People always try to find a better place to live. In ancient times, our ancestors travelled all over the world searching for fertile ground, clean water, comfortable climate – the ideal area to settle down. Later, when anthropologists investigated this phenomenon, it was called “migration”. Nowadays, the essence of migration has not changed – people still are searching an ideal place to live, the point is that the reasons have changed a lot. Wars, social disparity, discrimination, poverty – these are only a few motives why people leave their native land. Very often people think only about immigrants while thinking of immigration. However, did anyone contemplate concerning how illegal immigrants and their social services influence the U.S. economy and lives of the population entirely?
It is considered that the overall costs imposed to the U.S. economy overweighted the total benefits of the illegal immigrants’ labor. Government as a whole incurs costs while providing different social services to the illegal immigrants and has no ways to minimize or avoid those costs. Numerous aid funds, which provide financial assistance to the State on social services for illegal immigrants, do not cover all the costs of, and, therefore, the state is suffering costs. On the other hand, illegal immigrants compile almost 5% of the total U.S. workspace. However, the advantage of the illegal workers’ labor tends to be on the side of employers. First of all, the illegal immigrant will work in spite of the low salary because he or she practically does not have another alternative. He or she is prepared to get low payment in contrast to usual local norms. Second, the employer has to pay fewer taxes and other welfare contributions concerning the hiring of labor. Very few people think of the fact that low cost illegal immigrants’ labor affects the average wage of the U.S. residents. The lower wage they have got, the more demand has their labor. As a result, the native people in the U.S. must submit themselves underpaid. “Moreover, the issue of minimum wage in the United States has caused people to give out illegal jobs to the immigrants hence; their rising number. It should also be noted that the increasing of the number of illegal immigrant multiplies the number of used services. This means that illegal immigrants, as well as the native people, need to eat some food, buy clothes, and visit some entertainments (especially children). This runs a chain and the more services are needed, the more labor is necessary to the State.
We cannot ignore the fact that illegal immigrants can get medical help only in extra emergency situation. “Illegal immigrants can get emergency care through Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor and people with disabilities. However, they cannot get non-emergency care unless they pay. They are ineligible for most other public benefits”. This was reported by USA Today. Children, families with dependent children, pregnant women, elderly or disabled individuals are in the category of people, which can receive Medicaid coverage. At the same time it is known that the Medicaid emergency help takes only 1 % of the total cost, generally it was concerning childbirth. It is clear that illegal immigrants take not much of the total payments for the medical help. The government spends much more on the medical aid for native people. Numerous studies showed that immigrants tend to visit physicians less frequently than native U.S. citizens. The reason is that they are younger, and people are less likely to migrate if they have some chronic health problems.
One of the most striking features concerning the problem of illegal immigrants is education of their children. Estimates show that for about 4% of adolescents who attend school are children of illegal immigrants. A lot of these children need to improve their language skills and write reaction papers. This is the fact, which increases the budget costs for education. The developing countries have not enough opportunities for children to study. Immigrants have to send their older children to study in school if they want better future for their kids. Such children have quite serious learning difficulties, so they and their teachers have to exert great efforts. Doubtless, the Government has to pay for these studies.
In conclusion, it should be noted that illegal immigrants are an important link of the U.S. economy for the last half a century that helps the State to grow and develop. Therefore, the Government in its turn should provide social services for this unsecured branch of population. This points out that they are adding to the development and growth of the U.S. economy since their arrival, even though they are working without any legal documents. In addition, they are paying taxes to the Government of the United States directly or indirectly through their purchases or when receiving specific services. Illegal immigrants should be given an access to the social services because the system has certain laws and policies, which take the taxes back after assigning social services. In addition, illegal immigrants aim at being nationalities of the U.S. Therefore, by receiving the services they will be motivated to work for the country. Through a critical aspect of discussion, there is no clear and unambiguous solution of the illegal immigrants’ problem.
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