Reply #55: But countries in the EU actually have a safety net for their citizens... [View All]

[sleepystudent]

you know like health care, unemployment benefits, etc. So the non-immigrant population is somewhat protected from fluctuations in the economy that can be exacerbated by an influx of immigrants. There are no such protections in the US, we have so few and even those are getting stripped. So the effect of illegal immigrants on the economy( higher health care costs because of lack of insurance, higher education costs, etc, driving the cost of labor down) disproportionately effect those that are already here, pay taxes, and are already vulnerable because of lack of education and being at the bottom of the economy. Do illegal immigrants actually pay taxes? If not, I see them as basically taking more out of society than they actually contribute. And I know in the black community, many are feeling directly threatened and pushed out by illegal immigrants because they are now usurping the place that many uneducated blacks held in the economy. However, no jobs are being created to replace the ones that Americans are losing.

I basically think that until the US has taken care of its own ( there is 50%+ unemployment in NYC ghettos right now-why not try to hire them first?) and the safety net is strengthened to protect people from a weakening economy, then illegal immigration should be discouraged and clamped down on. It should be treated the same way people from developed countries are treated when they move from country to country-if you do not have a sponsor, a identifiable skill, some support, etc.-then don't come.