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Immigration is a hot topic, but do you really know about immigration in the United States?
"Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.” - John F. Kennedy
The Facts
According to American Progress, 43.3 million foreign-born people live in the United States. Roughly 47.8% are citizens.
We are a nation made up of immigrants. No matter where you live you probably know someone who is an immigrant. Even if you can't name someone in your life who is an immigrant, one of your ancestors are probably an immigrant. It's important to remember that immigrants are people too, regardless of their status.
According to American Progress, immigrants (regardless of their legal status) are less likely to commit crimes or be incarcerated than the U.S.-born population.
Contrary to popular belief in politics, immigrants are not criminals and they're not all coming to bring crime to America. Some are probably escaping from crime in their home country.
According to pew research center, "In 2017, about 29 million immigrants were working or looking for work in the U.S., making up some 17% of the total civilian labor force."
Immigrant come here to make their family and their own lives better. However, immigrants are not stealing jobs from Americans. Most immigrants do jobs that many Americans wouldn't do like jobs in the service industry.
It is estimated that undocumented immigrants paid $11.7 billion in taxes in 2017.
While it is difficult for undocumented immigrants to pay taxes, it is not impossible. I recommend reading the Vox article I have linked below to understand how undocumented immigrants pay taxes better.
Sources
1. Nicholson, Michael D., and the CAP Immigration Team. “The Facts on Immigration Today: 2017 Edition.” Center for American Progress, 20 Apr. 2017, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/facts-immigration-today-2017-edition/.
2. Budiman, Abby. “Key Findings about U.S. Immigrants.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/.
3. Campbell, Alexia Fernández. “Undocumented Immigrants Pay Millions of Dollars in State Taxes - Even in the Reddest States.” Vox, Vox, 1 Mar. 2019, https://www.vox.com/2019/3/1/18241692/undocumented-immigrants-pay-state-local-taxes.