Illegal immigration to the United States: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia


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'''Illegal immigration to the United States''' refers to the act of foreign nationals voluntarily resettling in the [[United States]] in violation of U.S. [[immigration]] and [[nationality]] law. Those Immigrantswho arehave classifiedentered asthe illegalUnited forStates in oneviolation of threethe reasons:[[Immigration enteringand withoutNationality authorizationAct]] orare inspection,subject stayingto beyond[[deportation]], theoften authorizedafter periodbeing afterfound legalto entry,be orremovable violatingin thea termscivil ofremoval legalproceeding entry.<ref>Abefore Wordan aboutImmigration Terminology,Judge. TheCrossing Nationalthe AcademiesUnited PressStates [http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5779&page=21 1997[border]]</ref> without TheU.S. [[UnitedGovernment Statesauthorization Citizenshipor andfailing Immigrationto Services]]honor (USCIS),the a bureauterms of theauthorized [[Unitedforms Statesof Departmententry, ofsuch Homelandas Security[[tourist visas]] (DHS), isrepresents the primarymost federalof agencythe taskedcommon withmeans enforcingof violation. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Illegalillegal immigrantsentry areinto subjectthe toUS constitutes a [[deportationmisdemeanor]] for first-time offenders, oftenwhile afterpersons beingwho foundhave been shown to repeatedly enter the US can be removablecharged inas a[[felonies]]. civilEntering removalthe proceedingUS beforefor anseasonal Immigrationemployment Judge.without proper First-timegovernment offendersauthorization areis guiltyalso ofnormally aclassified [[misdeamener]]as whileillegal personsimmigration, whoeven havewhen beenthe shownindividual plans to repeatedlyreturn enterto thetheir UScountry canof beorigin chargedwhen astheir employment ends. The [[feloniesUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services]]<ref>U.S. v.(USCIS), Resendiz-Poncea bureau of the [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-998.pdf[United States Department of Homeland Security]] (2007DHS)]</ref>., is the primary federal agency tasked with enforcing the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The [[United States Government Accountability Office]] estimates that “between 400,000 and 700,000 illegal immigrants have entered the United States each year since 1992.” In March of 2006 the [[Pew Hispanic Center]] (PHC) estimated the undocumented population ranged from 11.5 to 12 million individuals<ref>Pew Hispanic Center Factsheet [http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/17.pdf April 26, 2006]</ref>, a number supported by the US [[Government Accountability Office]] (GAO)<ref>Estimating the Undocumented Population [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06775.pdf September 2006]</ref>. Using data from March of 2004, PHC estimated that 57% of this population comes from [[Mexico]]; 24% from [[Central America]] and, to a lesser extent, [[South America]]; 9% from [[Asia]]; 6% from [[Europe]], and the remaining 4% from elsewhere.<ref>Estimates of the Size and Characteristics of the Undocumented Population [http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/44.pdf March 21, 2005]</ref>

Illegal immigration into the United States occurs mostly via land and sea. In 1993 a large group of undocumented [[Asian]] immigrants attempted entry into the United States via a sea vessel. Ten of them arrived dead.

<ref>

Mastermind of Golden Venture Smuggling Ship Gets 20 Years;

The Washington Post, December 2, 1998;

by Joseph P. Fried

[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E3DF153BF931A35751C1A96E958260 December 2, 1998]

</ref>

In March of 2006 the [[Pew Hispanic Center]] (PHC) estimated the undocumented population ranged from 11.5 to 12 million individuals<ref>Pew Hispanic Center Factsheet [http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/17.pdf April 26, 2006]</ref>, a number supported by the US [[Government Accountability Office]] (GAO)<ref>Estimating the Undocumented Population [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06775.pdf September 2006]</ref>. Using data from March of 2004, PHC estimated that 57% of this population comes from [[Mexico]]; 24% from [[Central America]] and, to a lesser extent, [[South America]]; 9% from [[Asia]]; 6% from [[Europe]], and the remaining 4% from elsewhere.<ref>Estimates of the Size and Characteristics of the Undocumented Population [http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/44.pdf March 21, 2005]</ref>

Significant illegal immigration into the United States also takes place through its border with [[Canada]], with most notorious recent case being that of a reportedly [[Algerian]] terrorist planning to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport.

<ref>

Illegal Immigration; The Canadian Encyclopedia Maclean's Magazine, July 31, 2000

by John Nicol

[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0012213 July 31, 2000]

</ref>

<ref>

Canada Fights Myth It Was 9/11 Conduit: Charge Often Repeated by U.S. Officials; The Washington Post, April 9, 2005, Page A20

by Doug Struck

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38816-2005Apr8.html April 9, 2005]

</ref>

{{TOCleft}}

==Definition==

===Modes of entry===

Illegal immigration into the United States occurs mostly via land and sea.

A substantial portion did so by crossing the [[United States–Mexico border]].

<ref>Illegal Immigration: Border-Crossing Deaths Have Doubled Since 1995, United States Government Accountability Office [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06770.pdf August 2006]</ref> On the other hand, the number of Canadians in the U.S. as of 2006 in the form of deportable aliens are 1,199 or .000395% of the total population of the U.S. (Source: US Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics)

Immigrants are classified as illegal for one of three reasons: entering without authorization or inspection, staying beyond the authorized period after legal entry, or violating the terms of legal entry.<ref>A Word about Terminology, The National Academies Press [http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5779&page=21 1997]</ref>

According to the Pew Hispanic Center somewhat more than half of the undocumented migrant population entered the country without a [[visa]]: "some evaded customs and immigration inspectors at ports of entry by hiding in vehicles such as cargo trucks. Others tracked through the Arizona desert, waded or swam across the [[Rio Grande]] or American Canal in California or otherwise eluded the [[United States Border Patrol]] which has jurisdiction over all the land areas away from the ports of entry on the borders with Mexico and Canada." <ref>Modes of Entry for the Illegal Immigrant Population, Pew Hispanic Center [http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/19.pdf May 29, 2006]</ref>

The [[United States Government Accountability Office]] estimates that “between 400,000 and 700,000 illegal immigrants have entered the United States each year since 1992.” A substantial portion did so by crossing the [[United States–Mexico border]] and, to a lesser extent, the [[United States-Canada border]].<ref>Illegal Immigration: Border-Crossing Deaths Have Doubled Since 1995, United States Government Accountability Office [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06770.pdf August 2006]</ref>

===Modes of entry===

According to the Pew Hispanic Center somewhat more than half of the undocumented migrant population entered the country without a [[visa]]: "some evaded customs and immigration inspectors at ports of entry by hiding in vehicles such as cargo trucks. Others tracked through the Arizona desert, waded or swam across the [[Rio Grande]] or American Canal in California or otherwise eluded the [[United States Border Patrol]] which has jurisdiction over all the land areas away from the ports of entry on the borders with Mexico and Canada."

