Rush Limbaugh chomps on a cigar and evaluates the Repuiblic of Mexico’s hypocrisy when it comes to illegal immigration.
The current number of immigrants in the country is about 37.46 millions and the 32% remains illegally in the US territory1. According to the Border Protection, Counter-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control, approved last year by the government, the aliens who work and live undocumented in the country will have strong and drastic penalties, but how hard will be the stroke of missing such a great quantity of consumers and entrepreneurs, as immigrants are, for the US economy?
As shown by studies done in the last year, the contribution of immigrants in the US economy is everything but insignificant. One of the conclusions of a national survey commissioned by the National Venture Capital Association and made by Stuart Anderson and Mary Platzer last year was: “Immigrant entrepreneurs and professionals contribute significantly to job creation and innovation … shows the striking propensity of immigrants to start and grow successful American companies2.
In a research made by the UC Berkeley School of Information and the Duke University the numbers confirmed that: …”the 25.3% of the engineering and technology companies started in the U.S. from 1995 to 2005 and at least one key founder was foreign-born… nationwide, these immigrant-founded companies produced $52 billion in sales and employed 450,000 workers in 2005…immigrants have become a significant driving force in the creation of new businesses and intellectual property in the U.S.”3.
Meanwhile other immigrants have become employees in construction, landscaping or restaurants doing their job for lower salaries that allow having better prices for the customers. Some managers accept that without these conditions it would be harder and more expensive to face the challenges in those markets.
Other important matters are the business focused on the immigrants needs like the international calling cards, specialized supermarkets or restaurants. These projects grew due to the purchasing behavior of the immigrants. The number of immigrants is not that significant to spoil the US economy but it is pretty enough to change small industries into profitable enterprises.
Now not only the aliens are the consumers of these products and services but also the Americans can supply their needs with the emerging market.
An illustrative case is Viapin.com, a prepaid phone cards company that started in Virginia in 2004 and reached almost 1.000 customers in the first year; today other 19.000 buyers have joint them. The idea of the business was to provide a service for immigrants so they could contact their families around the world. Now not only Latin-American, African, Asian and European immigrants use their service but also the North Americans purchase Viapin’s products to call soldiers, students or relatives who are temporary outside the country. The company’s annual sales are about $516 thousand dollars4.
The U.S. News & World Report found other example of a business created for immigrants in New Jersey: Alfredo Rodriguez owns a 53,000-square-foot supermarket; he transformed it to experience with the tastes of Hispanic shoppers five years ago. Nowadays 90% of his customers are Latin American immigrants, and the purchases of 5,000 buyers who visit his store weekly enhance his annual sales to $9 million dollars5.
The question if the lack of immigrants affects or not the US economy should be first answered by us: immigrant’s employers or employees, immigrant’s customers or sellers and also immigrant’s neighbors, who daily deal with the situation.
A reform that involves the businesses around the immigrants should take these topics into consideration before putting the last period. Immigration is a very significant phenomenon that some how have got in our society, so we have two options, either go against it or take economic advantage of it.
1. Foreign-Born Population of the United States from the American Community Survey in www.census.gov
2. The Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Professionals on U.S. Competitiveness, in www.nvca.org
3. America’s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs in memp.pratt.duke.edu
4. Viapin.com
5. Immigrants: the Unsung Heroes of the U.S. Economy, Money & Business, in www.usnews.com
The original version of this article can be found at Viapin Phone Cards Blog
This Article was written by Alesh Garcia, a customer service consultant and writer from Viapin.com.
Pro-immigrant advocates have voiced concerns in the past with deputizing local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws. They’ve feared that doing so would discourage victims and witnesses from coming forward to report crime because of their concern that they themselves would be questioned about their immigration status.
Jerry Erickson
Published: March 19, 2009
Prince William is not the only local county cracking down on illegal immigrants lately. Starting March 9, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office began receiving access to a program called Secure Communities, which is administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Fairfax County is the first county in the Washington metropolitan area, and the first in Virginia, to participate in the program. Secure Communities will allow county deputies to automatically access federal criminal history and biometrics-based immigration records of detainees in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and other county sites. The program is designed to help the county identify criminal illegal immigrants and begin the deportation process without requiring the expenditure of additional funds or manpower.
In comparison to Prince William County, some consider Fairfax County to be soft on illegal immigrants. However, Fairfax’s recent partnership with ICE through Secure Communities demonstrates that the county is now taking the lead on identifying and supporting the removal of undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. With the help of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, ICE will be able to evaluate each person’s immigration status and then pursue appropriate enforcement proceedings.
Pro-immigrant advocates have voiced concerns in the past with deputizing local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws. They’ve feared that doing so would discourage victims and witnesses from coming forward to report crime because of their concern that they themselves would be questioned about their immigration status. The Secure Communities program has received little criticism to date. This could be because deputies will only be screening people who have already been arrested.
