Survivalist Forum banner

Has Immigration to the US hurt or Made the US a Better Place?

6K views 82 replies 43 participants last post by  ttkciar 
#1 ·
It is estimated the US has fourteen million illegal immigrants currently living in the US. According to some estimates, it is a larger number than that.

According to some sources, the U.S. immigrant population stood at more than 43.3 million, or 13.5 percent, of the total U.S. population of 321.4 million in 2015, according to American Community Survey (ACS) data. Between 2014 and 2015, the foreign-born population increased by 899,000, or 2.1 percent, a slower growth rate compared to 2.5 percent between 2013 and 2014.

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/art...MIp6rantmY2AIVD57ACh0yTQghEAAYASAAEgLHLvD_BwE

https://www.brookings.edu/research/welfare-benefits-for-non-citizens/

More than half of the nation's immigrants receive some kind of government welfare, a figure that's far higher than the native-born population's, according to a report to be released Wednesday.

About 51% of immigrant-led households receive at least one kind of welfare benefit, including Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches and housing assistance, compared to 30% for native-led households, according to the report from the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for lower levels of immigration.

Those numbers increase for households with children, with 76% of immigrant-led households receiving welfare, compared to 52% for the native-born.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/01/immigrant-welfare-use-report/71517072/

Your thoughts......

Caseyboy
 
See less See more
#4 ·
Initially yes and now absolutely not. Early immigrants came here to build better lives for themselves and their family and integrate into the community. My wife's grandparents immigrated early in the 1900's. Integrating into our society was so important to them, not all their children learned the language of the old county. Some customs and ethic foods survived, but not much else.

Many of today's illegal immigrants have no desire to adopt our customs, primary language, integrate into our society and participate. Our country is just a source of income. Catering to these immigrants will lead to the downfall of our society. I would rather open my arms to legal immigrants who want to work with me to build a stronger USA.
 
#37 ·
immigration has always been good for the US, but it needs to be curated and not random. Trump has it right, we want the world's best and brightest. Back in the day we wanted cheap labor. Today we need well educated knowledge workers. Europe is heading towards more socialism which destroys innovation. We should be the beacon for innovators around the world to come here to roll the dice to hit it big.

We should be allowing phds in computer science to become citizens for example, rather than forcing them back to their home countries. PhDs in engineering fields are almost always paid for by grants, so we have effectively paid for those PhDs anyway.
 
#6 ·
The USA was a much better place before immigration, especially at the time of the first census in 1790
A population of 3.9 million, 94.9 percent of whom lived in rural areas.
The Constitution had just been freshly inked, and only the first 10 amendments were included.
The Bank of North America served as the central bank, and was backed by large deposits of gold and silver coin.
Political parties did not yet exist (though the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were not far away)
Its been downhill ever since.
 
#7 ·
Just my opinion but, if legal immigration was based on a viable means of screening people before you let them in I would be for it in moderation. Illegal immigration is against the law and they should be barred from ever coming back. If they do and they're caught, we could put them to work as we once did in the old-fashioned chain gangs cleaning up and repairing the infrastructure. What does anyone want to bet once something like that was in place there would be a lot less people wanting to come to the US illegally.

Caseyboy
 
#8 ·
I do not think there would be immigrants "needed" to keep our dollar and financial system afloat if our family court system was not broken, and families were promoted.

The immigration isn't the root of the problem, it is our pyramid scheme of an entire system that must be supported. With all of the factors that keep Americans from having stabile families something had to give.
 
#10 ·
Maybe. Considering CA is now about 46% Hispanic and has the largest "minority" population of any state, I'd say it has had a dramatic effect on them, their policies, their government and their debt. NY is up there too, with large numbers. There are pluses and minuses but I think on balance, illegal immigration has been a MAJOR negative.

+ illegals work --- and they work harder, better than the indigenous city dwellers in blue states. This + would be immediately eliminated if we could get inner city Democrat "victims" to look in the mirror to see the root cause of their problems.
+ they spend some money here which is good. However, they send 50 billion or so back to Mexico which is bad.
+ some of them pay taxes. Many work under the table which is bad.