<ref>Modes of Entry for the Illegal Immigrant Population, Pew Hispanic Center [http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/19.pdf May 29, 2006]

</ref>

===Dangers===

The unfenced rural mountainous and desert border between Arizona and Mexico has become a major entrance area for illegal immigration to the United States, due in part to the increased difficulty of crossing illegally into California. Dangers of illegally crossing the southern border into the US include: exposure to the elements, traffic accidents, and inhumane treatment at the hands of corrupt human traffickers..<ref>[http://www.cis.org/articles/2003/nuneztestimony62403.html Nunez The Deadly Consequences of Illegal Alien Smuggling], Statement of Peter K. Nunez, [[2003-06-24]].</ref> “Exposure to the elements” encompasses hypothermia, dehydration, heat strokes, drowning, and suffocation. Also, illegal immigrants and coyotes may die or be injured when they attempt to avoid law enforcement. Martines,<ref>[http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Hispanic/arts_culture_media/archives/amoruso_crossing_over.asp Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail], review by Carol Amoruso.</ref> points out that engaging in high speed pursuits while attempting to escape arrest can lead to death.

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Often, the people that choose to sneak across the border employ expert criminal assistance - smugglers who promise a safe passage into the United States. These smugglers are called "coyotes" and are paid thousands of dollars per person they assist in crossing the border..<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18849271/ Immigration deal’s expensive proposition]: Advocates worry loan sharks may profit off of fees required for citizenship, [[msnbc]], [[2007-05-24]].</ref> Oftentimes, the money used to pay for this assistance is loaned - sometimes from loan-sharks who charge as much as 300 percent interest on short term loans..<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18849271/ Immigration deal’s expensive proposition]: Advocates worry loan sharks may profit off of fees required for citizenship, [[msnbc]], [[2007-05-24]].</ref>

The tightening of border enforcement has disrupted the traditional circular movement of many migrant workers from Mexico by increasing the costs and risks of crossing the border, thereby reducing their rate of return migration to Mexico. The difficulty and expense of the journey has prompted many migrant workers to stay in the United States longer or indefinitely.<ref>The percentage of illegal immigrants who used to routinely return home and no longer do is unknown [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/us/21irmaside.html?ex=1167454800&en=856f26c1ecafe3d7&ei=5070 December 21, 2006]</ref>

===Overstays===

Visa overstays are a second significant form of violation. A "visa overstayer" is someone who remains in the United States after the temporary authorization afforded by a [[visa]] expires. Visa overstayers tend to be somewhat more educated and better off financially than those who crossed the border illegally.<ref>Alexandra Marks, A harder look at visa overstayers, Christian Science Monitor [http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0205/p01s03-usju.html February 05, 2002]</ref>

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*According to the [[Fox News]] service, the Yucatan government (a state of Mexico) also produces educational materials (a comic book and DVD) to instruct its citizens on how to cross the border and how to avoid notice as an illegal immigrant once the border has been crossed.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,151207,00.html</ref>

In 2005, the remittances from Mexican nationals worldwide was $18.1 billion. <ref>http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20724214~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html</ref> In 2003, former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox stated that remittances of Mexican nationals in the United States, both legal and illegal, totaled $12 billion, and were the largest source of foreign income for Mexico. <ref>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20030924-2051-us-mexico.html</ref>. In 2005, the remittances from Mexican nationals worldwide was $18.1 billion.<ref>http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20724214~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html</ref>

===Demand===

The U.S.' failure to enforce immigration policy assisted a "network effect" - further migration as Mexicans moved to join relatives already in the U.S.<ref name="Uchitelle" />

The continuing practice of hiring unauthorized workers has been referred to as “the magnet for illegal immigration.” <ref> Press Briefing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform by Joel Kaplan, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070625-11.html June 25, 2007]</ref> Illegal hiring has not been prosecuted aggressively in recent years: between 1999 and 2003, according to the ''[[Washington Post]]'', “work-site enforcement operations were scaled back 95 percent by the [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]], which subsequently was merged into the [[Homeland Security Department]].<ref>“Illegal Hiring is Rarely Penalized.” ‘’Washington Post’’ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/18/AR2006061800613.html June 19, 2006]</ref> Major Illegal employers have included:

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For decades, immigration authorities have alerted ("no-match-letters")<ref>Definition of No-Match Letters [http://www.ice.gov/partners/employers/nomatch.htm August 10, 2007] by the [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|ICE]]; see also - Safe Harbor [http://www.ice.gov/partners/safeharbor/index.htm October 31, 2007]</ref> employers of mismatches between reported employees' [[Social Security number|Social Security cards]] and the actual names of the card holders. On September 1, a federal judge halted this practice of alerting employers of card mismatches.<ref>Court Orders a New Delay on Illegal Worker Rules, New York Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/us/02social.html Oct 2, 2007]</ref>

The U.S.' failure to enforce immigration policy assisted a "network effect" - further migration as Mexicans moved to join relatives already in the U.S.<ref name="Uchitelle" />

[[Tamar Jacoby]], a senior fellow at the [[Manhattan Institute]], argues that "[illegal immigrants] are going to get here as long as they have economic incentives to come." Jacoby further asserts that politicians and others use construction of a massive fence as a proxy to avoid addressing real issues.<ref>{{Citation

