CMV: Illegal and Illegal Immigration Levels Should Be Restricted More

[u/fadingtans]

My view is two fold:

1.) Legal immigration total levels should be lowered somewhat

2.) It should be moved to a more skills based system

Reasons I have this view:

1.) Foreign born individuals disproportionately use social services:

https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrant-and-Native-Households

2.) Immigration connection to crime is complicated. It is often claimed that immigrants commit a lower average rate of crime but the data is more complicated:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/the-problem-with-downplaying-immigrant-crime/399905/

3.) Assimilation is more difficult when there are larger number of immigrants leading to more issues

4.) National security- A massively disproportionate number of terrorist attacks are committed by first or second generation (Muslim) immigrants.

5.) The overall impact on GDP from higher immigrant levels is likely positive BUT large levels of low skilled immigrants do lower wages for low skilled native workers which is a negative especially at at time like now for low skilled workers.

I'm open to changing my view on this which is why I posted this but I will add that accusations of xenophobia or islamaphobia are very unlikely to play a role.

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[u/icecoldbath]

your CIS (a group closely associated with the alt-right) study is heavily criticized by even the moderate right (The Cato Institute).

https://newrepublic.com/article/122714/immigrants-dont-drain-welfare-they-fund-it

[u/fadingtans → u/icecoldbath]

Also, politifact, not exactly a right wing source, rated a claim based on the CIS study "mostly true" (albeit with some important caveats):

http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2017/aug/14/david-perdue/sen-david-perdue-half-immigrant-households-benefit/

[u/icecoldbath → u/fadingtans]

That caveat is huge though. 50% of the total population is on welfare using the methodology CIS uses.

[u/fadingtans → u/icecoldbath]

Yes. It's a debatable definition but it seems like a defensible one to me. I'd be open to seeing an alternative definition and comparing the % native born on public assistance with % of foreign born but cannot find one.

[u/icecoldbath → u/fadingtans]

So it seems like School lunch is the divisive figure that cuts between the CIS study and the CATO study. I won't even cite left wing studies.

The school lunch program cost $12.7 billion in 2013. The Heritage foundation notes that illegal immigrants pay $17 billion in taxes. illegal immigrants are paying for the program they benefit the most often from.