In the US, they argue what to do with those who work illegally in the country: expel or legalize.
DHS experts note that in recent years, unlike the end of the last century, illegal immigrants preferred to settle in southeastern states, away from the border with Mexico, through which their main flow comes and where a real hunt for them has unfolded. Simultaneously with the publication of the results of the study conducted by law enforcement, the US Congressional Budget Committee analyzed data on the impact of illegal immigrants on the country's economy over 15 years, paying special attention to the recent crisis years.
If, for example, in Georgia, which replaced previously favorite Texas for illegal immigrants, no more than 35,000 illegal immigrants were identified by 2000, then nine years later their number rose to 480,000. However, this very state has been experiencing a boom in housing and road construction for the second year, which helped it overcome the recession earlier than others.
True, there is also a reverse cause-and-effect relationship. "The routes chosen by illegal immigrants in search of permanent housing, and they often have to travel thousands of miles from the border with Mexico to the East Coast, are a kind of reflection of the state of the economy in different parts of the country," demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution shared his observations. "They live where they can find work. This mainly concerns the construction business and the service sector. At the same time, if demand for labor grows in these sectors, it primarily indicates the beginning of certain states emerging from the crisis."
In addition to Georgia, illegal immigrants have been strongly attracted to North Carolina in recent years. There too, a post-crisis construction boom is now observed, while local agriculture is also experiencing a rise. As economics professor Andrew Sum of Boston University noted, without illegal immigrants this state would acutely feel a labor shortage, as was already the case in the 1990s. But according to the US DHS, over the past nine years the number of illegal immigrants in North Carolina has doubled, reaching 370,000 people, and this, apparently, saved it from the problem of a labor shortage.
It should be noted that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) back in 1996, under former Democratic President Bill Clinton, eased the plight of illegal immigrants by granting them the right to pay federal and local taxes under chosen individual tax identification numbers. Since then, at least 6 million illegal immigrants have become fairly conscientious taxpayers. On average, their annual contribution to the state treasury equals $7 billion.
Opponents of illegal immigration argue that people without official documents to live in the country cost it very dearly. In their opinion, the reason for this is providing illegal immigrants with free services in hospitals, and their children also with free education in federal schools. However, analysts from the congressional budget committee think otherwise.
As professor Frances Lipman of Chapman University (California), who collaborates with experts from the highest legislative body of the US, said, "in reality, the amount of taxes paid by illegal immigrants, although not by much, exceeds the cost of the free services provided to them." In her opinion, "we must not forget that illegal immigration contributes to the growth of production of inexpensive public goods, as well as the annual replenishment of the number of seasonal workers in many agricultural sectors."
Boris VINOKUR.
Novye Izvestiya