- They are filling up our schools with illegal moocher chachas.
- They are filling up our ERs with illegals, that tax payers must pay for.
- They have increased the supply of labor, driving down wages and taking jobs from the dwindling number of Americans willing to work in hard labor jobs.
- There is massive crime attributed to illegal immigration. (Kate's law)
- There is massive government overhead and costs associated with keeping them out, arresting them, housing them, giving them hearings, deporting them, etc. "processing and handling illegals" has become a cottage industry.
- They bring in drugs and traffic in humans.
- The anchor babies go right on welfare, get CHIP and other government benefits.
- The legal ones and refugees bring in 7-20 others with chain migration.
- The Democratic Party has decided that racism and immigration is the identity politics hill they will die on --- they have no other platform and ideas.
- They turn states blue by mobilizing legal immigrants and minorities to support the Democratic Party to lobby for open borders. That is what happened to CA, NY, NM, and soon FL, GA, and TX. Everything brown turns blue.
- They cause schools to incur additional expenses for bilingual education and remedial education for kids who are way below grade level when they get here... MANY new bilingual FTEs to teach, counsel and manage the hordes.
- They cause states and cities to break federal laws to protect, promote and increase their numbers for new Democratic voters.
- Many drive without insurance and driver licenses.
- Many work with fake IDs.

They cost BILLIONS to support but worse yet, the fact that they support the Democratic Party and gruberites keep fighting for them, results in even more liberal policies and higher taxes and more regulations and more PC ****, and more and more failed progressive social justice initiatives --- that are now bankrupting places like CA and NY.
 
#13 ·
+ illegals work --- and they work harder, better than the indigenous city dwellers in blue states.
A lot of truth in that sentence.

This + would be immediately eliminated if we could get inner city Democrat "victims" to look in the mirror to see the root cause of their problems.
That would be a miracle... Wait a minute, if three looked in the mirror and saw the truth, they would make a claim for canonization.
 
#19 ·
I believe immigration is ultimately advantageous to the US, but illegals just **** me off.

The US would be better served if we had a fortified security wall/fence, gates at regular intervals, and 24 hr Immigration service centers at all roads. Any person trying to climb, dig, or circumvent the immigration service enter should be intercepted using deadly force.

We should insist all candidates bring what ever form of ID their home country issued, the verify their identification using fingerprints, voice, face, and DNA.

We should screen for three types of persons we don't want, and issue valid US documents (Identification, drivers license, social security cards, temporary car insurance, and transportation assistance) to those we accept.

The persons we should not accept are,
1) Known Terrorist
2) Known Fellons
3) Persons previously deported

We should accept everyone else.
 
#20 ·
We should accept everyone else.
And once here, what should all those people do? It's not like we have a glut of low skill, no education required, good paying private sector jobs lying around.

Besides your list, the fourth and most important requirement should be:

"Has the financial and economic means to support himself without incurring any cost to the taxpayer and citizen".

99% of the applicants would be screened out and sent home to fix their native countries.
 
#23 ·
I can only speak to CA where I was born and raised but illegal immigration has destroyed this state. I watched the clean, safe neighborhoods I grew up in become disgusting cesspools. Trash, graffiti, crime, broken down cars and houses. Little to no respect for the community they live in.

I can't put all the blame on illegals though. Half the blame goes to the Liberal politicians that allowed/encouraged their invasion.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#24 ·
In general:
Illegals don't understand our constitution let alone defend it.
They don't pay taxes. They have lots of kids to use our schools and make our real estate taxes go through the roof.
They tend not to be insured or be held accountable to driving laws.
And the ones from muslim countries actively hate us.
And they vote for democrats.
And they tend to not be vaccinated, causing resurgences of diseases and other pestilences we had well controlled. Measles, mumps, bed bugs, assassin bugs, tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, various worms, Chagas, ...
If they come from Africa they have a MUCH higher rate of violent crime.
 
#26 ·
At the turn of the 20th Century we needed people, the US was booming and the population was relatively sparse and needed the bodies to really develop. However, come 1960/70s we had 200 Million people. We don't need more bodies, we maybe needed to bring a few people in here and there but what we ended up getting was a Million bodies year over year.

Immigration at this point is a major hazard. If all you care about is ethnic food and vibrancy, you need to wake the heck up.
 
#28 ·
Immigration made this country what it is. It's the single most formative and transformative influence in our history. We wouldn't be the country we are without immigration. We would cease to be the country we are without it.

So clearly the problems we are having with immigration lately are being caused by something else; probably social programs. But here is something to think about: What if the Progressive Movement in creating the concept of illegal immigration in the turn of the 20th century created the framework in which illegal immigrants could be exploited for cheap labor and depress wages?

What if that was the plan all along; to create second-class citizens to exploit?
 
#29 ·
I criticize the US govt for the subsidies they give legal and illegal immigrants here in the US. I am paying to support them. Years ago immigrants had to have sponsors to enter the Us. These sponsors were usually relatives who helped them financially till they got on their feet. They had to have a job and be able to support themselves after a period of time. Why not today. They should have the same rule and and enforce it or send them back to the country from which they came. The sponsors help them financially an with help getting jobs for a period of time. They were then on their own. I feel that legal immigrants should not be on welfare, ebt cards. free rent and health care that we pay for . It appears that without rules they all come here for the freebees. and stay on
aid all their lives. then expect to collect soc. security. Enough is enough. I don't mind helping them get a start through sponsorship but the greedy and lazy need to be sent back.
 
