The Case for Mexican Border Leniency.
Most of the arguments against illegal immigration are spurred by ignorance. Simple economics repudiate the claims of Mexicans taking American jobs and lowering American wages. Unemployed whites use social services more than illegals do, and illegals actually contribute more government money than they use. Ethnic tensions arise partly from racist nativists ignorant to the benefits of immigration. Finally, illegal immigrants contribute to American culture rather than subvert it.
Some people are worried that an influx in cheap labor takes potential jobs away from natives. Statistically, this warrant is unfounded. A study of aliens found that mostly "illegals are taking jobs that no other Americans want (Corwin, 285)."" For example, almost all California seasonal farm hands are Mexican because no one else wants the conditions and pay associated with the job. "In 1975, the depths of the recession in Los Angeles, 2,154 jobs were opened by the apprehensions of illegals, and the State Human Resources Development agency could not fill them (Corwin, 285)."" Other jobs "opened- by the removal of illegal labor could only be filled by greencard commuters from Tijuana.
Not only do illegals do the "dirty work- no one else is prepared to do, but they do jobs that are economically unfeasible to others. The labor overflow has driven prices for menial labor so low that an American citizen could make more money on welfare. "It is unlikely that persons eligible for welfare benefits would work for the wages that the majority of illegal aliens receive (Corwin, 285)."" The claim that Mexicans steal native jobs is economically unfounded. "Employment is not a zero-sum game: workers are also consumers and may create jobs as well as fill them (Brown, 16)."" .
Another argument against foreign labor is that it draws capital and income away from America. The simple logic is that if foreigners earn American dollars, they will draw them away and convert them into pesos.
