Top 10 Immigration Myths & Facts.
Myth: Immigrants don’t pay taxes
Fact: All immigrants pay taxes, whether income, property, sales or other. As far as income tax payments go, sources vary on their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes. Even undocumented immigrants pay income taxes, as evidences by the Social Security Administration's “suspense file” (taxes that cannot be matched to workers’ names and social security numbers), which grew $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.
•National Academy of Sciences, Cato Institute, Urban Institute, Social Security Administration.
Myth: Immigrants come here to take welfare
Fact: Immigrants come to work and reunite with family members. Immigrant labor force participation is consistently higher than native-born, and immigrant workers make up a larger share of the U.S. labor force (12.4%) than they do the U.S. population (11.5%)., Moreover, the ratio between immigrant use of public benefits and the amount of taxes they pay is consistently favorable to the U.S., unless the “study” was undertaken by an anti-immigrant group. In one estimate, immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay about $90 billion a year in taxes, and use about $5 billion in public benefits. In another cut of the data, immigrant tax payments total $20 to $30 billion more than the amount of government services they use.
•American Immigration Lawyers Association, Urban Institute.
Myth: Immigrants send all their money back to their home countries
Fact: In addition to the consumer spending of immigrant households, immigrants and their businesses contribute $162 billion is tax revenue to the U.S federal, state, and local governments. While it is true that immigrants remit billions of dollars a year to their home countries, this is one of the most targeted and effective forms of direct foreign investment.
•Cato Institute, Inter-American Development Bank.
Myth: Immigrants take jobs and opportunities away from Americans.
Fact: The largest wave of immigration to the U.S. since the early 1900’s coincided with out lowest national unemployment rate and fastest economic growth. Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs for U.S. foreign workers, and foreign-born students allow many U.S. graduate programs to keep doors open. While there has been no comprehensive study done of immigrant-owned businesses, we have countless examples: in Silicon Valley, companies begun by Chinese and Indian immigrants generated more than $19.5 billion in sales and nearly 73,000 jobs in 2000.
•Brookings Institute
Myth: Immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy
Fact: During the 1990’s half of all new workers were foreign-born, filling gaps left by native-born workers in both the high- and low-skill ends of the spectrum. Immigrants fill jobs in key sectors, start their own businesses, and contribute to a thriving economy. The net benefit of immigration to the U.S. is nearly $10 billion annually. As Alan Greenspan points out, 70% of immigrants arrive in prime working age. That means we haven’t spent a penny on their education, yet they are transplanted into our workforce and will contribute $500 billion toward our social security system over the next 20 years.
•National Academy of Sciences, Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, Federal Reserve
Myth: Immigrants don’t want to learn English or become Americans
Fact: Within ten years of arrival, more than 75% of immigrants speak English well; moreover, demand for English classes at the adult level far exceeds supply. Great than 33% of immigrants are naturalized citizens; given increased immigration in the 1990s, this figure will rise as more legal permanent residents become eligible for naturalization in the coming years. The number of immigrants naturalizing spiked sharply after two events: enactment of immigration and welfare reform laws in 1996, and the terrorist attaches in2001.
•U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services)
Myth: Today’s immigrants are different than those of 100 years ago.
Fact: The percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign-born now stands at 11.5%; in the early 20th century it was approximately 15%. Similar to accusations about today’s immigrants, those of 100 years ago initially often settled in mono-ethnic neighborhoods, spoke their native languages, and built up newspapers and businesses that catered to their fellow emigres. They also experienced the same types of discrimination that today’s immigrants face, and integrated within American culture at a similar rate. If we view history objectively, we remember that every new wave of immigrants has been met with suspicion and doubt and yet, ultimately, every past wave of immigrants has been vindicated and saluted.
•U.S. Census Bureau
Myth: Most immigrants cross the border illegally.
Fact: Around 75% have legal permanent (immigrant) visas; of the 25% that are undocumented, 40% overstayed temporary (non-immigrant) visas.