Fairfax County Sheriff Stan Barry estimates that of the 27,000 people who were housed in the Fairfax jail last year, 4,300 were suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. The Mecklenburg County Jail in Charlotte, North Carolina implemented the Secure Communities program last year. In less than 18 months, the jail has placed 2,839 people into deportation proceedings.
I don’t believe anyone questions whether counties that surround large metropolitan areas, as Prince William, Fairfax and Mecklenburg do, are home to a great number of illegal immigrants. And few would argue against a program like Secure Communities. However, criminal detainees represent only a minor portion of the current illegal immigrant problem.
The real question is: Do we have the resources to deport the vast majority of the estimated nearly 12 million illegal immigrants living within our borders? Or is there a better, less expensive alternative?
Twelve million illegal immigrants represent a whopping four percent of the total U.S. population. In September 2007, ICE officials told Congress and the New York Times that it would cost nearly $100 billion dollars to deport all of these people. This figure doesn’t even include the costs of finding the illegal immigrants, nor the court costs associated with trying them. In comparison, the entire 2009 DHS annual budget is about $50.5 billion – and DHS has to do things other than just deporting undocumented immigrants, like protecting our nation from terrorism.
In 2008, on a budget of $46.4 billion, ICE arrested and deported approximately 350,000 illegal immigrants, more than ever before in one year. Yet, that’s less than four percent of the total number of illegal immigrants.
Most Americans agree that we need some kind of immigration reform. What form that takes is the center of controversy for critics on either side of the issue. Some would like to see the current administration focus more resources on detecting and deporting our nation’s illegal immigrants.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are those like the Center for American Progress, which issued a report in 2005 arguing that a massive national deportation program for illegal immigrants would be unrealistic and would cost $206 billion. Most of the heat of the debate, however, has cooled down in recent months due to citizens and politicians shifting their focus to the dire economic situation. By necessity, most people are now more concerned about whether or not they will be able to keep their homes or put food on the table than the legal status of their neighbors. In keeping with the current
climate, lately Prince William has taken the teeth out of its effort to battle illegal immigration.
Nationally, 2009 has seen comprehensive national immigration reform take a backseat to emergency economic measures. This leaves local governments with the responsibility of dealing with what should be federal issues. Even with limited resources, Secure Communities offers local governments, such as Prince William and Fairfax Counties, a cost-effective means to remove illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
In these difficult economic times, local citizens may applaud less controversial measures such as Secure Communities. However, given the sheer number of people who are in the U.S. without legal tatus, what our country must really address is the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. A portion of that reform could include identification, registration, payment of fines and a conditional status as a precursor to a more permanent form of status. Given the current economic conditions, the progress that will be made by a national debate on immigration reform may not be realized soon. The reality is that deporting millions of illegal immigrants is simply too expensive and not a realistic option. With the above in mind, it’s time to at least begin our debate concerning solutions.
Jerry Erickson is the managing partner of Szabo, Zelnick, & Erickson, P.C. (www.szelaw.com), in Woodbridge, Virginia. He is the senior attorney in the firm’s Business Immigration Section. He has practiced law for over twenty
years and represents clients in numerous complex areas of immigration law
The above information is provided for informational purposes only. The information should not be construed as legal advice and does not constitute an engagement of the Szabo, Zelnick & Erickson, P.C. law firm or establish an attorney-client relationship with any of its attorneys. An attorney-client relationship with our firm is only created by signing a written agreement with our firm.
Jerry Erickson is the managing partner of Szabo, Zelnick, & Erickson, P.C. www.szelaw.com and the senior attorney in the firm’s Business Immigration Section. He has practiced law for over twenty years and represents clients in numerous complex areas of immigration law. He can be reached at jerickson@szelaw.com.
Jerry has been a partner with the firm since 1989. Prior to joining the firm, Jerry was selected for a Judicial Clerkship in 1984 to work for the Judges of the Circuit Court of Prince William County.
The Prince William County Bar Association has previously elected Jerry to serve as one of its members on the Judicial Selection Committee. He has also been selected to lecture on behalf of the Virginia State Bar on issues related to ethics and professionalism.
Jerry received his Bachelor’s Degree from George Mason University in 1981 and his Juris Doctor from George Mason School of Law in 1984. He has been a member of the Virginia State Bar Association since 1984 and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the International Business Committee and the Virginia State Bar International Practice Section. He is admitted to practice in the U. S. District Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit as well as the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the past few decades, our country has been besieged by a plethora of immigrants entering the United States under false pretense and without legal merit. These are what we refer to as illegal immigrants or aliens. Now even as you read the words, illegal immigrants, you doubtlessly think of Mexicans, right. Yet what I am referring to is ALL illegal immigrants and not just those flooding in from Central and South America. No, I am writing of ALL those who are coming in from countries all over the world.
Though billions of immigration enforcement dollars work to some degree we still cannot fully stop this stampede. Nor will we ever be able to fully block those who are intent upon entrance. There is just not enough manpower or money to cover every last inch of bordering land, air and sea. Safety in numbers is as true a statement today as the day it was first coined. So instead of trying to catch all of the foxes that are trying to get into the henhouse, why not remove the chickens? Now let me explain how we can completely stop the foxes or in this case, illegal immigration.
