According to a recent poll by Gallup World Polls, about 150 million people say that they would immigrate to the United States if they had the opportunity to do so. With the 2016 election coming up, the issue of immigration has been debated ad nauseam. Yet, most of the general public does not understand the potentially good impact that immigration can have on this country.

Although there are many good arguments against immigration, the benefits cannot be overshadowed. Allowing and even streamlining the process of legal immigration would generate a significant amount of tax revenue due to the influx of people. Research shows that trillions in taxable income could be added to the United States’ economy. Also, immigrant tend to take low-paying jobs that would not otherwise be filled by Americans. Instead of “stealing’ jobs, immigrants are more likely to take jobs that can easily be found easily at places that are frequently hiring new workers. Also, another group of cheap laborers allows flexibility in business, leading to better quality products, cheaper prices, and higher profits.

Allowing struggling people all over the world an opportunity of freedom and a better life is engrained in to the roots of the United States. In the modern day, this practice improves the world’s view of the US, and can positively affect international relations.

Making legal immigration more difficult, or banning it all together will unavoidably lead to more illegal immigration. Immigrants that come illegally do not provide tax income for the country. Also, those who come over illegally are less likely to be law-abiding people, obviously, as they have already broken laws by crossing the border. Making it difficult for people to come into the country legally is more likely to stop the good people that we would want moving into the country rather than the bad people that these laws would be aiming to stop.