UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS CARLOS ADOLFO GONZALEZ

Transcription

1 UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS CARLOS ADOLFO GONZALEZ STAT E W I D E C A PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G C O O R D I N ATO R P E N N SY LVA N I A I M M I G R AT I O N & C I T I Z E N S H I P C OA L I T I O N

2 MYTH VS. REALITY MYTH Most illegal aliens are new arrivals who commit crimes, steal our jobs, and abuse our welfare systems REALITY Most undocumented immigrants pay taxes, follow the law, and have deep rooted ties to America

3 SIZE OF THE UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITY The Migration Policy Institute estimates there are 11 m undocumented immigrants residing in the United States 79% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 13% from Asia, and 3% from Africa

4 UNDOCUMENTED PENNSYLVANIANS There are 137,000 undocumented immigrants residing in Pennsylvanian PA undocumented community is more diverse than overall population with 55% coming from Latin America and the Caribbean, 28% from Asia, and 9% from Africa

5 STRONG AMERICAN TIES The majority are not recent arrivals 58% have been in the U.S. for > 10 years 18% have been in the U.S. for < 5 years Family ties 3.4 m (33%) reside with at least one citizen child 4.1 m citizen children live with at least one undocumented parent Home ownership 31% own a home

6 HOW DO THEY GET HERE? 58% came without inspection, which usually means they crossed the border 42% came with inspection, meaning that they overstayed their visas Visa overstays have exceeded those entering illegally every year since 2007 This fact raises questions about the effectiveness of President Trump s plan to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border Why not enter legally? Unless you have a family member in the US, it is virtually impossible to immigrate legally Most people do not have a line to join

7 MY ANCESTORS CAME HERE LEGALLY Ignores the fact that the system has changed drastically and most people do not have a path to come legally Until early 1900s, there were simply no federal immigration laws to break The Emergency Quota Law of 1921 and Immigration Act of 1924 created a quota system based on race and nationality People kept coming, in spite of the new regulations In 1925, there were 1.4 million unauthorized immigrants Current system would have excluded most Americans and their ancestors

8 UNDOCUMENTED TAXPAYERS According to the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy, Collectively pay $11.74 billion a year in state and local taxes, Including $134.8 million in Pennsylvania Undocumented immigrants nationwide pay 8% of their incomes in state and local taxes In contrast, the top 1% of taxpayers pay 5.4%

9 WELFARE & PUBLIC BENEFITS Low income non-citizens use public benefits at lower rates than citizens Undocumented immigrants are INELIGIBLE for: Most federally-funded assistance programs, such as TANF, SNAP, and SSI Most federal health programs, such as non-emergency Medicaid, the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Medicare program Insurance subsidies under the ACA SS benefits, even though many contribute to the system There are some federal programs that serve those in need, regardless of status: WIC, Head Start, and Emergency Medicaid Many undocumented immigrants have dependent children or a spouse who are citizens who may qualify for assistance

10 IMMIGRANTS & CRIME Much lower crime rates than citizens Immigrants also have lower incarceration rates 1.53% for native-born, 0.85% for undocumented immigrants, and 0.47% for legal immigrants. Cities and neighborhoods with greater concentration of immigrants have lower rates of crime and violence The most common explanation is that immigration reduces levels of crime by revitalizing urban neighborhoods and generating economic growth

11 SANCTUARY POLICIES & CRIME One state, 39 cities, and 364 counties have policies that limit cooperation with ICE Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding to sanctuaries because they protect criminal aliens Sanctuary counties have lower crime rates and stronger economies than nonsanctuary countries Ø 35.5 fewer crimes committed per 10,000 residents A survey of 750 police chiefs across the country found that they consider sanctuary policies to be an important tool for ensuring public safety Another survey of 100 undocumented immigrants found that undocumented residents were generally willing to interact with police

12 ECONOMICS OF MASS DEPORTATION States and municipalities would lose $11.74 billion in tax revenue if all 11 million undocumented immigrants were deported Reduce median income of mixed-status households from $41,300 to $22,000 The cost of raising one-third of citizen children would total $118 billion This is a low estimate of how many would stay in the US Deporting 7 million workers would reduce national GDP by $4.7 trillion over a decade Apprehending, detaining, processing, and deporting every undocumented immigrant would cost between $400 and $600 billion Jailing every undocumented immigrant would cost roughly $902 million annually, or $9 billion over a decade

13 ECONOMICS OF LEGALIZATION A path to citizenship would boost current state and local tax contributions by more than $2.18 billion per year The most significant revenue gain would come from the personal income tax, due to both increased earnings and full compliance with the tax code A path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants within five years after legalization would: Add $1.1 trillion to national GDP over 10 years Create on average 159,000 jobs per year over 10 years

14 WHAT DO AMERICANS WANT TO DO? According to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of Americans, including 80% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans, said undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. should be allowed to stay in this country legally if they meet certain requirements A 2017 Morning Consult Poll of registered voters found that: 58% of Americans said Dreamers should be allowed to stay in the country and become citizens if they meet certain requirements 80% said they should be allowed to stay and later become legal residents 15% said they favor deportation

15 SUMMARY The majority of undocumented immigrants are not new arrivals Undocumented immigrants have lower crime rates than the native population and pay billions in taxes, despite being ineligible for most federal assistance programs A path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants would grow the U.S. economy, increase tax revenues, and create jobs A policy of mass deportation cost billions and hurt the economy The majority of Americans support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Congress must act now!

16 RESOURCES Unauthorized Immigrant Population Profiles, Migration Policy Institute Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States, Migration Policy Institute Visa Overstays Outnumber Illegal Border Crossings, Trend Expected to Continue, NBC News Trump s immigration proposals will cost the U.S. billions, ThinkProgress Undocumented Immigrants State and Local Tax Contributions, Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy The Economic Impacts of Removing Unauthorized Immigrant Workers: An Industry-and State Level Analysis, Center for American Progress Mass Deportation would Impoverish US Families and Create Immense Social Costs, Center for Migration Studies Poor Immigrants Use Public Benefits at a Lower Rate than Poor Native-Born Citizens, Cato Institute Giving sanctuary to undocumented immigrants doesn t threaten public safety it increases it, Los Angeles Times What Americans want to do about illegal immigration, Pew Research Center Do Undocumented Immigrants Overuse Government Benefits? Econofact Trump s DACA Move Comes As Most Voters Back Citizenship for Dreamers, Morning Consult The Economic Effects of Granting Legal Status and Citizenship to Undocumented Immigrants, Center for American Progress Overview of Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs, National Immigration Law Center