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Harrison Cursi
Mr. Rogers
Government 3
20 October 2015
Mock Congress Research Paper
How would you feel if you went into work and you were told that you were being fired
because they can hire an illegal immigrant to do your job for half the cost. That is the problem
many Americans face today because we are letting immigrants come to America illegally.
Immigrants come to America on a visa for a certain amount of time, once that time is up they are
required to go back to their home country. However, some of the immigrants stay in America
after their visa has expired. Then there is the other half of the illegal immigrants who sneak
across the border who do not have a visa. The US and Mexico share a common border of about
2,000-miles (3,200-km). As of February 10, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security had
completed 651 miles of fencing out of nearly 652 miles mandated by Congress, including 299
miles of vehicle barriers and 352 miles of pedestrian fence (Homeland Security). With the
illegal immigrants in the U.S. they take jobs from American citizens, affect the economy, and
they are sneaking across the border illegally.
American citizens have earned their jobs through time or education, but some get that
taken away because businesses can pay illegal immigrants under the table for half the pay of an
American citizen. There has been a significant rise in U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal,
over the past four decades. Experts at our briefing testified that immigrant workers now make up
approximately one-seventh of the American workforce, and they estimated that illegal workers
account for one-third of the total immigrants now in the U.S. (The Impact of Illegal

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Immigration). With one-seventh of the American workers being immigrants, that means in the
coming years that the number will only increase. In 2005, illegal migrants accounted for about
5% of the civilian labor force, or 7.2 million workers out of a labor force of 148 million (The
Immigration Debate). The 7.2 million workers took away jobs from hard working Americans
who earned their jobs. These illegal immigrants come to the United States because there arent
better job opportunities than in Mexico or Central America. With all these illegal immigrants
getting paid under the table without the government knowing it affects the economy in a negative
way.
The economy gets a negative effect from illegal immigrants working for cash and without
the knowledge of the government. Since January 2009, ICE has audited more than 8,900
employers suspected of hiring illegal labor, debarred 8,590 companies and individuals, and
imposed more than $100.3 million in financial sanctions (Strengthening Enforcement). By
paying illegal immigrants in cash the company avoids reporting it to the government, this gives
them the opportunity to apply for welfare. The San Diego study, for example, attributed about 5
percent of in-patient admissions to undocumented immigrants, based on an estimate that the
illegal immigrant population comprises approximately 5 percent of the total resident population
(Edmonston 17). This means that the citizens of San Diegos tax money is going towards 5
percent of the population that is illegal. All these problems would not exist if we had better
security along the border of the U.S. and Mexico.
With 1,303 miles left open that gives immigrants a lot of room to get into America
illegally. Immigrants sneaking across range from grandparents to children, they also arent just
sneaking across to find a job. Often the immigrants are smuggling drugs and weapons across the
border along with humans. Undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. from around the world,

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however the majority, an estimated 76%, are Latino, of which 59% (7 million) are estimated to
be from Mexico and 22% (2.1 million) from the rest of Latin America (Beccera). With more
than 59% people undocumented coming from Mexico, that means they came across the border
illegally whether it was by smuggling, digging under, or going over the fence. Visa overstays
make up about 40% of the undocumented immigrants in our country today (Rep. Paul Ryan).
Many parents try to send their children to America illegally so they can have a better future but
that leads to overpopulated schools and deportation of the children. With all these problems it
shows how illegal immigrants are affecting the United States in a negative way, but some would
say different.
With information like this it brings up arguments like how are we going to get the money
to build the new wall and that are not giving immigrants a chance to live the American Dream.
These being two good arguments can be proven wrong with simple facts and information. The
Department of Homeland Security spent 1.2 billion last year for immigration and border patrol.
(Budget-in-Brief). With 1.2 billion dollars some of the money can be relocated to pay for the
demolition of the of the old fence, materials for the new wall, and the labor to build the new wall.
The definition of the American Dream is the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity
traditionally held to be available to every American. An American is considered someone born
in the United States so the American Dream cannot apply to someone who came to America
illegally. Those are the response to any future arguments against immigration.
With the illegal immigrants in the U.S. they take jobs from American citizens, affect the
economy, and they are sneaking across the border illegally. After seeing all the facts, it shows
how illegal immigrants are not helping this country. However the Mexico and US border isnt the
only border with issues, it is the largest border issue though with more and more people coming

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over from Mexico and Central America. That is why I decided to construct a new wall stretching
across all 1,954 miles of the Mexico and U.S. Border.

Works Cited
Beccera, David. "Fear vs. Facts: Examining the Economic Impact of Undocumented Immigrants
in the U.S." Western Michigan University. University of Utah College of Social Work,
n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
<https://www.wmich.edu/hhs/newsletters_journals/jssw_institutional/individual_subscrib
ers/39.4.Becerra.pdf>.
"Budget-in-Brief." Department of Homeland Security. Department of Homeland Security, 2014.

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Web. 1 Nov. 2015. <https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/MGMT/FY
%202014%20BIB%20-%20FINAL%20-508%20Formatted%20(4).pdf>.
Edmonston, Barry, and Ronald Demos Lee. Local Fiscal Effects of Illegal Immigration: Report
of a Workshop. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 1996. Print.
"Homeland Security." US-Mexico Border Fence / Great Wall of Mexico. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov.
2015. <http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/mexico-wall.htm>.
"The Impact of Illegal Immigration on the Wages and Employment Opportunities." United States
Commission of Civil Rights. USCCR, n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/IllegImmig_10-14-10_430pm.pdf>.
"Rep. Paul Ryan 1st District of Wisconsin." Immigration. Janesville Office, n.d. Web. 01 Nov.
2015. <http://paulryan.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=9970>.
"Strengthening Enforcement." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
<https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/strengthening-enforcement>.
"The Immigration Debate: Its Impact on Workers, Wages and Employers Knowledge@Wharton." KnowledgeWharton The Immigration Debate Its Impact on
Workers Wages and Employers Comments. N.p., 17 May 2006. Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
<http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-immigration-debate-its-impact-onworkers-wages-and-employers/>.

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