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| url = }} </ref>

===Policy issues===

The [[Rockridge Institute]] asks, "What role have international [[trade agreement]]s had in creating or exacerbating people's urge to flee their homelands? If [[capital]] is going to freely cross borders, should people and labor be able to do so as well, going where globalization takes the jobs?... Such a framing of the problem would lead to a solution involving the Secretary of State, conversations with Mexico and other Central American countries, and a close examination of the promises of [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA), [[Central American Free Trade Agreement]] (CAFTA), the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO), the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF) and the [[World Bank]] to raise standards of living around the globe.<ref>The Framing of Immigration [http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/immigration Last modified May 25, 2006]</ref>

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===Economic===

{{main|Economic impact of illegal immigrants in the United States}}

The impact of Illegal immigrants on some state and local governments can be a net loss, depending on the level of services provided by the state and local government, according to a December 2007 report by the nonpartisan [[Congressional Budget Office]].<ref>The Impact of Unauthorized Immigrants on the

Budgets of State and Local Governments [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/87xx/doc8711/12-6-Immigration.pdf December 2007]</ref> This same report highlighted the difficulties in summarizing the aggregate data since little if anything is known about the amount of state and local taxes that are currently paid versus the amount of services received by illegal immigrants. Also, federal government aid to state and local government does offset to some degree the amount of services provided, however, the level of federal support to state and local governments was not incorporated into many of the summaries on services provided for this particular CBO report.

Research by George Borjas, Jeffrey Grogger, and Gordon H. Hanson found that a 10-percent immigrant-induced increase in the supply of a particular skill group reduced the black wage by 4.0 percent, lowered the employment rate of black men by 3.5 percentage points, and increased the incarceration rate of blacks by almost a full percentage point. <ref>Immigration and African-American Employment Opportunities: The Response of Wages, Employment, and Incarceration to Labor Supply Shocks [http://www.nber.org/papers/w12518 September 2006]</ref>

Research by [http://www.borjas.com George Borjas], Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at [[Harvard University]], shows that the average American's wealth is increased by less than 1% by illegal immigration. The effect on wages for middle class individuals was an overall wealth increase. However, illegal immigrants had a long-term reduction of wages among American poor citizens during the 1980s and 1990s by 4.8%<ref>The Evolution of the Mexican-Born Workforce in the United States [http://ksghome.harvard.edu/%7EGBorjas/Papers/w11281.pdf April 2005]</ref>.

One of the most important factors regarding public opinion about immigration is the level of [[List of U.S. states by unemployment rate|unemployment]]; anti-immigrant sentiment is highest where unemployment is highest and vice-versa.<ref>Espenshade, Thomas J. and Belanger, Maryanne (1998) "Immigration and Public Opinion." In Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco, ed. ''Crossings: Mexican Immigration in Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Cambridge, Mass.: David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies and Harvard University Press, pages 365-403</ref>

[[Paul Samuelson]], [[Nobel prize]]-winning economist from MIT, concurs asserting that there is no unitary, singular effect, good or bad, that arises from illegal immigration, but instead a variety of effects on Americans depending on their economic class. Samuelson posits that wealthier Americans tend to benefit from the illegal influx, while [[Poverty in the United States|poorer Americans]] tend to suffer.<ref>{{Citation

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| url = }}</ref><ref>Rising black-Latino clash on jobs [http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0525/p01s03-ussc.html May 25, 2006]</ref>

Research by [http://www.borjas.com George Borjas], Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at [[Harvard University]], shows that the average American's wealth is increased by less than 1% by illegal immigration. The effect on wages for middle class individuals was an overall wealth increase. However, illegal immigrants had a long-term reduction of wages among American poor citizens during the 1980s and 1990s by 4.8%<ref>The Evolution of the Mexican-Born Workforce in the United States [http://ksghome.harvard.edu/%7EGBorjas/Papers/w11281.pdf April 2005]</ref>.

High school drop outs would expect to see an average of 25 dollar a week raise if illegal immigrants disappeared. On the other hand, they would also see an increase in the costs of some goods and services[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5312900].

Paul Rubin, Professor of Economics and Law at Emory University , has written for the ''[[Washington Post]]'', "Economists have... long argued that the economics of immigration—immigrants coming here to exchange their labor for money that they then exchange for the products of other people's labor—is positive sum. Yet our evolutionary intuition is that, because foreign workers gain from trade and immigrant workers gain from joining the U.S. economy, native-born workers must lose. This zero-sum thinking leads us to see trade and immigration as conflict ("trade wars," "immigrant invaders") when trade and immigration actually produce cooperation and mutual benefit, the exact opposite of conflict.<ref>Evolution, Immigration and Trade [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/07/AR2007050700755.html May 7, 2007]</ref>

Undocumented workers are estimated to pay in about $7 billion per year into Social Security.<ref>Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?ex=1270353600&en=78c87ac4641dc383&ei=5090 April 5, 2005]</ref>.

One of the most important factors regarding public opinion about immigration is the level of [[List of U.S. states by unemployment rate|unemployment]]; anti-immigrant sentiment is highest where unemployment is highest and vice-versa.<ref>Espenshade, Thomas J. and Belanger, Maryanne (1998) "Immigration and Public Opinion." In Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco, ed. ''Crossings: Mexican Immigration in Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Cambridge, Mass.: David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies and Harvard University Press, pages 365-403</ref>

Editorialist Robert Samuelson points out that poor immigrants strains public services such as local schools and health care. He points out that "from 2000 to 2006, 41 percent of the increase in people without health insurance occurred among Hispanics"<ref>Samuelson, Robert (2007) "Importing poverty" Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090401623.html September 5, 2007])</ref>, although he makes clear that these facts are true of legal as well as illegal immigrants. According to the [[Center for Immigration Studies]], 25.8% of Mexican immigrants lived in poverty — more than double the rate for natives in 1999.<ref>Center for Immigration Studies [http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/mexico/poverty.html Not Dated]</ref> In another report, [[The Heritage Foundation]] notes that from 1990 to 2006, the number of poor Hispanics increased 3.2 million, from 6 million to 9.2 million.<ref>Importing Poverty: Immigration and Poverty in the United States: A Book of Charts [http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/SR9.cfm October 25, 2006]</ref>

Most Americans would not see any wage increases if illegal immigrants disappeared. However, high school drop outs would expect to see an average of 25 dollar a week raise if illegal immigrants disappeared. On the other hand, they would also see an increase in the costs of some goods and services[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5312900].

Illegal immigrants are thought to have disproportionately affected certain groups of American citizens such as black and Hispanic poor.

Professor of Law [http://www.chapman.edu/law/faculty/lipman.asp Francine Lipman] writes that the belief that undocumented migrants are exploiting the US economy and that they cost more in services than they contribute to the economy is "undeniably false". Lipman asserts that "undocumented immigrants actually contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services" and "contribute to the U.S. economy through their investments and consumption of goods and services; filling of millions of essential worker positions resulting in subsidiary job creation, increased productivity and lower costs of goods and services; and unrequited contributions to Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance programs."<ref>J. Lipman, Francine, J. - ''Taxing Undocumented Immigrants: Separate, Unequal and Without Representation.'' [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=881584 Spring 2006] In Tax Lawyer, Spring 2006. Also published in Harvard Latino Law Review [http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/llr/vol9/lipman.pdf Spring 2006].</ref>

[[Ernesto Zedillo]], former President of Mexico and current Director of the [[Yale Center for the Study of Globalization]], asserts that illegal immigrants are only a drain on government services when they are incapable of paying taxes; and that this incapacity is the result of restrictive federal policies that require proof of citizenship. He further argues that the US economy has "crucial" need for migrant workers, and that the current debate must acknowledge this rather than just focus on enforcement.<ref>{{Citation

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| url = }}</ref>

In 2003, then-President of Mexico [[Vicente Fox]] stated that [[remittances]] of Mexican nationals in the United States, both legal and illegal, totaled $12 billion, and were the largest source of foreign income for Mexico. [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20030924-2051-us-mexico.html]. In 2005, the remittances from Mexican nationals worldwide was $18.1 billion[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20724214~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html]. Undocumented workers are estimated to pay in about $7 billion per year into Social Security.<ref>Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?ex=1270353600&en=78c87ac4641dc383&ei=5090 April 5, 2005]</ref>.

Professor of Law [http://www.chapman.edu/law/faculty/lipman.asp Francine Lipman] writes that the belief that undocumented migrants are exploiting the US economy and that they cost more in services than they contribute to the economy is "undeniably false". Lipman asserts that "undocumented immigrants actually contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services" and "contribute to the U.S. economy through their investments and consumption of goods and services; filling of millions of essential worker positions resulting in subsidiary job creation, increased productivity and lower costs of goods and services; and unrequited contributions to Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance programs."<ref>J. Lipman, Francine, J. - ''Taxing Undocumented Immigrants: Separate, Unequal and Without Representation.'' [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=881584 Spring 2006] In Tax Lawyer, Spring 2006. Also published in Harvard Latino Law Review [http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/llr/vol9/lipman.pdf Spring 2006].</ref>

[[Free market]] advocates claim that we are not in a free market due to government interference (e.g., [[taxes]], [[subsidies]], etc.), but that ''if we were'', restrictions on [[free migration]] would also limit the [[free market]].<ref>The War on Immigration Will Fail [http://www.mises.org/story/2135 May 10, 2006]</ref><ref>On Free Immigration and Forced Integration [http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/hermann-hoppe1.html Not Dated]</ref>

Paul Rubin, Professor of Economics and Law at Emory University , has written for the ''[[Washington Post]]'', "Economists have... long argued that the economics of immigration—immigrants coming here to exchange their labor for money that they then exchange for the products of other people's labor—is positive sum. Yet our evolutionary intuition is that, because foreign workers gain from trade and immigrant workers gain from joining the U.S. economy, native-born workers must lose. This zero-sum thinking leads us to see trade and immigration as conflict ("trade wars," "immigrant invaders") when trade and immigration actually produce cooperation and mutual benefit, the exact opposite of conflict.<ref>Evolution, Immigration and Trade [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/07/AR2007050700755.html May 7, 2007]</ref>

The [[Congressional Budget Office]] upon studying 29 reports which attempted to discover the impact of illegal immigrants on the budgets of state and local governments drew the following conclusions<ref>The Impact of Unauthorized Immigrants on the

Budgets of State and Local Governments [http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/87xx/doc8711/12-6-Immigration.pdf December 2007]</ref>

*State and local governments incur costs for providing services to unauthorized immigrants and have limited options for avoiding or minimizing those costs

*The amount that state and local governments spend on services for unauthorized immigrants represents a small percentage of the total spent by those governments to provide such services to residents in their jurisdictions

*The tax revenus that unauthorized immigrants generate for state and local governments do not offset the total cost of services provided to those immigrants.

*Federal aid programs offer resources to state and local governments that provide services to unauthorized immigrants, but those funds do not fully cover the costs incurred by those governments.

===Education===

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===Racial tension===

Research by George Borjas, Jeffrey Grogger, and Gordon H. Hanson found that a 10-percent immigrant-induced increase in the supply of a particular skill group reduced the black wage by 4.0 percent, lowered the employment rate of black men by 3.5 percentage points, and increased the incarceration rate of blacks by almost a full percentage point. <ref>Immigration and African-American Employment Opportunities: The Response of Wages, Employment, and Incarceration to Labor Supply Shocks [http://www.nber.org/papers/w12518 September 2006]</ref>

