In this time period, there are many social media outlets and conservative groups advocating the idea that immigration is all negative, claiming that immigrants are “lazy”, they don’t pay taxes and they commit crime. However, in reality, immigration is one of the most powerful factors contributing to economic prosperity in America.
According to the Institution On Taxation And Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants pay about $90 billion dollars in taxes each year and they don’t even reap the benefits. Through consumer spending alone, they pay state and local sales tax while rent payments indirectly fund public schools and emergency services. They are paying taxes for things they can’t get, such as Medicaid, social security, and SNAP. This means that on a federal level they are disproportionately subsidizing benefits for actual American citizens by paying taxes for things they can’t even get. In all the misconception that immigrants don’t pay taxes directly contradicts economic reality.
Lastly, the belief that immigrants are “rapists” and “criminals” is not true at all. Statistically, a U.S born citizen is more likely to commit a crime than an undocumented immigrant. On average, in accordance with Cato.org about 0.08-0.1% of undocumented migrants are convicted of a violent crime. Meanwhile, reported by Cato institute about 4% of U.S born citizens are convicted of a violent crime. Inasmuch, this makes a U.S citizen about 60% more likely to commit a violent crime than an undocumented immigrant.
Rather than pointing fingers at immigrants, anybody who genuinely wishes to tackle criminality should take a glance at the highest position in the us where some officials carry felony convictions.