Economic benefits of illegal immigrants[edit]
Consumer demand[edit]
Economic activity produced by illegal immigrant spending employs about 5% of the total US workforce. Illegal immigrants occupy over 3 million dwellings, or just under 4% of the total number of homes in the US. UCLA research indicates immigrants produce $150 billion of economic activity equivalent to spending stimulus every year. The advantages of illegal migration tend mostly to be on the side of the employer. An employer will benefit from the illegal status of a migrant who is desperate for work and therefore prepared to accept poor pay, usually below local norms. Hiring an illegal worker also brings the employer the advantage of paying less in the way of welfare contributions and other non-wage costs.
[22]
Nearly every dollar earned by illegal immigrants is spent immediately, and the average wage for US citizens is $10.25/hour with an average of 34 hours per week. This means that approximately 8 million US jobs are dependent upon economic activity produced by illegal immigrant activities within the US.
[23][24][25]
Economic growth[edit]
Most arguments against illegal immigration begin with the premise that the illegal don't pay income taxes, and that they therefore take more in services than they contribute. However, IRS estimates that about 6 million unauthorized immigrants file individual income tax returns each year.
[21] Research reviewed by the nonpartisan
Congressional Budget Office indicates that between 30 percent and 50 percent of unauthorized immigrants pay federal, state, and local taxes.
[21] Illegal immigrants are estimated to pay in about $7 billion per year into Social Security.
[26] In addition, they spend millions of dollars per year, which supports the US economy and helps to create new jobs. The Texas State Comptroller reported in 2006 that the 1.4 million illegal immigrants in Texas alone added almost $18 billion to the state's budget, and paid $1.2 billion in state services they used.
[27]
The Social Security and Medicare contributions of illegal immigrants directly support older Americans, as illegal immigrants are not eligible to receive these services.
[28] The
Internal Revenue Service issues an
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) regardless of immigration status because both
resident and
nonresident aliens may have Federal
tax return and payment responsibilities under the
Internal Revenue Code. Federal tax law prohibits the IRS from sharing data with other government agencies including the
INS. In 2006 1.4 million people used ITIN when filing taxes, of which more than half were illegal immigrants.
[29]
