Research Paper on Undocumented Immigrants in the United States is published for informational purposes only. The free papers are not written by our writers, they are contributed by users, so we are not responsible for the content of this free sample paper. If you want to buy a quality Essay on Research Paper on Undocumented Immigrants in the United States at affordable prices please use our essay writing services offered by EssayEmpire.

The more developed countries are the ones most likely to have an issue with undocumented immigrants and to take countermeasures, particularly when the native population perceives the growing numbers of immigrants to be a threat to their own economic welfare or to societal cohesion and national identity. They fear lower-wage workers will take away their jobs, not pay their fair share of taxes, and thus place an unfair financial burden on tax-paying citizens who must provide education, health, and other social services for them and their families. In addition, they fear that too many foreigners--not motivated to assimilate because their legal status prevents them from full participation in society--will lead to ethnic tribalism and undermine the core culture. Furthermore, the horrific terrorist actions of the 21st century--in New York City and Washington, D.C., in 2001; in Madrid in 2004; and in London in 2005--raised the concerns of many about their safety and security if potential terrorists can slip across their country's borders without detection. Issues of security aside, Americans remain divided over whether undocumented immigrants are a boon or drain to the economy. Reliable studies on the financial impact of illegal immigrants do not exist. In fact, most studies on this topic do not differentiate between illegal and legal immigrants. Whereas critics charge that illegal immigrants are a drain on public coffers, supporters claim that they pay more in taxes than they receive in services. Usually, the findings depend on the accounting methods used.

Many undocumented immigrants, for example, pay social security taxes but never collect benefits. However, most work in low-wage occupations, so they do not generate large tax revenues. Still, their illegal status makes them ineligible for many government services anyway. Although some argue that the expense of educating the children of undocumented immigrants is a substantial drain on public funds, others contend that most of these children are U.S. born, and as U.S. citizens, they are entitled to a public school education. Even most U.S. native families with children typically receive more in publicly funded services (especially education) than they pay in taxes. One large public expense area would be if undocumented immigrants' U.S.-born children became eligible for social programs, including welfare (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).

Public Agenda, a nonpartisan opinion research center, reported in 2006 that three quarters of Americans said they worried that it is too easy for illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and half said making their entry tougher should be a top priority for Congress. In the Southwest, the problem draws the greatest amount of public attention and generates the most apprehensions of undocumented aliens (about 1.2 million in 2006). Mexicans dominated the list of those apprehended, at 88 percent of the total. Other major source countries of those apprehended are El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Colombia, and Jamaica. Public pressure mounted in 2006-07 to do something about securing U.S. borders and dealing with those undocumented migrants already in the country.

Political debates--over legislative proposals for amnesty as granted in 1986; calls for a crackdown on illegals, even a 700-mile wall along the border; cantankerous congressional hearings; and mass demonstrations in many U.S. cities--illustrated the fundamental disagreements about how to deal with the situation. A divided Congress has been unable to pass any immigration reform bill and, as of this writing, any resolution remains elusive. Calls for reform come at a time when parts of the U.S. economy are dependent on the labor of undocumented migrants. Mostly Latinos/as, these unskilled workers have spread to a wide range of industries.

Experts estimate the number of undocumented workers in the U.S. economy at about 1 in 25. Working mostly in low-skill occupations, they are heavily concentrated in agriculture, construction, manufacturing (especially textiles and animal processing), retail trade (especially restaurants), and services (especially landscaping). Moreover, about 10 percent of the labor force of Mexico--as well as of several other Central American and Caribbean countries--are now working in the United States, and their sending monies to their families back home is a major source of financial support there.

References:

1) Buchanan, Patrick J. 2006. State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America. New York: Thomas Dunne.

2) Chavez, Leo R. 1997. Shadowed Lives: Undocumented Immigrants in American Society. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

3) Ngai, Mae M. 2005. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. New ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

4) Parrillo, Vincent N. Forthcoming. Strangers to These Shores. 9th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

5) Passel, Jeffrey S. 2006. The Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.

6) Portes, Alejandro and Ruben G. Rumaut. 2006. Immigrant America: A Portrait. 3rd ed. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Free essays are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can order a term paper, research paper or custom TOPIC at our site which offers professional essay writing services. Get your high quality custom paper at relatively cheap prices. EssayEmpire is the best solution for those who seek help in essay writing related to TOPIC and other relevant topics.