•INS Statistical Yearbook
Myth: Weak U.S. border enforcement has lead to high undocumented immigration.
Fact: From 1986 to 1998, the Border Patrol’s budget increased six-fold and the number of agents stationed on our southwest border doubled to 8,500. The Border Patrol also toughened its enforcement strategy, heavily fortifying typical urban entry points and pushing migrants into dangerous desert areas, in hopes of deterring crossings. Instead, the undocumented immigrant population doubled in that timeframe, to 8 million- despite the legalization of nearly 3 million immigrants after the enactment f the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986. Insufficient legal avenues for immigrants to enter the U.S., compared with the number of jobs available to them, have created this current conundrum.
•Cato Institute
•The war on terrorism can be won through immigration restrictions
•No security expert since September 11th 2001 has said that restrictive immigration measures would have prevented the terrorist attacks-instead, the key is good use of good intelligence. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were here on legal visas. Since 9/11, the myriad of measures targeting immigrants un the name of national security have netted no terrorism prosecutions. In fact, several of these measures could have the opposite effect and actually make us less safe, as targeted communities of immigrants are afraid to come forward with information.
•Newspaper articles, various security experts, and think tanks
To Download the Myths and Facts PDF:
http://www.immigrationforum.org/images/uploads/MythsandFacts.pdf
Fact: All immigrants pay taxes, whether income, property, sales or other. As far as income tax payments go, sources vary on their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes. Even undocumented immigrants pay income taxes, as evidences by the Social Security Administration's “suspense file” (taxes that cannot be matched to workers’ names and social security numbers), which grew $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.
•National Academy of Sciences, Cato Institute, Urban Institute, Social Security Administration.
Myth: Immigrants come here to take welfare
Fact: Immigrants come to work and reunite with family members. Immigrant labor force participation is consistently higher than native-born, and immigrant workers make up a larger share of the U.S. labor force (12.4%) than they do the U.S. population (11.5%)., Moreover, the ratio between immigrant use of public benefits and the amount of taxes they pay is consistently favorable to the U.S., unless the “study” was undertaken by an anti-immigrant group. In one estimate, immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay about $90 billion a year in taxes, and use about $5 billion in public benefits. In another cut of the data, immigrant tax payments total $20 to $30 billion more than the amount of government services they use.
•American Immigration Lawyers Association, Urban Institute.
Myth: Immigrants send all their money back to their home countries
Fact: In addition to the consumer spending of immigrant households, immigrants and their businesses contribute $162 billion is tax revenue to the U.S federal, state, and local governments. While it is true that immigrants remit billions of dollars a year to their home countries, this is one of the most targeted and effective forms of direct foreign investment.
•Cato Institute, Inter-American Development Bank.
Myth: Immigrants take jobs and opportunities away from Americans.
Fact: The largest wave of immigration to the U.S. since the early 1900’s coincided with out lowest national unemployment rate and fastest economic growth. Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs for U.S. foreign workers, and foreign-born students allow many U.S. graduate programs to keep doors open. While there has been no comprehensive study done of immigrant-owned businesses, we have countless examples: in Silicon Valley, companies begun by Chinese and Indian immigrants generated more than $19.5 billion in sales and nearly 73,000 jobs in 2000.
•Brookings Institute
Myth: Immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy
Fact: During the 1990’s half of all new workers were foreign-born, filling gaps left by native-born workers in both the high- and low-skill ends of the spectrum. Immigrants fill jobs in key sectors, start their own businesses, and contribute to a thriving economy. The net benefit of immigration to the U.S. is nearly $10 billion annually. As Alan Greenspan points out, 70% of immigrants arrive in prime working age. That means we haven’t spent a penny on their education, yet they are transplanted into our workforce and will contribute $500 billion toward our social security system over the next 20 years.
•National Academy of Sciences, Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, Federal Reserve
Myth: Immigrants don’t want to learn English or become Americans
Fact: Within ten years of arrival, more than 75% of immigrants speak English well; moreover, demand for English classes at the adult level far exceeds supply. Great than 33% of immigrants are naturalized citizens; given increased immigration in the 1990s, this figure will rise as more legal permanent residents become eligible for naturalization in the coming years. The number of immigrants naturalizing spiked sharply after two events: enactment of immigration and welfare reform laws in 1996, and the terrorist attaches in2001.
•U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services)
Myth: Today’s immigrants are different than those of 100 years ago.
Fact: The percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign-born now stands at 11.5%; in the early 20th century it was approximately 15%. Similar to accusations about today’s immigrants, those of 100 years ago initially often settled in mono-ethnic neighborhoods, spoke their native languages, and built up newspapers and businesses that catered to their fellow emigres. They also experienced the same types of discrimination that today’s immigrants face, and integrated within American culture at a similar rate. If we view history objectively, we remember that every new wave of immigrants has been met with suspicion and doubt and yet, ultimately, every past wave of immigrants has been vindicated and saluted.
•U.S. Census Bureau
Myth: Most immigrants cross the border illegally.
Fact: Around 75% have legal permanent (immigrant) visas; of the 25% that are undocumented, 40% overstayed temporary (non-immigrant) visas.
•INS Statistical Yearbook
Myth: Weak U.S. border enforcement has lead to high undocumented immigration.
Fact: From 1986 to 1998, the Border Patrol’s budget increased six-fold and the number of agents stationed on our southwest border doubled to 8,500. The Border Patrol also toughened its enforcement strategy, heavily fortifying typical urban entry points and pushing migrants into dangerous desert areas, in hopes of deterring crossings. Instead, the undocumented immigrant population doubled in that timeframe, to 8 million- despite the legalization of nearly 3 million immigrants after the enactment f the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986. Insufficient legal avenues for immigrants to enter the U.S., compared with the number of jobs available to them, have created this current conundrum.
•Cato Institute
•The war on terrorism can be won through immigration restrictions
•No security expert since September 11th 2001 has said that restrictive immigration measures would have prevented the terrorist attacks-instead, the key is good use of good intelligence. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were here on legal visas. Since 9/11, the myriad of measures targeting immigrants un the name of national security have netted no terrorism prosecutions. In fact, several of these measures could have the opposite effect and actually make us less safe, as targeted communities of immigrants are afraid to come forward with information.
•Newspaper articles, various security experts, and think tanks
To Download the Myths and Facts PDF:
http://www.immigrationforum.org/images/uploads/MythsandFacts.pdf
The heart of the immigration dilemma: Only 5,000 green cards to cover 500,000 unskilled-labor jobs.... click here for full story
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An interesting talk given by Tom Roach. Taken from an article on Immigration in the "crooks and Liars" website.
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/heart-immigration-dilemma-only-5000
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Unauthorized Immigrant Population: National and State Trends, 2010
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/02/01/unauthorized-immigrant-population-brnational-and-state-trends-2010/
11 Facts About Immigrants
- There were an estimated 38 million immigrants in the United States in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2010, 9.6 million came from Mexico, 1.9 million from China and about a million from Canada.
- According to hate crime statistics published annually by the FBI, anti-Latino hate crimes rose by almost 35% between 2003 and 2007, the latest year for which statistics are available.
- An estimated 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants live and work in the United States, or around one in every 20 workers, according to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center based on government figures.
- In March of 2006, New Jersey-based neo-Nazi radio host Hal Turner called for the mass murder of Hispanics and the assassination of U.S. senators who support guest worker programs. “I advocate using extreme violence against illegal aliens. Clean your guns. Have plenty of ammunition. Find out where the largest gathering of illegal aliens will be near you. Go to the area well in advance, scope out several places to position yourself and then do what has to be done.” Turner directed his listeners to a website that provides detailed instructions on constructing pipe bombs, ammonium nitrate “fertilizer bombs,” car bombs, chlorine gas bombs, and other homemade explosive devices.