“We're being overrun,” says [[Ted Hayes]] of Choose Black America, which has led anti-illegal immigration marches in south-central Los Angeles, California. “The compañeros have taken all the housing. If you don't speak Spanish they turn you down for jobs. Our children are jumped upon in the schools. They are trying to drive us out.”<ref>Wikipedia [[Race relations]]</ref> He also touts illegal immigration as the biggest threat to blacks in America since slavery.<ref>Black activists join Minutemen Project against illegal immigration [http://www.topix.com/forum/afam/TTMKJRF5CBOI64OJ5 Sep 3, 2007]</ref> Hayesâ Crispus Attucks Brigade and the American Black Citizens Opposed to Illegal Immigration Invasion have organized protests against illegal immigration.<ref>Black activists join Minutemen Project against illegal immigration [http://www.topix.com/forum/afam/TTMKJRF5CBOI64OJ5 Sep 3, 2007]</ref>

===Crime===

Immigrants, both legal and illegal do not raise the rate of crime in the United States and native born Americans are five times more likely to be incarcerated than immigrants.<ref>Rumbaut G. Ruben and Ewing A. Walter, The Myth of Immigrant Criminality and the Paradox of Assimilation,[http://www.ailf.org/ipc/special_report/sr_022107.pdf]</ref>

A study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has discovered that while property-related crime rates have not been affected by increased immigration (both legal and illegal), in border counties there is a significant positive correlation between illegal immigration and violent crime.<ref>The impact of illegal immigration and enforcement on border crime rates, Federal reserve bank of Dallas. [http://dallasfedbackup.org/research/papers/2003/wp0303.pdf March 2003]</ref>

In 1999, law enforcement activities involving unauthorized immigrants in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas cost a combined total of more than $108 million. This cost did not include activities related to border enforcement. In San Diego County, the expense (over $50 million) was nine percent of the total county's budget for law enforcement that year.<ref>Tanis J. Salant and others, Illegal Immigrants in U.S./Mexico

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States/Mexico Border Counties Coalition, February 2001).</ref>

A confidential report by the California Department of Justice indicated that in 1995 60% of the 20,000 members of the 18th Street Gang in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] was composed of illegal immigrants. Also, about 60 percent of the membership of the Columbia Lil' Cycos gang was illegal, according to a 2002 statement by former U.S. attorney Luis Li.<ref>[[Heather Mac Donald]], "The Illgal-Alien Crime Wave," ''[[City Journal]],'' [http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_illegal_alien.html Winter 2004]</ref>

A study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has discovered that while property-related crime rates have not been affected by increased immigration (both legal and illegal), in border counties there is a significant positive correlation between illegal immigration and violent crime.<ref>The impact of illegal immigration and enforcement on border crime rates, Federal reserve bank of Dallas. [http://dallasfedbackup.org/research/papers/2003/wp0303.pdf March 2003]</ref>

However, crime rates from 1994 to 2005 have declined slightly, despite the fact that both legal and illegal immigration have increased.<ref>The Myth of Immigrant Criminality [http://borderbattles.ssrc.org/Rumbault_Ewing May 23, 2007]</ref> Robert Sampson, Professor in Social Sciences at [[Harvard University]], writes in [[Harvard Magazine]] in 2006 that being in the country illegally might give illegal aliens an "extra incentive to keep a clean record and not commit crimes, in order to avoid deportation".<ref> Immigrant Effects: Latinos Nix Violence]. In ''Harvard Magazine'' - pp. 15-16 [http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/faculty/sampson/2006_HarvardMagazine_LatinosNix.pdf (September-October, 2006)]</ref>

Persons apprehended while attempting to enter the United States illegally after committing previous crimes in the United States are indictable for the attempt to illegally re-enter the country.<ref>U.S. v. Resendiz-Ponce [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-998.pdf (2007)]</ref>

One large scale multi-million dollar criminal operation connected to illegal immigration is identity theft.<ref>Hidden Cost of Illegal Immigration: ID Theft [http://redtape.msnbc.com/2006/03/hidden_cost_of_.html March 31, 2006]</reF>

A confidential report by the California Department of Justice indicated that in 1995 60% of the 20,000 members of the 18th Street Gang in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] was composed of illegal immigrants. Also, about 60 percent of the membership of the Columbia Lil' Cycos gang was illegal, according to a 2002 statement by former U.S. attorney Luis Li.<ref>[[Heather Mac Donald]], "The Illgal-Alien Crime Wave," ''[[City Journal]],'' [http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_illegal_alien.html Winter 2004]</ref>

According to a 1997 report by the [[United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims|House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims]], "Through other violations of our immigration laws, Mexican drug cartels are able to extend their command and control into the United States. Drug smuggling fosters, subsidizes, and is dependent upon continued illegal immigration and alien smuggling."<ref>House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, Committee on the Judiciary, Border Security and Deterring Illegal Entry Into the United States [http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/judiciary/hju43664.000/hju43664_0.HTM April 23, 1997]</ref>

Line 149 ⟶ 174:

"The [[Salvadoran]] [[Gangs in the United States|gang]], known to law enforcement authorities as [[MS-13]] because many members identify themselves with tattoos of the number 13, is thought to have established a major smuggling center in Matamoros, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas, from where it has arranged to bring illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico into the United States." [[MS13]] publicly declared that it targets the [[Minuteman Civil Defense Corps|Minutemen]], civilians who take it upon themselves to control the border, to "teach them a lesson", possibly due to their smuggling of various Central/South Americans (mostly other gang members), drugs, and weapons across the border. A confidential California Department of Justice study reported in 1995 that 60 percent of the twenty thousand member [[18th Street Gang]] in [[California]] is illegal.<ref>Immigration and the Alien Gang Epidemic: Problems and Solutions [http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/mac_donald04-13-05.htm April 13, 2005]</ref>. "Mexican alien smugglers plan to pay violent gang members and smuggle them into the United States to murder Border Patrol agents, according to a confidential Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by the Daily Bulletin."<ref>Report: MS-13 gang hired to murder Border Patrol [http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3386933 January 9, 2006]</ref>

"A top [[al Qaeda]] lieutenant has met with leaders of a violent Salvadoran criminal [[gang]] with roots in Mexico and the United States — including a stronghold in the Washington area — in an effort by the terrorist network to seek help infiltrating the U.S.-Mexico border, law enforcement authorities said."{{Fact|date=January 2008}}

