Border Protection, Antiterrorism, And Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005

atraub — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:13:45 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Opposes

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Percentage of the U.S. civilian labor force that is undocumented, according to the Pew Hispanic Center: 4.9

Approximate proportion of U.S. farming workers who are undocumented: 1 in 4

Amount more the average immigrant and his or her immediate descendents pay in taxes over their lifetimes than they receive in public services, according to the National Academy of Sciences: $80,000

Percentage of workers in one study whose employers found out their immigration papers were falsified who were not fired until they complained about workplace conditions: 25

Percentage who were not fired until they tried to organize a union: 21

Estimated public and private sector cost per year of the workplace enforcement part of this legislation, according to the non-partisan Government Accountability Office: $11.7 billion

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Opposes: The American middle class relies on the economic contributions of immigrants. Yet this bill does nothing to acknowledge the contribution, instead endorsing a policy of imprisoning and deporting the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently helping to support the economy as workers, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and consumers. Imprisonment and deportation is not only a bad policy for the middle class, but also a tremendously expensive and ultimately unworkable one: the Government Accountability Office reported that just implementing the workplace enforcement part of this legislation would cost the public and private sectors at least $11.7 billion annually. Many undocumented immigrants would still evade deportation while others would continue to enter the country illegally. Attempting to enforce such an unworkable policy would further drain scarce enforcement resources that could be used to strengthen border security.

An additional concern is the way this legislation would exacerbate the threat that undocumented workers pose to the wages and workplace conditions of aspiring middle-class Americans. Because unscrupulous employers can threaten to have their undocumented employees deported at any time, these immigrants are particularly vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace. This underground workforce competing in the labor market with American citizens perpetuates a race to the bottom in which employers, especially those in industries requiring unskilled labor, are driven to restrict wages and benefits and degrade employee working conditions in an effort to compete with companies that employ undocumented workers under substandard conditions. While this legislation seeks to drive undocumented immigrants out of the workplace completely, the more likely effect would be that they remain in the country but are driven further underground, increasing their vulnerability and further undermining middle-class wages and working conditions.

Identification cards

Border Protection, Antiterrorism, And Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Identification cards

Border Protection, Antiterrorism, And Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources