Instituto Superior Josefina Contte

English Language IV
Argumentative Essay
Mara Sol Torres
12/06/2017

Outline

I. INTRODUCTION:

Thesis Statement: The United States should facilitate the path to legalization of illegal immigrants
because they help build a stronger country.

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

11 million undocumented
Illegal aliens

III. BODY PARAGRAPH I:

Counterclaim: Illegal immigrants take away Jobs from legal residents.
Counterargument: Illegal immigrants are willing to accept the jobs American citizens do not
want to do.
IV. BODY PARAGRAPH II:
Counterclaim: Illegal immigrants do not pay taxes and have benefits they do not deserve.
Counterargument: Illegal immigrants pay more taxes than legal residents do.
V. BODY PARAGRAPH III:
Counterclaim: Illegal immigrants increase crime rates and perform terror attacks.
Counterargument: The majority of individuals charged with terror attacks were citizens of the
United States.
Counterargument: Immigrants, documented and undocumented contribute to the diversity of
the country and therefore make it stronger.

VI. CONCLUSION:
Concluding statement: I strongly hold the view that illegal immigrants path to legalization should
be facilitated because not only do they pay taxes and work in fields that most Americans avoid
but also contribute to make the country stronger by adding up to the captivating diversity it is
made of.
Instituto Superior Josefina Contte
English Language IV
Argumentative Essay
Mara Sol Torres
12/06/2017

Bravery. That is what it takes for an individual to cross the United States borders illegally. Indeed,
not only do illegal immigrants expose themselves to being exploited but they also risk losing their
lives along the journey towards The American Dream. Consequently, such are the colossal
proportions of this event that a reform is extremely necessary for the American society. Accordingly,
the United States should facilitate the path to legalization of illegal immigrants because they help
build a stronger country.

As reported by the American Jewish Committee, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented
immigrants currently residing in the United States1. What is more, it is more than half of them who
have arrived legally but extended their stay without filing for extension. Furthermore, not until they
settle in the country do they realize the arduous conditions they have to live under on account of
being illegal. Not to mention the excruciating discrimination they undergo for their condition. To
illustrate this, the derogatory term illegal aliens is used to label them. In line with this, journalist
Alejandro Alba remarks "History reminds us of how inappropriate legislative language
foreshadowed a pejorative way to demean immigrants in society, particularly from the southern
border. Such discrimination lingers in our anger-filled veins even now in a progressive era.

To begin with, a common argument against immigrants being effortlessly allowed in the country is
that they take jobs away from legal residents. In other words, it is argued that employers tend to
hire illegal immigrants instead of residents because then they are able to pay less for more working
hours. That is an understandable concern; however, illegal immigrants are willing to accept the
jobs Americans seldom want, which are essential for the economy. Namely, according to the Pew
Research Center 26% of the illegal immigrants population work in farms, 15% in construction, 9%
in the workforce, 9% in food processing and textile occupations, 6% in transportation and 5% in
civilian labor force.2 Therefore, what is imperative for them is to be legalized. Only in this way will
there be enough people within these fields of work instead of being concentrated in huge numbers
in states like California, Texas, Florida and Arizona. As the international business correspondent,
Adam Davidson, assures:

1 Top 10 Pros & Cons - Illegal Immigration - ProCon.org. (2017, February 28). Retrieved June 10, 2017, from
http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000842
2 Mitchell, T. (2016, November 03). 2. Occupations of unauthorized immigrant workers. Retrieved June 10, 2017, from
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2016/11/03/occupations-of-unauthorized-immigrant-workers/
Instituto Superior Josefina Contte
English Language IV
Argumentative Essay
Mara Sol Torres
12/06/2017

Immigrants [documented and undocumented] dont just increase the supply of labor,
though; they simultaneously increase demand for it, using the wages they earn to rent
apartments, eat food, get haircuts, buy cellphones. That means there are more jobs
building apartments, selling food, giving haircuts and dispatching the trucks that move
those phones.

