Introduction
Immigration generally involves the movement of people from one country to another in search of better opportunities for work or education. In the United States, immigration is said to have started with the movement of Spanish settlers into the country [1]. Presently, many people have left their countries and moved to live and work in the US. While some immigrants are in the United States legally, others have used illegal means to gain entry.
The subject of immigrants, legal or otherwise, has thus dominated American politics for a very long time. Although some people are in favor of immigration, others are convinced that they are a burden to the country and should thus be deported to their home countries [2]. This is founded on several allegations. This paper looks at different issues regarding immigration in the United States.
Arguments for Immigration
Proponents of immigration are convinced that it generates the labor force needed by manufacturing firms in the United States. This is especially due to the assertion that most Americans avoid jobs considered to belong to low-class citizens. Without immigrants, it is presumed that the United States may end up with a big challenge of finding people to work in such jobs. Immigration thus offers a solution to the shortage of unskilled labor force in the United States.
The total population of people living in the United States is made to increase as a result of immigrants. In turn, this creates an avenue through which the government of the United States can increase its revenue collections. The number of those to be taxed, for example, increases, and this causes the economy to grow steadily. Like other US citizens, immigrants in the United States need access to goods and services which they have to pay for.
In various ways, immigration plays a very important role in job creation. As earlier pointed out, immigrants need to access goods and services just like other American citizens. Without a doubt, the increased population leads to a higher demand for products and services, and this eventually creates room for more people to be employed to satisfy the demand.
Arguments against Immigration
Some Americans are very conservative and not happy with the idea of opening doors for people from other countries to gain entry into the United States through whatever means. First and foremost, opponents of immigration are concerned about the state of those who manage to get into the United States. They are afraid that some of those who come to the United States are responsible for illegal activities such as drug abuse and robbery [3]. This group of people, therefore, argues that the United States should make it difficult for immigrants to enter.
Immigration has also been blamed for subjecting those in the service industry to so much pressure. Professionals such as doctors and nurses are forced to work beyond their ability in order to meet the increased demand for services that are created by the increased population. According to some people, immigrants get an opportunity to enjoy services that are exclusively reserved for American citizens. Allegedly, immigrants do not pay for the services that they receive.
Although it is thought that immigrants pay tax to the government through their involvement at various levels of the economy, opponents maintain that these services are made freely available to all Americans. Consequently, the government is prepared to spend vast sums of money to ensure that all citizens are catered for. This inflates government expenditure.
Effects of Immigration on the US Economy
There are far-reaching effects of immigration on the economy of the United States. Generally, migration is responsible for the increase in the number of non-American workers [4]. Apparently, some Americans are made to lose jobs considering that some of them are likely to be taken by foreign-born nationals. Another significant effect of immigration is increased workload for those in the service industry. It is assumed that most immigrants do not pay for critical services offered to them. This leaves a hefty burden for Native Americans who pay taxes to the government but are forced to contend with poor quality services as a result of the swelling population.
Conclusion
As explained in this paper, immigration presents the United States with several advantages. There is a possibility of increasing government revenue through taxation of the goods and services that are consumed by immigrants. Immigrants also offer a ready supply of workers for different sectors of the US economy and thus contribute towards job creation. However, some challenges are brought about by immigration. As noted earlier, migration introduces more problems for the government and citizens of the United States. The number of those needing to be taken care of, for example, is made to increase tremendously. This notwithstanding, it is possible for the government of the United States to work out strategies that can lead to the effective management of the immigration problem.
Bibliography
Hanson, Gordon. Why Does Immigration Divide America? Washington, DC: Peterson Institute, 2005. Web.
Loucky, James, Jeanne Armstrong and Lawrence Estrada. Immigration in America Today: An Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. Web.