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The Costs Versus The Benefits Of Illegal Immigration

The Cost versus the Benefits of Illegal Immigration

Every year thousands of people choose to leave their home country and come to the United States to start a new life. They dream of freedom and endless possibilities that they would never have in their home countries. Unfortunately, there are those who chose to disregard the law and come to this country illegally. It is estimated that there are 20 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. today. Illegal immigration affects our country in many ways. The cost of illegal immigration effects many aspects of our economy. One way in which our economy is affected is when an illegal immigrant is injured or sick and must go to the hospital. They often do not have the money to pay the bill, and the hospitals do not have a way to bill the patient as they are here illegally and either move often or give false information. The hospitals cannot refuse treatment, so this means that we, the taxpayers, must take on the burden of paying for those costs. Another affect illegal immigration has on our economy is the fact that migrant workers will work for less than minimum wage. This makes fewer jobs available for legal entry level citizens, which puts a huge strain on our economy. There is also the issue of securing our borders to keep illegal immigrants out. One of the newest resolutions to this issue is building a fence, which will cost a lot of money to build, maintain and defend. Another cost of illegal immigration is the cost of innocent American lives taken by illegal immigrants who drive without insurance or a license, and those affected by the gangs that have come out of Mexico, such as the Mexican Mafia and MS-13.
One might ask, “Are there any benefits to illegal immigration?” Well, it depends on who you talk to. According to some groups, there are some pros to illegal immigration. Some think that it helps to keep the economy moving by filling low-wage jobs that many Americans do not want; it creates a bigger pool of...