- The foreign-born population of the US is 12.5% of the total population (in 2010).
- In California, the leader of the hate group Save our State, Joe Turner, obtained enough signatures from residents of San Bernardino to get an immigrant-bashing initiative he authored on the upcoming ballot. Turner’s “City of San Bernardino Illegal Immigration Relief Act” would prohibit city funding of day laborer centers, allow police to seize the vehicles of anyone hiring an undocumented day laborer, and make it a crime for landlords to rent to illegal immigrants. The Supreme Court struck down the act saying Turner had not gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure. Turner vowed to bring a new, harsher measure to the ballot.
- Los Angeles is home to one fifth of the US Hispanic population. 48% of the L.A. population is Hispanic. Mexican and Latin-American immigrants and continued high fertility rates account for the increases.
- Immigrants are an essential element in keeping the American economy strong, from fast food businesses to high-tech industry, they are filling an intrinsic need in the labor force.
- Illegal aliens contribute about as much to the public coffers in taxes as they receive in benefits. New data suggests the undocumented pay about 46% as much in taxes as do natives, but use about 45% as much in services. A poll of the most respected economists found a consensus that both legal and illegal immigrants are beneficial economically.
- Another growing immigrant group experiencing an upsurge in hate crime, largely as a result of Middle East crises and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, are people of Arab descent. Often they are blamed for incidents to which they have no connection. The hate crimes following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which included murder and beatings, were directed at Arabs solely because they shared or were perceived as sharing the national background of the hijackers responsible for attacking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
- As the country debates stricter enforcement of immigration laws, thousands of people who are not American citizens are being locked up for days, months or years while the government decides whether to deport them. Some have no valid visa; some are legal residents, but have past criminal convictions; other are seeking asylum from persecution.
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-immigrants
Driven by a single-year surge of 24% in Hispanic enrollment, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds attending college in the United States hit an all-time high of 12.2 million in October 2010, according to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/08/25/hispanic-college-enrollment-spikes-narrowing-gaps-with-other-groups/
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/08/25/hispanic-college-enrollment-spikes-narrowing-gaps-with-other-groups/
Washington Journal via CSPAN
U.S./Mexico Border Arrests
•340K in FY 2011 (ends Sept 30)
•Down 24% from FY 2010
•Lowest number recorded since 1971
•1.6 million arrested in 2000
Source: US customs & Border Patrol
Watch http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/303396-5 where Jeffrey Passel explain current trends and reasons for the decline in immigration.
Children of Immigrants
•The Share of children of immigrants born in the United States has increased over time.
•Most children of immigrants are born in the United States. Owing to an increase in the number of native-born children of immigrants and a decline in the number of children who were themselves immigrants, the native born share of children of immigrants increased from 79 percent in 200 to 86 percent in 2009.
To download your own “Children of Immigrants: Growing National and State Diversity”: p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412433-children-of-immigrants-brief5-nat-state-diversity.pdf
•Most children of immigrants are born in the United States. Owing to an increase in the number of native-born children of immigrants and a decline in the number of children who were themselves immigrants, the native born share of children of immigrants increased from 79 percent in 200 to 86 percent in 2009.
To download your own “Children of Immigrants: Growing National and State Diversity”: p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412433-children-of-immigrants-brief5-nat-state-diversity.pdf
Why are there higher poverty rates among immigrant populations?
Among other things, the article states that “poor education and weak English proficiency both contribute to immigrants' lower wages. Among immigrant low wage workers, most (62 percent) have limited proficiency in English, and nearly half have not completed high school. Controlling for differences in education and other factors, immigrants who are proficient in English earn about 17 percent more than immigrants who are not. Other factors such as discrimination, geographic and linguistic segregation, and lack of bargaining power also likely affect immigrants' earnings”
http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2004/summer_demographics_haskins.aspx