Illegal immigration is a topic for presidential debates for years, from building walls to how they should be treated in America. The media has portrayed many undocumented immigrants as criminals and parasites that feed off the hard-working laborers of our country, but could we have it wrong? The following video from Fox News demonstrates how many see undocumented immigrants in our society, as criminals. Our xenophobia has become a fear of people, and our culture has become one of separation instead of welcoming. Now, I do know there are criminals coming into the United States, but I doubt an entire people are violent criminals. Saying that, here are some facts everyone should know about undocumented immigrants.
1. Undocumented immigrants do pay taxes.
One thing that we need to know is that undocumented immigrants pay taxes. “Taxes” is such a broad term and could mean anything, but anyone who receives a paycheck from an occupation pays the taxes that come with it. How, you ask? Well, in order to get a job in this country, one needs a social security card, which undocumented immigrants have by stealing the number of a legal citizen. So the money that is taken out of the undocumented worker’s paycheck is being put into the social security account. Also, they do pay sales tax at the grocery store and property tax if they own a home. It is impossible for an undocumented immigrant to “live off” other taxpayers and still have a job and a home, especially when undocumented immigrants pay around $12 billion in taxes.
2. Net in-migration is zero.
What does that mean? Well, that means there are more undocumented immigrants leaving the United States than coming in. So, yeah, Martin O’Malley was right. We are not being bombarded by mass numbers of immigrants, and they do not pose a threat to overpopulation in this country. It is simply that they believe that they can return to their native countries and make a living there.
3. Many undocumented immigrants are not criminals.
In fact, many are families fleeing crime that pose a threat to the safety of the families, which is why they come to America. Also, it has been shown that there are facts that prove that undocumented immigrants commit far less crimes than those who are native-born citizens of this country. Of the many people that were deported from this country, about half of them had a criminal record according to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), whose goal is to deport the criminals from the country. Looking at the bigger picture, that is only one percent of the undocumented immigrants living in this country; but obviously the numbers are skewed. But people are most likely running from violence and crime, so why in the world would they commit crimes here?
4. The immigration process has changed.
This is not like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty anymore. No one can walk up to the borders of our country and be admitted automatically. There is a process that is in place by our government that everyone who wants to become a legal citizen has to go through, but the downside is that it takes as long as several years . As many of us know, a lot of things can change in several years. Someone in the process could die in that timespan, or a family of immigrants could lose everything by the time the process is over. The immigration system is very different than how it was back during the turn of the century, so think twice before you say, “Well why can’t they just do what my great-grandparents did?” The answer is that because that, when America opened its doors to the immigrants, it did not fear them.
5. Undocumented immigrants are treated poorly in detention centers.
Now I know they are breaking the law and sneaking into the country, but does that call for stripping people of human rights. In detention centers all across the US, undocumented immigrants are physically abused, sexually abused, and do not recieve proper medical care for those who need it. I once heard someone ask, “Do they deserve proper treatment? They did sneak into our country.” Just because they wanted a better life does not mean they should be treated as not humans and left to be harmed. They are humans, and no crossing of any border should strip their basic human rights of safety and health.
There is a lot wrong with the topic of illegal immigration, and there has to be an awakening. We need to support those in need. What ever happened to giving us your sick, your poor, your vulnerable? We have been swarmed with such hate for these people that we are used to it, and why should we be? These are human beings, not leeches. They want our help, and shouldn’t it be our job as humans to help them?