However, crime rates from 1994 to 2005 have declined slightly, despite the fact that both legal and illegal immigration have increased.<ref>The Myth of Immigrant Criminality [http://borderbattles.ssrc.org/Rumbault_Ewing May 23, 2007]</ref> Robert Sampson, Professor in Social Sciences at [[Harvard University]], writes in [[Harvard Magazine]] in 2006 that being in the country illegally might give illegal aliens an "extra incentive to keep a clean record and not commit crimes, in order to avoid deportation".<ref> Immigrant Effects: Latinos Nix Violence]. In ''Harvard Magazine'' - pp. 15-16 [http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/faculty/sampson/2006_HarvardMagazine_LatinosNix.pdf (September-October, 2006)]</ref>

===Terrorism===

[[Mohamed Atta al-Sayed]] and two of his co-conspirators had expired visas when they executed the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]]. All of the attackers had U.S. government issued documents and two of them were erroneously granted visa extensions after their deaths. The [[National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States]] found that the government inadequately tracked those with expired tourist or student visas.

[[Mark Krikorian]] of the [[Center for Immigration Studies]], a think-tank that promotes [[immigration reduction]], testified in a hearing before the House of Representatives that <blockquote>"out of the 48 [[al-Qaeda]] operatives who committed crimes here between 1993 and 2001, 12 of them were illegal aliens when they committed their crimes, seven of them were visa overstayers, including two of the conspirators in the [[World Trade Center bombing|first World Trade Center attack]], one of the figures from the New York subway bomb plot, and four of the 9/11 terrorists. In fact, even a couple other terrorists who were not illegal when they committed their crimes had been visa overstayers earlier and had either applied for asylum or finagled a fake marriage to launder their status."<ref>Visa Overstays: Can We Bar the Terrorist Door? 109th Congress [http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa27480.000/hfa27480_0.HTM May 11, 2006]</reF></blockquote>

Vice Chair [[Lee Hamilton]] and Commissioner [[Slade Gorton]] of the [[National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States]] has stated that of the [[Organizers of the September 11, 2001 attacks|nineteen hijackers]] of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], "Two hijackers could have been denied admission at the port on entry based on violations of immigration rules governing terms of admission. Three hijackers violated the immigration laws after entry, one by failing to enroll in school as declared, and two by overstays of their terms of admission."<reF>Prepared Statement of Vice Chair Lee Hamilton and Commissioner Slade Gorton National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary August 19, 2004 The 9/11 Commission Report. [http://www.9-11pdp.org/press/2004-08-19_testimony.pdf August 19, 2004]</reF> Six months after the attack, their flight schools received posthumous visa approval letters from the [[United States Immigration and Naturalization Service]] (INS) for two of the hijackers, which made it clear that actual approval of the visas took place before the September 11 attacks<reF>Six months after Sept. 11, hijackers' visa approval letters received [http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/03/12/inv.flight.school.visas March 13, 2002]</reF>.

[[Mohamed Atta al-Sayed]] and two of his co-conspirators had expired visas when they executed the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]]. All of the attackers had U.S. government issued documents and two of them were erroneously granted visa extensions after their deaths. The [[National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States]] found that the government inadequately tracked those with expired tourist or student visas.

===Health===

A California study, "California’s Undocumented Latino Immigrants: A Report on Access to Health Care Services", page 38,<reF>California’s Undocumented Latino Immigrants:

A Report on Access to Health Care Services [http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/health/data/copc/HispanicLatinos/Undocumented%20Latinos%20Acess%20to%20Health.pdf May 1999]</reF> found about 90% of illegal immigrants in California do not have medical insurance.

Almost $190 million or about 25 percent of the uncompensated costs southwest border county hospitals incurred resulted from emergency medical treatment provided to undocumented immigrants<ref>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, The USMBCC hired MGT of America, Inc. (MGT) in the fall of 2001 to conduct the analysis. [http://www.bordercounties.org/vertical/Sites/%7BB4A0F1FF-7823-4C95-8D7A-F5E400063C73%7D/uploads/%7B19324764-F50C-4C2D-ABDC-73317A65FC41%7D.DOC Fall 2001]</ref> In 2006, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority estimated that it would spend about $9.7 million on emergency Medicaid services for unauthorized immigrants and that 80 percent of those costs would be for services associated with childbirth.<ref>statement of Nico Gomez, spokesman for Oklahoma Health Care Authority, before the Oklahoma Senate Task Force on Immigration, September 18, 2006. The Medicaid program is funded jointly by the states and the federal government. This report did not include the federal portion of funding for the program.</ref> However, based on the analysis of a phone survey, Alexander Ortega, reports that illegal immigrants are no more likely to visit the emergency room than native born Americans <ref> Illegal Immigrants not US Health Care Burden [http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN26407393]</ref>.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) continues to bring injured and ill undocumented immigrants to hospital emergency rooms without taking financial responsibility for their medical care.<ref>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, The USMBCC hired MGT of America, Inc. (MGT) in the fall of 2001 to conduct the analysis. [http://www.bordercounties.org/vertical/Sites/%7BB4A0F1FF-7823-4C95-8D7A-F5E400063C73%7D/uploads/%7B19324764-F50C-4C2D-ABDC-73317A65FC41%7D.DOC Fall 2001]</ref>

In 2006,

Dr. [[Madeleine Cosman]] writes in the [[Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons]] that the burden of illegal immigrants on the health care system in the US has forced many hospitals to close due to unpaid bills and the unfunded mandate of [[Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act]] (EMTALA). Between 1993 and 2003, 60 hospitals in California alone were forced to close, and many others had to reduce staff or implement other procedures which reduced the level of service they could provide. The article attributes these closings mainly to illegal immigration. [http://www.jpands.org/vol10no1/cosman.pdf]

the Oklahoma Health Care Authority estimated that it

would spend about $9.7 million on emergency Medicaid

services for unauthorized immigrants and that

80 percent of those costs would be for services associated with childbirth.<ref>statement of Nico Gomez, spokesman for Oklahoma Health

