Wasn't the united states doing just fine filling jobs before illegal immigration?
605150
Apparently not...from what the illegals and their sympathizers tell us.
1179385
Some people talk about the enormous damage that would occur to the US economy if suddenly, all at the same time, ALL illegal immigrants were deported - this is so laughable!  No one said they would all be deported at precisely the same time - all 12 million or more of them on the same day!  No, this would of course be impossible.  But it would happen over a period of time and as employers stopped hiring illegals, American citizens would step in to fill those jobs as they were vacated by illegals, more and more as the lack of hiring illegals also caused the wages to return to what they were at pre-illegal hiring.  With more and more American citizens doing the jobs at liveable wages, there will be fewer and fewer Americans on welfare, more tax dollars put into the system, more Americans with more money to spend IN AMERICA and so that even if the cost of a head of lettuce goes up a few cents, all Americans will be able to afford to buy that head of lettuce.  The economy, over the long-term (not so long, though) would be better than ever!
127086
Legal immigration is moving to this country by filling out the proper paperwork and being given permission to live here. Illegal immigration means entering or staying in the country illegally.\n\nNow, with regards to the economic impact. Illegal immigrants DO do work that Americans refuse to do. And that is because of the wages. Say Americans picked oranges and had to be paid $15 per hour plus medical plus benefits. Americans would be lined up outside the door to get those jobs, right? Are you willing to pay $10 or $15 for a quart of orange juice to cover those wages and benefits? I think I know the answer to that one. So, to keep your quart of orange juice at $3, orange growers have to pay illegals 2 or 3 bucks an hour to do the work.\n\nHaving "fair pay that allows economic participation home,food,clothing,auto,health care,checking and savings accounts etc" sounds all well and good, and I think MOST Americans would be in favor of that if it were feasible. You wanna pay $15 for your McDonald's combo meal? No? Then guess what, people get paid minimum wage. You wanna pay $20 for a pound of meat? No? That's why stockers and tellers get around minimum wage.\n\nMOST of the people in those jobs (tellers, fast food, etc.) tend to be teens and people in their early 20s. Do you know why? Because they don't have any experience doing anything else! Why SHOULD they have everything handed to them on a silver platter? They are unproven as employees. After a couple of years, most move on to a little better jobs with a little better pay. They prove themselves there and move on to something bigger and better.\n\nGuess what? That is the way of the world ... always has and always will. Some people don't make a decent living because they do not prepare themselves to be able to earn a decent living.\n\nWhen I got married in 1989, I worked full time and netted $110 per week. $440 per year. $5280 per year. And I worked my a$$ off for it. I chose not to go to college, but I spent ten years in the military getting skills. I never made more than $25,000 in any year. I got off of active duty and was offered a job making over a hundred grand per year almost immediately. I had sh!tty pay for a decade, but there was a payoff - and that is right now.\n\nDon't be angry at the "cheap bastards trying to play capitolist" (and it is captilalist, not capitolist). Capitalism is all about the law of supply and demand. If the supply (the workers) will work for minimum wage (the demand) why SHOULD they be paid any more? If they don't like it, they should prepare themselves for a better job.
839755
At one time it was unheard of, not anymore.  Illegals are being recruited and are promised citizenship for serving.
656471
Over the two and a quarter centuries that the USA has existed probably yes. The people who sneaked in have by and large helped build the economy, raised families and led blameless lives. Look at it logically: If you came to a country without a green card wouldn't you do your best to keep your nose clean and your mouth shut lest you were found out and ended up in a cell waiting to be deported?
8437
Well, i think its okay.  Most Americans are unwilling to take the king of Jobs that illegal Mexian aliens will take.  With that in mind if we stopped allowing them to come over then who would do these jobs.  My point is that Americans take for granted that Mexicans are the backbone of the US labor.  Ultimately we should have more security and restriction for people coming over, but we should still allow them to work there way in, by giving them temporary passports.  A great movie that discusses this very topic is called "A Day Without A Mexican".  Acting isn't the greatest and the movie runs a little long, but they make a some great points.
684198
lets be honest  yeah the American citizens would work them but only the white lazy crackheads. They would work these jobs but not as good as illegals do because they know if they make a mistake in that specific job they can get fired and they can't afford that. They have kids in their countries. So they work hard to keep their employers happy. Do you really think a us citizen would tolerate cleaning shit, working 10 hours in the sun as a gardener. no because they're citizens and they have opportunities.Just Analise things. No one would do the jobs better than an immigrant.And you said it they wouldn't take shit from their employers. Right? So they would eventually get tired of cleaning shit and they would eventually find themselves quitting. Why haven't i seen citizens doing these jobs right now? They don't want to. They r lazy and most try to find easy jobs. Increase in the wages maybe but remember threes bitchy people that expect you to do the jobs right. No matter how much they pay these citizensthey wouldn't tolerate this.They can never do these jobs as good as illegals.if an illegal can find a job so can a citizen but threes so many unemployed because they don't give it as much time to look for a job that illegal aliens. Just face it the economy would slowly deteriorate.
