La Opinion (Editorial)
February 24, 2016
Immigration
and the harm undocumented people supposedly cause are constant themes
brought up by the Republican majority in Congress and in the current
presidential primary,
where the discussion over border control to prevent entry has become a
race to see who is stricter.
No
one listening to the argument will learn that half of the people who
are in the country without papers did not enter by sneaking in through
the border, but with a visa
which they allowed to expire. Still, candidates compete to see who
promises to build the tallest, longest wall between Mexico and the U.S.
to stop these undocumented people from coming in, thus healing all
socioeconomic problems.
Thinking
that armoring the border will be the end of undocumented immigrants is
as big a mistake as believing that workers are a fiscal burden, which is
another oft-repeated
fallacy.
An
analysis by the non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
(ITEP) estimated that undocumented people paid $11,640 million in state
and local taxes in 2013.
This is an actual 8% individual tax rate. This, on top of property
taxes paid, whether as owners or tenants. At a federal level, an
estimated 50% of all undocumented people file income taxes with their
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Equally,
much of the money they have contributed to Social Security goes to the
federal fund, never to be claimed because it was paid using fake
numbers.
The
study also confirms what has been observed in the cases of DREAMers and
DACA beneficiaries: Regularizing undocumented people increases their
contribution to the country’s
coffers. This means that, far from a burden, a comprehensive
immigration reform will result in a financial boom as the financial
capabilities of these individuals grow with their access to better job
opportunities, and free from the fear of deportation.
The
contribution of undocumented people to the country’s tax revenue is
undeniable. They have no access to social services and, when they do,
they rarely use them, as
demonstrated by several studies.
The
debate over undocumented people is contaminated with innuendo,
deceitful statements, anecdotes and lies. The analysis made by ITEP
provides well-documented clarity
to the discussion. There are none so blind as those who will not see.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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