Care Authority, before the Oklahoma Senate Task Force on Immigration,

September 18, 2006. The Medicaid program is funded

jointly by the states and the federal government. This report did

not include the federal portion of funding for the program.</ref>

[[Madeleine Cosman]] writes in the [[Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons]] that the burden of illegal immigrants on the health care system in the US has forced many hospitals to close due to unpaid bills and the unfunded mandate of [[Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act]] (EMTALA). Between 1993 and 2003, 60 hospitals in California alone were forced to close, and many others had to reduce staff or implement other procedures which reduced the level of service they could provide. The article attributes these closings mainly to illegal immigration. [http://www.jpands.org/vol10no1/cosman.pdf]

To reduce the risk of [[infectious diseases#Mortality from infectious diseases|diseases]] in low-incidence areas, the main countermeasure has been the screening of immigrants on arrival. Prior to being awarded a green card, legal immigrants over the age of 15 must have a chest x-ray or skin test to check for [[tuberculosis]].<ref>The Patient Predator, Investigative Fund of Mother Jones [http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2003/03/ma_311_01.html March/April 2003 Issue]</ref><ref>I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status, Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services [http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-693.pdf OMB No. 1615-0033; Expires 08/31/09]</ref> Illegal immigrants are not screened in this manner. However, according to the [[Center for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)], tuberculosis (TB) cases among foreign-born individuals remain disproportionately high, at nearly nine times the rate of U.S.-born persons. Immigration from areas of high incidence is thought to have fueled the resurgence of [[tuberculosis]] (TB), [[chagas]], [[hepatitis]], and [[leprosy]] in areas of low incidence. In 2003, nearly 26 percent of foreign-born TB patients in the United States were from [[Mexico]]. Another third of the foreign-born cases were among those from the [[Philippines]], [[Vietnam]], [[India]] and [[China]], the CDC report said.<ref>Is CDC covering up skyrocketing TB rate? [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43384 March 19, 2005]</ref><ref>CDC - Persistent High Incidence of Tuberculosis in Immigrants in a Low-Incidence Country [http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol8no7/01-0482.htm May 13, 2002]</ref><ref>Leprosy, Hepatitis and Tuberculosis Rising Fast in United States [http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frosty9.htm December 2, 2004]</ref>

To reduce the risk of [[infectious diseases#Mortality from infectious diseases|diseases]] in low-incidence areas, the main countermeasure has been the screening of immigrants on arrival. Prior to being awarded a green card, legal immigrants over the age of 15 must have a chest x-ray or skin test to check for [[tuberculosis]].<ref>The Patient Predator, Investigative Fund of Mother Jones [http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2003/03/ma_311_01.html March/April 2003 Issue]</ref><ref>I-693, Medical Examination of

Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status, Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services [http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-693.pdf OMB No. 1615-0033; Expires 08/31/09]</ref> Illegal immigrants are not screened in this manner.

However, according to the [[Center for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)], tuberculosis (TB) cases among foreign-born individuals remain disproportionately high, at nearly nine times the rate of U.S.-born persons. Immigration from areas of high incidence is thought to have fueled the resurgence of [[tuberculosis]] (TB), [[chagas]], [[hepatitis]], and [[leprosy]] in areas of low incidence. In 2003, nearly 26 percent of foreign-born TB patients in the United States were from [[Mexico]]. Another third of the foreign-born cases were among those from the [[Philippines]], [[Vietnam]], [[India]] and [[China]], the CDC report said.<ref>Is CDC covering up skyrocketing TB rate? [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43384 March 19, 2005]</ref><ref>CDC - Persistent High Incidence of Tuberculosis in Immigrants in a Low-Incidence Country [http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol8no7/01-0482.htm May 13, 2002]</ref><ref>Leprosy, Hepatitis and Tuberculosis Rising Fast in United States [http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frosty9.htm December 2, 2004]</ref>

According to Dr. Lee Reichman, "Unless Americans are willing to adopt suffocatingly draconian immigration policies, the likelihood is that with globalization TB will again become epidemic here, in the same way that HIV moved from Africa to take root throughout the world. Suffering does not localize. When we engage with the world, we engage, inescapably and absolutely, with the world's infections. And the most devastating infection in the world is not Ebola or Lyme disease, West Nile virus or even HIV, but tuberculosis."<ref>The Patient Predator, Investigative Fund of Mother Jones [http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2003/03/ma_311_01.html March/April 2003 Issue]</ref>

=== Environmental ===

Illegal immigrants trying to get to the United States via the Mexican border with southern Arizona are suspected of having caused eight major [[wildfires]] this year, this report says. The fires destroyed {{convert|68413|acre|sqkm}} and cost taxpayers $5.1 million to fight.<ref>Illegal Immigrants Tied to Costly Wildfires

Associated Press, Dateline Tucson, Arizona, September 9, 2002 [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html 19 Jul 2004]

</ref>

Waves of illegal immigrants are taking a heavy toll on U.S. public lands along the Mexican border, federal officials say.<ref>Immigration Taking Toll on Parks, Refuges Near U.S.-Mexico Border

Each year, an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 illegal immigrants try to make the 15 to {{convert|30|mi|km|sing=on}} hike through the wilderness to reach cities in the United States. "That works out to a city the size of Baton Rouge, La., living in the park without a sewage system, without garbage collection, without a grid of dedicated roads or sidewalks. They move where they want in four-wheel-drive cars, ATVs, motorcycles, bicycles and their own feet."<ref>Violent Drama Plays Out Amid Natural Splendor