In concert with President Bush, all illegal immigrants must leave the United States within ninety days. This is where the President and I begin to differ on immigration. I submit that we will not expend another dime on hunting down illegal aliens after that ninety-day period. That is because after ninety days the enforcement of illegal immigrants will be turned over to the investigation of American employers who use illegal immigrants. In short, we will begin to act upon and enforce the employment laws that are already in place.
After the ninety-day period, any employer who is found to have illegal immigrants in their employ will be fined $10,000 per illegal and placed on probation for two years for each illegal found. They should not be incarcerated on the first offense. However, if they are caught employing an illegal a second time then the penalty will be grave. The second offense will result in a fine of $100,000 for each illegal in their employment and five years in prison with no parole. We must get serious if we are to stop illegal immigration.
Furthermore, their business and assets will be sold and the money generated from the sale will be used as an offset to enforcement costs. Additionally, there will be no bail allowed for their second offense of this crime. Therefore, if you are arrested for a second offense you had better be sure you have your harmonica with you because you will be staying in jail for quite some time.
Now what happens during the voluntary ninety-day relocation period? In order to insure that the illegal immigrants head back to where they came from we will need to remove all of the benefits that have been bestowed upon those who have violated our immigration laws. First, we act in accordance with the 14th Amendment when applying the law of citizenship. Despite what the supporters of illegal immigration claim, this Amendment should not allow for automatic citizenship for babies born here from illegal immigrants of foreign nations. So first off, we reclassify all illegal babies born on American soil to the status of their parents natural country of origin.
The illegal immigrants will no longer be allowed to send their children into our public schools. Nor will they be eligible for any government entitlements or other social programs. If they appear at any hospital or clinic with injuries or illness then they can be treated only after immigration officers have arrived to take them into custody for the purpose of deportation. The lone exception here would be life-threatening issues, which require immediate treatment. Yet the immigration authorities still must be notified even before this emergency treatment commences. Once all these measures are enacted, the illegal immigrants will depart on their own. If not, they will eventually be found anyway.
Once the illegal immigrants are back in their countries they can apply for entrance into the United States by way of work permits. They must list their experience and skills and other pertinent information. They must have some working knowledge and basic 6th grade understanding of the spoken and written English language. All schools will be directed toward teaching legal immigrant children the English language. There will be no more bi-lingual signs, voice mails or any other instruction in foreign languages because the English language will become the official language of the United States.
In order to enter the USA they and their dependents will submit to fingerprinting and photo identification and they will have to be matched or sponsored with an employer certified by the immigration services. They will also be required to report to Immigration Services on a monthly basis to ensure that they have not relocated out of state without authorization. Any felony conviction or repeated misdemeanor offenses of an illegal immigrant will result in deportation without the possibility of ever returning to the USA.
Those employers who wish to employ legal immigrants will have to be certified by the United States Immigration Services. They will have to list the employee skills they need and the amount of people wanted. They will have to list whether the employment is of a permanent or temporary nature. The most important aspect of employing immigrants will be that the employers will be responsible for providing an equal rate of starting pay and benefits as those of their employees who are American citizens. That will prevent the slave labor or poor wages that are currently employed by many in this country.
The certified employers will receive a listing of immigrant employment applicants so that they can choose whom they want to work for them. They will be required to submit quarterly evaluation reports to Immigration Services about their immigrant employees as well as any problems or incidences of a disciplinary nature. In addition, all immigrant employees will only receive hourly wages/overtime and never a salaried position as long as their status is alien. Once they become United States citizens then their employment future will be maintained under the laws and jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Labor just as every other natural citizen.
Finally, each employer of three or more legal immigrants will help them choose one worker as an immigrant labor representative for the other workers. This labor rep will be responsible for submitting quarterly reports to the Immigration Service along with the employer report forms. He or she will also act as a liaison between management and the other immigrant workers.
If we are truly dedicated to securing and maintaining the American way, then we absolutely must get serious about it. We have to make certain that immigrants are fully deterred from entering this country without first being certified and authorized.
John DeJong is the lead creative designer for NotMeUSA. He has been writing humorous advertisements for over twenty-five years. All of the funny t-shirts, prescription pill bottles, and gag spray bottles were created by him. You can view these by visiting NotMeUSA.com
The first ever News Cartoon on Cable News.
Bill-o does it again… just because you have a loud voice doesn’t mean you are right. If this doesn’t prove he is a loose cannon I don’t know what will…
Illegal Immigration is one of the most divisive issues in America today. Pinky asks Daisy for his take on what’s really going on. Added bonus: Daisy tells us how to solve the whole problem in 5 minutes. For more information visit: www.pinkyshow.org
A Lou Dobbs report on the high cost of illegal immigration and how it is affecting american society.