurpose
Beginstoaligncontext,audienceandpurposewiththeassignedtask(s).
Content
Development
Developsandexploresideasthroughuseofappropriate,relevantcontenttothroughoutmostofthe
work.
Illustrations Attemptstouseillustrationsofcontentseeninthework
Sourcesand
Evidence
Attemptstousecredible
and/orrelevantsourcestosupportappropriateideasfortheassignedwritingtask(s).
UseofLanguage
&Controlof
Syntaxand
Mechanics
Useslanguagethatgenerallyconveys
meaningtoreadersandhasmorethanafewerrors.
Process Fairlysupported
Memo Addressestools
Mentionsevaluation
Total 44/50