Introduction
Immigration to the United States refers to the worldwide movement of non-U.S. citizens seeking to establish a permanent residence in the country. According to Bellovary et al. (2020), “immigrants in the United States represent a wide array of races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, and language preferences” (p. 146). Throughout most of the United States’ history, immigration has been a critical source of population expansion and cultural development. With the exception of Native Americans, everyone in the United States may trace their roots back to immigrants from other countries. According to Mayda et al. (2018), “an increase in the first type of immigrants decreases the share of the Republican vote, while an inflow of the second type increases it” (p. 1). Immigration’s economic, social, and political elements have sparked debate over problems such as cultural homogeneity, employees for businesses versus employment for non-immigrants, land tenure, influence on upward class mobility, criminality, and voting habits.
These impacts appear to be independent of the immigrants’ place of origin and are primarily attributable to the local influence of immigrants on U.S. residents’ votes. Low-skilled immigrants’ pro-Republican influence is also higher in low-skilled and non-urban areas, according to the study. In the regions where low-skilled immigrants are more likely to be viewed as competitors in the job market and public resources, people’s political inclinations shift towards the Republican Party. Today, immigration is an essential part of the whole world; technological progress would not have reached such heights without it. It is necessary to consider immigration to America in more detail, namely the advantages and disadvantages for America.
People’s Opinion
People argue that illegal immigration helps the U.S. economy by increasing tax income, expanding the low-wage labor pool, and increasing the amount of money in circulation. They argue that immigrants bring excellent values, have motives that align with the American dream, do tasks that Americans will not, and that anti-immigration sentiment originates from racism. Undocumented immigrants can apply for citizenship through a procedure that may entail additional requirements such as fees, background checks, or longer waiting times than the naturalization process for documented immigrants. The word “legalization” refers to a process in which illegal immigrants are permitted to stay in the nation lawfully but are not granted the same privileges as U.S. citizens.
Economy
The economy is fueled by immigration. Immigrants boost the economy’s productive capacity and raise GDP when they join the workforce. Their earnings grow, but locals’ do as well. Aside from the immigration excess, immigrants lubricate the gears of the labor market by flooding into industries and locations where there is a relative scarcity of employees and where blockages or bottlenecks would otherwise stifle growth. Immigrants are more inclined than locals to relocate, thus, alleviating barriers to development; immigrants raise the economy by posted speed. Growth accelerates when slack decreases, the desired outcome resulting from better allocating resources in the economy.
Immigrants, in reality, help the American economy in a variety of ways. In specific industries, they labor at high rates and account for more than a third of the workforce. Their geographic mobility aids local industries in responding to labor shortages, flattening out peaks and valleys that may otherwise harm the economy. Immigrant workers contribute to the support of the elderly native-born population by increasing the number of workers compared to retirees, therefore boosting the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Immigrant children are also upwardly mobile, offering future advantages to their families and the U.S. economy as a whole. Immigrants make a significant contribution to communities that extends far beyond their economic contributions.
Immigrants work in crucial jobs for our economy and society. Immigrant workers without even a college diploma, who appear to be the primary target of the new regulation, can be found across the economy, but they make up a significant portion of the workforce in particular areas. Companies in these areas will find it more challenging to hire people if they can no longer travel to or settle in the United States.
Positive Effect
Immigration has a net positive effect. The fact that it has certain expenses is not an excuse to prohibit it; instead, it should be managed. Mechanisms can be devised to reap the benefits of immigration while compensating for the loss of some employees. International trade has comparable impacts, and employees who are harmed by trade are eligible for government assistance programs like Trade Adjustment Assistance. Even for individuals who do not relocate, immigration is a net positive, but the benefits are not spread evenly. The next step for policymakers is to organize immigration reform in such a way that it maximizes the advantages of immigration while minimizing the costs.
Conclusion
As a result, immigration is both a good and disruptive development. There are several examples of excellent yet destructive economic development throughout history. Millions of agricultural laborers were displaced by the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in massive urban migrations and the development of megacities. People today attribute a variety of good characteristics, such as creativity and invention, as well as higher salaries. There are always some short-term costs associated with significant changes. It is more expensive to prevent market forces from directing resources to their most efficient use in the long run. The levers of capitalism that steer resources to their optimal allocation are the adjustments of wages and prices to changing demand and supply in the economy.
References
Bellovary, A., Armenta, A. D., & Reyna, C. (2020). Stereotypes of immigrants and immigration in the United States. In Nadler, J. T. & Voyles, E. S. (Eds.), Stereotypes: The Incidence and Impacts of Bias. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC, pp. 146-164.
Mayda, A. M., Peri, G., & Steingress, W. (2018). The political impact of immigration: Evidence from the United States (No. w24510). National Bureau of Economic Research, pp. 1-55.