Pursing the last idea further, my opponents may argue that not only do illegal immigrants take
away jobs from legal residents but also that they have a negative effect on the economy as they
do not pay taxes and have benefits they do not deserve. Nonetheless, the evidence disapproves
this argument as the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy found that illegal immigrants do
pay taxes. What is more, they pay more compared with their income than their counterpart.3 In
agreement with this, the senior policy analyst Lisa Christensen Gee acknowledges that
Undocumented immigrants contribute significantly to state and local taxes, collectively paying an
estimated $11.64 billion a year... (they) pay on average an estimated 8% of their incomes in state
and local taxes. Undoubtedly, rarely do people consider the fact that illegal immigrants pay
revenue to their agencies and open bank accounts to compensate the government for the
opportunities they are granted. In such a way, they help fuel the U.S. economy. Likewise, the
Migration Policy Institute indicates that immigration fosters employment, productive and profits,
particularly when an economy is growing.4

Along with the critics contending that illegal incomers do not pay taxes, another common
counterpoint is that they are perilous for the well-being of legal residents for they supposedly are
the responsible for the crime rate increase and the majority of terror attacks. Although I grant the
fact that most terror attacks that took place in the U.S. between 1975 and 2016 were performed
by foreigner-born assaulters, I still maintain the fact that the majority of individuals charged with
ISIS-related offenses have been U.S. citizens or permanent residents5. As a result, the number
of terror attacks carried out by foreigners is not exasperating as it is small. For instance, Alex
Nowrasteh, an immigration expert at the libertarian Cato Institute states that The annual chance

3 Kelly, N. (2013, January 23). Seven Surprising Ways Immigration Helps Build a Stronger America. Retrieved June 10, 2017, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nataly-kelly/immigration-benefits_b_2523562.html
4 Kelly, N. (2013, January 23). Seven Surprising Ways Immigration Helps Build a Stronger America. Retrieved June 10, 2017, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nataly-kelly/immigration-benefits_b_2523562.html
5Friedman, U. (2017, January 30). Where America's Terrorists Actually Come From. Retrieved June 10, 2017, from
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/01/trump-immigration-ban-terrorism/514361/
Instituto Superior Josefina Contte
English Language IV
Argumentative Essay
Mara Sol Torres
12/06/2017

of being murdered by somebody other than a foreign-born terrorist is 252.9 times greater than the
chance of dying in a terrorist attack committed by a foreign-born terrorist. On top of this, not all
illegal immigrants move to the U.S. to commit crimes. For most of them, such is the desire to seek
better opportunities, rights and freedom that they trudge and starve for days to reach the American
borders. To illustrate this, Mexicans account for more than half of the illegal immigrants in the U.S.
with a number of 6.1 million people.6 Moreover, they migrate because most of them live in poverty
and wish to provide a worthier life for their family. In fact, it is the immigrants the ones that take
practices and cultural knowledge from their homelands to the U.S. so that these ideas can be
incorporated into it. Consequently, they contribute to the countrys diversity and make it less
isolated from the world. Conforming to this, the AJC adds that:

It is unrealistic and inhumane to deport these individuals from their families and lives in
the United States. These immigrants should be offered a path to legal status and
eventually earned citizenship. This track should be realistic, rather than being so
burdensome that it prevents integration. Allowing these immigrants to regularize their
status will not only strengthen our national security, but will also stimulate the economy
and enhance Americas rich, vibrant, and diverse culture.

Clearly, the advantages of facilitating immigration in the U.S. outweigh the disadvantages. My
opponents may contend that illegal immigrants should be banned from the country because they
take away jobs from legal residents and threat the citizens lives by performing terror attacks and
crimes. On the contrary, I strongly hold the view that illegal immigrants path to legalization should
be facilitated because not only do they pay taxes and work in fields that most Americans avoid but
also contribute to make the country stronger by adding up to the captivating diversity it is made of.

6 Top 10 Pros & Cons - Illegal Immigration - ProCon.org. (2017, February 28). Retrieved June 10, 2017, from
http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000842
Instituto Superior Josefina Contte
English Language IV
Argumentative Essay
Mara Sol Torres
12/06/2017

Works cited and consulted

Kelly, N. (2013, January 23). Seven Surprising Ways Immigration Helps Build a Stronger
America. Retrieved June 10, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nataly-
kelly/immigration-benefits_b_2523562.html
Top 10 Pros & Cons - Illegal Immigration - ProCon.org. (2017, February 28). Retrieved June
10, 2017, from http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000842