Immigration reform continues to be a topic for heated debate in the United States. The great majority of people are aware that reform is a necessity but a minority is in disagreement with this, having convinced themselves that immigrants steal American jobs, depress wages and put a drag on the country’s economy.
Suffolk University Professor of Economics, Ben Powell, says that this is not the case, and that immigrants do nothing more than substitute for us and complement our towns. Immigration reform is actually more likely to create additional jobs for both undocumented immigrants and US citizens alike. The engine source of the US economy is small business, according to Change We Can Believe In, President Obama’s book, which means that it is very likely that millions of immigrants would set up their own businesses because of their eagerness to progress.
The White House blog also states that immigrants file patents and create businesses at much higher rates than is the case for those who were actually born in the United States. People who are in opposition to immigration due to fear of becoming unemployed are, therefore, misguided.
In addition to creating extra jobs, immigration reform is also likely to increase wages. The reality is that more immigrants simply mean extra workers, which results in a rise in cumulative wages. That money would eventually be spent by workers, further strengthening the economy. Immigration reform is also likely to curb the federal deficit, according to the American Action Forum.