1163076
You are right. According to the pew Hispanic research center the vast majority of illegal Mexicans were gainfully employed before crossing into America. I saw an interview on an Arizona news show. The interview was with a 16 year old girl who thought she could cross the desert. She was lucky the border patrol found her. When she was asked what preparations she had made for her journey she said none, then she was asked how far she had ever walked at on time before and her response was from one end of the mall to the other. When asked if she would try to enter illegally again she said yes.
1016640
Seems to be the same reason that Bush wants to keep illegals. To work the jobs in the fields that nobody else wants.
212884
the answer is either YES or MAYBE NO! but as what other said its about time to do some action. there might be advantages or disadvantages of it but im pretty sure its goin to help one way or another in behalf bout US economy by payin taxes..if all this illegal have the chance to get workin permit.. its a win-win situation!
709668
This is why we cannot completely deport all the illegal immigrants: there was no "before they got here" cause we are a nation of immigrants, illegal or otherwise.\nOur economy would crash because we sit on the shoulders of others. our system of economy makes everyone dependent on those who do the the grunt work and those who have less money.\nSo in answer to the prompt; the same people who do the "hard job" now would do it afterwards, we would just call them "legal" so they wouldn't have to leave!
427168
I'm tired of the stereotype that Americans wouldn't do the work that illegals do. Illegals do all kinds of jobs for less than minimum wage which drive the wages down for U.S. citizens. Construction jobs are an example. There are lots of illegals doing construction jobs that Americans used to do because the companies can keep more of the profits if they pay less for the workers. All that does is make companies wealthier and Americans poorer. Illegals are stealing jobs that Americans have done for years.
358960
So, the immigrants that started the United States were legal, eh?  Guess again.  The British government declared many of their actions illegal.  Since they were British citizens. this makes them illegal as well.  Also, if we deport all of the illegal immigrants, how do you think our economy will fare?  Do you really think that citizens will take the jobs that the illegal aliens have?  There is no way.  Also, almost all, if not all of the people participating in the petitions were naturalized citizens.
226874
Probably.  I haven't noticed any tangible problems from immigration -- other than problems purely stemming from the fact that we've declared a lot of it to be illegal.  As far as I know, the economy is better and lots of things are less expensive as a result of immigrant workers.  I don't think many Americans are eager for many of the agricultural and service industry jobs that many immigrants perform.  If there is an unemployment problem, it has much more to do with outsourcing overseas, and the general state of the economy (to which immigrant labor is a benefit, not a burden).\n\nAs far as making this country what it used to be -- an ignorant, bigotted, Indian-massacring, slave-owning backwater -- I think that's kind of crazy.  But one *good* thing that you *would* need -- is lots of immigrants.
934976
It is not difficult for them to find work as there as too many employers who are willing to hire them.  A lot of people believe that the immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans but that really is not true.  They are doing the jobs Americans wont do for the low pay.  Government on the state. local and federal levels needs to start being more harsh on employers who hire illegal immigrants.  A hefty fine for every illegal working would be a good start and closing down their businesses wouldnt hurt either and it is not just small businesses that hire illegals, large companies also hire them.
185067
Most are paid cash. The people who hire them do that, so they won't have to responsible to check for proper documentation. The rest use paperwork that does not belong to them, and they do have taxes taken out.  The business that are lax in checking for proper paperwork are the ones to blame for the lack of tax collection. If they didn't hire the illegals in the first place they probably wouldn't come.  The same said business owners probably do not report all their earnings either.  By the way not all 11 million are on welfare. You can't get welfare unless you have papers.  If we do send them back, if you can catch them, do you know what will happen to them. You probably don't care, but here goes. They will STARVE.  We need to start caring about what goes on in the South American countries. How their leaders take care of, or lack there of, their people. The U.S. needs to make these countries stand up and take care of their own. If they had jobs in their own countries they wouldn't have to come here. THINK ABOUT THAT!
385708
Americans are willing to do the jobs that illegals do! When I was in high school I picked oranges in the summer and worked in packing houses, and so did a lot of my friends.  The difference is illegals work for next to nothing, something that Americans can't do.  The next time you say that they do the jobs that we are too lazy to do, please think about all the hardworking Americans that won't be able to earn a decent wage, pay taxes, and support our economy because an Illegal is  working for twenty-five cents an hour.  Those same taxes that their employers aren't paying are being paid by the rest of us, and when an illegal gets hurt on the job he or she isn't going to be denied emergency health care.  This ultimately causes the rest of us honest tax payers to cover that burden.  Thinking that illegals are necessary for our economy to function doesn't make any sense, the ONLY people it helps are the law breaking businesses who hire them.  Isn't it funny how liberals who are normally incredibly anti-big business are all for cheap illegal labor?