Immigration 2007 – A Common Sense Year’s End Editorial in the WSJ
The December 31, 2007 edition of the Wall Street Journal contains a good year end editorial reminding us all of the value that immigrants provide to the United States.
Citing a recent paper published by the Immigration Policy Center, the WSJ notes that in U.S. cities with the largest populations and in border cities such as San Diego and El Paso, violent crime and property crime rates have gone down and an immigrant is 5 times less likely to be in prison than someone born in the U.S. So much for the argument that immigrants drive crime rates up.
Since 1996, according to the study, the national welfare caseload has declined by 60% (in some states by 90%). What else is down? Overall poverty, child poverty, child hunger. So much for the anti-immigrant insistence that immigrants drive up welfare costs.
The unemployment rate remains at only 4.7% and job growth continues. So much for the argument that immigrants take jobs away from Americans.
The editorial correctly concludes that clearly there is a cost to illegal immigration and it’s a bigger problem in some areas of the country than other areas. That’s why we need to allow those who are here to work legally and earn citizenship while at the same time securing our borders in a way that is smart, appropriate and compassionate.
Our country’s 2008 New Year’s resolution should be to come together and pass comprehensive immigration reform! Happy New Year!
