Is illegal immigration a major problem in the USA?

[retrospooty]

To go along with a suggestion in another thread - Posing a poll on what we think here at Anandtech. http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2444163

We have so many issues in this country. Real, important issues that will affect all of our lives and the lives of our descendants for generations to come. We have a national debt that is spiraling out of control and are still spending borrowed money like it grows on trees. The economy (nuf said). Manufacturing jobs have been leaving for decades, our education system is absolutely atrocious and falling further behind each year as we pay teachers with 4 year degrees like fast food workers. Congress is simply broken, Washington in general is simply broken. The government is spying on us in unprecedented ways and what is worse, they seem to think it's OK because "hey, terrorism exists". Cops kill FAR more Americans every year than terrorists do, why aren’t we spying on them? We have a higher percentage of our population incarcerated than any other country. We are involved in 2 wars in the middle east that wont end. We are dealing with a potential nuclear Iran, pollution, climate change, the rising price of energy, corporations buying off politicians, the list goes on and on... I think we can all agree it's a problem, but considering all of our problems, how does it rate?

 

[Sinsear]

Near the top

 

[maddogchen]

In some states more than others. But for me I see the H1B visa as more of an issue. I've seen my former companies lay off American workers and then bring in Indians on these visas which really annoys me

 

[PokerGuy]

Certainly at or near the top.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Top 20 is casting a pretty wide net. I think illegal immigration is not as big a problem as its made out to be, but I think I'd be hard-pressed to name 20 problems that are more important, if only because it does affect such a huge number of people.

 

[retrospooty]

Top 20 is casting a pretty wide net. I think illegal immigration is not as big a problem as its made out to be, but I think I'd be hard-pressed to name 20 problems that are more important, if only because it does affect such a huge number of people.

Yeah, if I could edit it now or do it again, I would have gone "Top issue", "2-5", "6-10", "10-20" and "non issue" but... Hindsight.

 

[werepossum]

In some states more than others. But for me I see the H1B visa as more of an issue. I've seen my former companies lay off American workers and then bring in Indians on these visas which really annoys me

Now imagine the same thing - except you have little education and no uncommon job skills.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Simple analogy.

If you don't want cats at your doorstep, stop putting food out.

 

[Humpy]

It's currently not much of a problem. The net economic effect is near zero, they are a small percentage of total population, etc.

Based on the fact that little to nothing is being done about it also shows it isn't really a problem. The country is so well off that all that's left is to bicker about stuff that doesn't matter. Illegal immigration is one of those things. When real issues arise there is little debate, we are pretty quick to come to a consensus that something should be done (i.e. WWII).

 

[maddogchen]

Now imagine the same thing - except you have little education and no uncommon job skills.

stop imagining things.

 

[retrospooty]

It's currently not much of a problem. The net economic effect is near zero, they are a small percentage of total population, etc.

See, that is what I thought too. Apparently thinking that pisses alot of people off. LOL

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Simple analogy.

If you don't want cats at your doorstep, stop putting food out.

If that's the case, then lets punish the hell out of companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers.

 

[BurnItDwn]

H1b visa abuse is a bigger problem than people who are sneaking across the border.
Identity theft is a bigger problem than people who sneak across the border.
People who sneak across the border to work as migrant farmers or for low wage labor are not a significant factor in the decline of our economy.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Let's start with not hiring illegal immigrants and then take it from there.

 

[bradley]

Close our porous fucking border and stop spying on me and impeding my freedoms. legal immigration>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>illegal immigration, stop pretending otherwise.

 

[NoStateofMind]

If that's the case, then lets punish the hell out of companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers.

Is there something wrong with wanting a better life?

(I should qualify my statement above that you replied to. It has to do with the social welfare programs. Until those who cant stand 'illegals' address that source issue it will continue.)

 

[Cozarkian]

It's an inane problem.

Imagine you have two kids an implement a rule that homework must be done before they can watch tv or they will lose all tv privileges for a month. Then you allow one child to put a tv in their bedroom and ignore the fact that you can hear the tv is on as soon as they get home from school.

That is how out immigration laws are working. We impose rules that are only actually enforced against individuals who can't easily circumvent them and we further fail to punish individuals when they are caught circumventing the rules.

 

[Indus]

I would put it at #8 so not the top issue.

Problems by my priority list:

1. Money in politics screwing up the agenda (overturn Citizens United)

2. Jobs being lost to overseas markets (free trade is bad for us, go back to protectionism). Put a 10000% tax on all imports so that inspires us to build manufacturing again.

3. Reform Wall Streets and Banks

4. Reform the income tax code as following amounts are taxed progressively based on the poverty limit (currently it's $11,770 for 1 person):

under 2.5 times the poverty limit ($29,425 or less) 0%
2.5 - 5 times the poverty limit ($58,850 or less) 5%
5 - 10 times the poverty limit ($117,700 or less) 10%
10-20 times the poverty limit ($235,400 or less) 20%
20-50 times the poverty limit ($588,500 or less) 30%
51 times over the poverty limit ($588,500 or more) 50%

5. Make a constitutional amendment to stop foreign aid unless 1 million times that is spent in domestic aid (medicare/ education covering a college degree with an actual job skill - computer science/ engineering/ nursing/ dentistry not arts).

6. Cops are out of control. Either make them all wear video cameras to justify shootings or tell them they cannot shoot until shot at.

7. Our infrastructure is too old, invest again like Eisenhower so it lasts another 50 years. This includes sea walls for Atlantic Hurricanes and Rising seas. It also needs renewable energy so build more wind mills on every beach and give every house solar panels to help lower our energy drain.

8. Stop legal visa abuse (green card marriage fraud)

9. Stop illegal immigration

10. Isis/ Iran/ North Korea

 

[stormkroe]

If that's the case, then lets punish the hell out of companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers.

This. Why do we just let this slide?

 

[feralkid]

It's an inane problem.

Imagine you have two kids an implement a rule that homework must be done before they can watch tv or they will lose all tv privileges for a month. Then you allow one child to put a tv in their bedroom and ignore the fact that you can hear the tv is on as soon as they get home from school.

That is how out immigration laws are working. We impose rules that are only actually enforced against individuals who can't easily circumvent them and we further fail to punish individuals when they are caught circumventing the rules.

Do you mean like how we punish the illegal workers, but not the employers who illegally hire them?

 

[Cozarkian]

Do you mean like how we punish the illegal workers, but not the employers who illegally hire them?

No, I mean how we don't punish either.

 

[shira]

Why, now, with the number of illegal immigrants entering the country at a 40-year low, do so many people think illegal immigration is a major problem?

American companies have been off-shoring jobs for years. Manufacturing jobs have been shifting to low-wage countries for years. So ask yourself: Who could possibly benefit by fooling Americans into believing that it's the big, bad illegal immigrants who are to blame for the losses of unskilled jobs in America?

The right-wing grass roots are a bunch of gullible hacks

 

[Zorkorist]

Because illegal aliens come into the country and get on the Government dole.

They vote democrat, so politicians give them even more money.

They are destroying America, and the American Dream.

-John

 

[feralkid]

Because illegal aliens come into the country and get on the Government dole.

They vote democrat, so politicians give them even more money.

They are destroying America, and the American Dream.

-John

You should put down the kool-aid and learn the facts.

 

[Zorkorist]

You gonna learn me, Feralkid?

-John