Immigration is the Sincerest Form of Flattery Illegal Immigration

Essay by Disclaimer00University, Bachelor'sA+, November 2009

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One of the most significant issues facing the United States as a whole is that of the question of immigration policy. Some projections place the number of illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States at nearly 20 million. This number represents a significant portion of the American population. The debate over how to best approach immigration policy is one of heated passion for most people. However, like with many controversial topics, it is easy for people to form biased opinions and become blind to contrasting views on the issue. While there is no doubt that illegal immigrants should be recognized as just that, here illegally, it is also important not to completely dismiss them for that reason alone. A closer look at the facts show that illegal immigration contributes to keeping the U.S. economy productive and prosperous by supporting local governments and filling an unskilled labor gap in the U.S.

economy.

One of the most misguided arguments against illegal immigration comes primarily from a focused group in the isolated and limited occurrences of cities with a disproportionate ratio of illegal to legal citizens. Primarily based around select U.S.-Mexico border towns, these local officials are quick to dismiss illegal immigration as a severe detriment to the country. As a result of the local government usually being the first to provide support to its residents in the form of social services such as healthcare and education, many local government officials have expressed concerns that illegal immigrants put a disproportionate drain on their budgets. However, facts and statistics show that, for a vast majority of local municipalities, illegal immigrants play a positive and supportive role for local economies. The viewpoint that is often overlooked is that while these social services are important to the many legal citizens that reside in an area,