By April Reese, Land Letter, [[Environment and Energy Publishing]], LLC, Public Lands, Vol. 10, No. 9, February 13, 2003</ref> Mike Coffeen, a biologist with the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|Fish and Wildlife Service]] in [[Tucson]], [[Arizona]], is quoted as saying, while surveying the area by airplane: "the level of impact is just shocking."<ref>Immigration Taking Toll on Parks, Refuges Near U.S.-Mexico Border By April Reese, Land Letter, [[Environment and Energy Publishing]], LLC, Public Lands, Vol. 10, No. 9, February 13, 2003</ref> "[[Natural environment|Environmental]] degradation has become among the migration trend's most visible consequences, a few years ago, there were 45 abandoned cars on the Buenos Aires refuge near Sasabe, and enough trash that a volunteer couple filled 723 large bags with 18,000 pounds of garbage over two months in 2002." <ref>Dumping of Trash, Waste, Endemic in State with Flood of Illegal Immigration Arthur H. Rotstein, Associated Press Newswires, Dateline Coronado National Memorial, Arizona [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html July 12, 2004]</ref>

By Bob Marshall, Newhouse News Service, Dateline Why, Arizona [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html March 15, 2004]</ref>

"It has been estimated that the average desert-walking immigrant leaves behind 8 pounds of trash during a journey that lasts one to three days if no major glitches occur, Assuming half a million people cross the border illegally into Arizona annually, that translates to 2,000 tons of trash that migrants dump each year." <ref>Illegal Entrants' Residue; Trash Woes Piling Up

Line 183 ⟶ 222:

By Bob Marshall, Newhouse News Service, Dateline Why, Arizona [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html March 15, 2004]</ref>

Each year, an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 illegal immigrants try to make the 15 to {{convert|30|mi|km|sing=on}} hike through the wilderness to reach cities in the United States. "That works out to a city the size of Baton Rouge, La., living in the park without a sewage system, without garbage collection, without a grid of dedicated roads or sidewalks. They move where they want in four-wheel-drive cars, ATVs, motorcycles, bicycles and their own feet."<ref>Violent Drama Plays Out Amid Natural Splendor

Waves of illegal immigrants are taking a heavy toll on U.S. public lands along the Mexican border, federal officials say.<ref>Immigration Taking Toll on Parks, Refuges Near U.S.-Mexico Border

By Bob Marshall, Newhouse News Service, Dateline Why, Arizona [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html March 15, 2004]</ref>

By April Reese, Land Letter, [[Environment and Energy Publishing]], LLC, Public Lands, Vol. 10, No. 9, February 13, 2003</ref> Mike Coffeen, a biologist with the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|Fish and Wildlife Service]] in [[Tucson]], [[Arizona]], is quoted as saying, while surveying the area by airplane: "the level of impact is just shocking."<ref>Immigration Taking Toll on Parks, Refuges Near U.S.-Mexico Border By April Reese, Land Letter, [[Environment and Energy Publishing]], LLC, Public Lands, Vol. 10, No. 9, February 13, 2003</ref> "[[Natural environment|Environmental]] degradation has become among the migration trend's most visible consequences, a few years ago, there were 45 abandoned cars on the Buenos Aires refuge near Sasabe, and enough trash that a volunteer couple filled 723 large bags with 18,000 pounds of garbage over two months in 2002." <ref>Dumping of Trash, Waste, Endemic in State with Flood of Illegal Immigration Arthur H. Rotstein, Associated Press Newswires, Dateline Coronado National Memorial, Arizona [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html July 12, 2004]</ref>

Illegal immigrants trying to get to the United States via the Mexican border with southern Arizona are suspected of having caused eight major [[wildfires]] in 2004. The fires destroyed {{convert|68413|acre|sqkm}} and cost taxpayers $5.1 million to fight.<ref>Illegal Immigrants Tied to Costly Wildfires

Associated Press, Dateline Tucson, Arizona, September 9, 2002 [http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/east_asia_pacific/chinese_human_smuggling/smuggling_in_the_press/environment.html 19 Jul 2004]

</ref>

===Apprehension & Deportation Expenses===

Line 221 ⟶ 256:

[[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU) called on the President not to deploy military troops to deter aliens, and stated that a "deployment of National Guard troops violates the spirit of the Posse Comitatus Act"<ref>ACLU Calls on President Not to Deploy Military Troops to Deter Immigrants at the Mexican Border [http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/25575prs20060515.html May 5, 2006]</reF>. According to the [[State of the Union Address]] in January 2007<ref>President Bush's Plan For Comprehensive Immigration Reform [http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/immigration.html 2007 State of the Union]</ref>, more than 6000 National Guard members have been sent to the [[US-Mexico border]] to supplement the Border Patrol<reF>Comprehensive Immigration Reform [http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration Not Dated]</ref>, costing in excess of $750 million<ref>National Guard works the border [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/23/MNG9NLUADE1.DTL October 23, 2006]</reF>.

The [[Cato Institute]] is among the critics who argue that increasing border security is counterproductive. The institute argues that increasing border security reduces the proportion of illegal immigrants caught at the border and increases the length of time illegal immigrants remain in the country. Cato claims that the only significant change on illegal immigrants has been in length of stay due to the cost of returning. The probability of returning within twelve months has gone from around 45% in 1980 to between 25 and 30% from 1998-2002. Also, the average trip duration has gone from 1.7 years to 3.5 years. According to the Cato Institute, the only important change in security has been one of cost. The Border Patrol's budget has gone from $151 million in 1986 to $1.6 billion in 2002. This has caused the cost of apprehending an illegal immigrant to go from around $100 per arrest before 1986 to around $1700 in 2002.

The tightening of border enforcement has disrupted the traditional circular movement of many migrant workers from Mexico by increasing the costs and risks of crossing the border, thereby reducing their rate of return migration to Mexico. The difficulty and expense of the journey has prompted many migrant workers to stay in the United States longer or indefinitely.<ref>The percentage of illegal immigrants who used to routinely return home and no longer do is unknown [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/us/21irmaside.html?ex=1167454800&en=856f26c1ecafe3d7&ei=5070 December 21, 2006]</ref>

==Public Reaction==

Line 321 ⟶ 355:

*[http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/18.pdf Pew Hispanic Center: ''The State of American Public Opinion on Immigration in Spring 2006: A Review of Major Surveys'']

*[http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/582975/illegal_immigration_and_how_americans.html A College Students Research Paper in the Publics Opinion on Illegal Immigration in to the United States in Spring 2006]

{{IIUS}}