Effect of Immigration Policy on Domestic Workers
| Effect of Immigration Policy on Domestic Workers | Effect on Domestic Wages | | Garcia | 12/3/2012 |
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INTRODUCTION
The United States is known for being a large and varied country with many different races. In recent years, the number of foreign-born individuals in the U.S. has been increasing noticeably. In fact according to Steven Camarota, in 2010, 40 million people were (legal and illegal) immigrants in the United States (Camarota, 2012). Immigration is emerging as a critical issue in the United States. The issue brings cultural and economic concerns among the population. A fundamental controversy and debate concerning immigration is the effects US immigration policies have on domestic workers. Some individuals consider that immigrants hurt the U.S. economy, while others believe that they contribute and benefit the country. The purpose of this paper is to explain both side of the arguments and describe how this social issue is relevant and relates to the course Economic Ideas and Current Issues. Finally, the paper will conclude with a summary and a personal discussion on the issue.
Before moving into the arguments for both sides it is important to define what an immigration policy is and what it refers to. An immigration policy refers to any set of federal government policies that determine who enters the United States and in what numbers. In addition, Michael Fix and Jeffrey S. Passel, state that “immigration policy involves three fundamentally different sets of laws, regulations, and institutions—those that govern legal immigration, those that govern humanitarian admissions (refugees and asylees), and those that control illegal entry” (Fix & Passel, 1994).
As the public debate intensifies, disagreement arises. On one side, those opposing immigration argue that immigration increases the supply of labor, resulting in lower wages and employment levels for domestic residents ("Policy debate: Does," 2006). This group of people
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INTRODUCTION
The United States is known for being a large and varied country with many different races. In recent years, the number of foreign-born individuals in the U.S. has been increasing noticeably. In fact according to Steven Camarota, in 2010, 40 million people were (legal and illegal) immigrants in the United States (Camarota, 2012). Immigration is emerging as a critical issue in the United States. The issue brings cultural and economic concerns among the population. A fundamental controversy and debate concerning immigration is the effects US immigration policies have on domestic workers. Some individuals consider that immigrants hurt the U.S. economy, while others believe that they contribute and benefit the country. The purpose of this paper is to explain both side of the arguments and describe how this social issue is relevant and relates to the course Economic Ideas and Current Issues. Finally, the paper will conclude with a summary and a personal discussion on the issue.
Before moving into the arguments for both sides it is important to define what an immigration policy is and what it refers to. An immigration policy refers to any set of federal government policies that determine who enters the United States and in what numbers. In addition, Michael Fix and Jeffrey S. Passel, state that “immigration policy involves three fundamentally different sets of laws, regulations, and institutions—those that govern legal immigration, those that govern humanitarian admissions (refugees and asylees), and those that control illegal entry” (Fix & Passel, 1994).
As the public debate intensifies, disagreement arises. On one side, those opposing immigration argue that immigration increases the supply of labor, resulting in lower wages and employment levels for domestic residents ("Policy debate: Does," 2006). This group of people
Cited: Batalova, J., & Fix, M. (2008). College-educated immigrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute, Retrieved from http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=702 Camarota, S. A. (2005). The impact of immigration on the American workforce . The Center for Immigration Studies, Retrieved from http://www.cis.org/node/553 Camarota, S. A. (2012). Immigrants in the United States, 2010. The Center for Immigration Studies , Retrieved from http://www.cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population Cowen, T. (2010, October 30). How immigrants create more jobs. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/business/economy/31view.html?_r=0 Fix, M., & Passel, J. S. (1994). Immigration and immigrants; setting the record straight. The Urban Institute, Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/305184_immigration_immigrants.pdf Hans, J. (2011). Immigrans and education. Public policy institute of california, Retrieved from http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/JTF_ImmigrantsEducationJTF.pdf Hall, J. C., VanMetre, B. J., & Vedder, R. K. (2012). U.s. immigration policy in the 21st century: A market-based approach. Cato Journal, 32(1), 201-20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/abicomplete/docview/921128628/abstract/13AC3A2B276FA8AEED/1?accountid=27424 Lehman, T. (2012). Coming to America: The benefits of open immigration read more. The Freeman, Retrieved from http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/coming-to-america-the-benefits-of-open-immigration Smith, J. P., & Edmonston, B. (1997). The new americans: Economic, demographic, and fiscal effects of immigration . Washington, DC: The National Academies Pres. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5779&page=138 (2006). Policy debate: Does U.S. immigration policy harm domestic workers?. South-Western learning, Retrieved from http://www.swlearning.com/economics/policy_debates/immigration.html