#30 ·
I think most Americans don't have a problem with immigration per se. After all, the ancestors of the vast majority of Americans certainly didn't come over on the Mayflower. And most of us realize this.

The problem is illegal immigration. Those who wantonly break our laws regarding immigration. And who--unlike the legitimate migrants---have no intention of becoming Americans. Or of adopting our culture, and leaving theirs behind.

If you stood in line, followed the rules, and obeyed our (very liberal) immigration laws I will be the first to welcome you.

If you leave your old country and culture behind, and are determined--to the best of your ability--to learn how to become AMERICAN, then I have no problem.

I DO have a problem with those who come here and expect our culture to adapt to theirs. Don't wave your old flag. If you do display it, display it with the American flag alongside. Try to speak and learn English. Don't insist on primacy or even co-equality of your former culture with American culture.

And above all--don't come to this country with criminal or terrorist intent. Leave your religious and/or racial prejudices behind.

Coming to America is a PRIVILEGE. It is NOT a right!
 
#32 ·
The problem is not just illegal immigration form Mexico and Central America. There is also a huge problem with the recent trend in legal immigration.

At one time we had quotas for legal immigration for each country. A bipartisan group would decide how many people we would let in from each country. Clear preference was given to countries with educated populations and people who would become assets, not freeloaders.

All of that changed with Ted Kennedy's Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also called the Hart–Celler Act. In order to get it passed, Ted Kennedy assured Congress that the new law would never be used to upset the demographic balance in the USA.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

The Hart–Celler Act abolished the quota system based on national origins that had been American immigration policy since the 1920s. The 1965 Act marked a change from past U.S. policy which had discriminated against non-northern Europeans.[2] In removing racial and national barriers the Act would significantly, and unintentionally, alter the demographic mix in the U.S.[2]
The more recent immigration policies give clear preference to people with little or no education or useful skills, but high levels if ignorance and low IQs. IMHO, this assures that these people will remain on the government dole for at least 1 or 2 generations, as well as remaining beholding to the Democrats who protect their largess.

I'm glad to see Trump making an attempt to turn the Clinton-Bush-Obama policy around. We do not need freeloaders. We do need more useful, intelligent immigrants, but that's not the majority of what we've been getting.

Europe had doomed itself due to the EU refugee immigrant program. I don't believe there is any hope for their long term survival as free nations.

I used to travel to Europe quite often, but I have no desire to ever return. I don;t want to see the USA turn into the inevitable cesspool that Europe has become.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Caseyboy
#35 ·
Europe has basically committed suicide in their nations through illegal and legal immigration. The US is saturated with immigrants. The same will happen to the US if it isn't nipped in the bud. The US does not need any more legal or illegal immigrants period. I would suggest that only qualified people who are trained scientist or engineers to immigrate to the US There is a solution:

Do not allow anyone who is an immigrant to have a free lunch in perpetuity. Put a time limit on any subsistence.

In addition to limits on how long they can expect a helping hand and add stipulations as to what they can do if they cannot or won't comply.

Make them learn English or deport them.

Make it a law to ban chain-immigration.

Do not allow anyone who hasn't spent at least 20 years working in the US before they can collect social security benefits.

If someone comes in illegally, make it a permanent ban toward ever getting citizenship and include hard labor jail sentences for those who defy the law and are repeat offenders. If we have to feed them in captivity, they should work for it and hard.

Make it a very hard prison sentence for voting in our elections if they aren' a citizen.

If an immigrant disrespects the US in a public display, they should be deported for good.

There are jobs that could be filled if the politicians really wanted to make a difference. They could have people who are habitually unemployable working to clean up, repair and maintain the infrastructure. I would follow slightly the philosophy of the Depression Era CCC Camps.

NEVER EVER ELECT ANOTHER DEMOCRAT TO ANY OFFICE.

Caseyboy
 
#38 ·
It depends on wether your referring to people seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
Do you mean folks that love this country and want to be good citizens.

If the answer is yes then they have improved this country.

If you are referring to largely inbred idiots that are stuck in the dark ages, no they are a drag on society and need to be dealt with.

There is no place amongst decent people for pedophiles that mutilate girls privates and rape little boys while calling for the death of gay people.
 
#39 ·
Nothing wrong with it but we enable them to remain in their own little world. They resist learning the language and the American Way. They turn to crime and the welfare system.
In my opinion all of them should be on a five year probation program and if they do not comply with the rules, kick them out. Allow the working class immigrants to stay and obtain citizenship.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top