Joel Steelman

Research Techniques
Professor Drake
11/3/15

The Negative Effects of Illegal Immigration on the Economy

Abstract
This bibliographic essay can be used by researchers to help in their pursuit of knowledge
concerning the negative effects of illegal immigration on the economy. Illegal immigration is a very hot
issue. The number of illegal immigrants continues to rise each year. Alongside the increasing number of
illegal immigrants are the negative effects on the economy caused by illegal immigration. Citizens of the
United States should be made aware of these effects because they are the ones who are most affected. In
the essay researchers will find a collection of sources to help them in their quest for knowledge. These
sources come from a variety of places including academic journals, databases, and reliable websites.
Each source is unique in the information it provides, as well as the way in which the information is
presented. This essay contains sources that go into great detail concerning the reasoning of illegal
immigration as well as sources that: present data concerning the numbers of illegal immigrants, the
methods illegal immigrants employ, the effects on the safety of American citizens, and finally the effects
on the economy. All sources are thoroughly dissected within this essay and are then referenced at the end
of the essay for easy access. Each and every source found in this essay contains scholarly information
written with the intent to inform without putting at risk the readers comprehension.

Introduction
For centuries people have emigrated from one place to another. They do this for a variety of
reasons: to find a better life, to escape religious persecution, or simply to satisfy a thirst for the
unknown. Among those seeking a better life, there are immigrants who chose to emigrate illegally.
Although this is not a new discovery, illegal immigration has hit record highs in the last quarter century.
The reasons remain the same but the methods change tremendously. The effects of illegal immigration
are numerous and ever-changing. However, more often than not the effects of illegal immigration are
negative. Jobs are taken away from American citizens who struggle to find work because employers
would rather pay lower wages to those who are in America illegally. Families are put in danger because
of criminals who have escaped their country and come to the United States illegally. And the economy is
suffering because our Government taxes are being used on benefits and legislation geared towards
protecting illegal immigrants who have managed to stay under the radar, as well as children who have
immigrated illegally for varying circumstances. Illegal immigration and the effects illegal immigration
causes are a serious issue that must be made aware to the citizens of the United States.
History of Immigration
In order to fully comprehend the problem illegal immigration poses today, one must first look at
the history of immigration. The Immigration Problem (Jenks, 1926) goes into great detail concerning the
history of immigration. The author uses graphs and methods to explain which counties are responsible
for sending the most immigrants as well as the numbers they send. Each chapter focuses on a different
group of immigrants and their reasoning for coming to the United States. For example, during WWII the
United States saw a rise in Jewish immigrants due to the rise and persecution of Hitler. The reader will
find everything concerning the history of immigration and the various reasons for immigration in this

book. However, due to the age of the book the data and numbers contained within will be outdated.
When researching the history of immigration this source is very reliable. But if the researcher is looking
for data concerning the number of immigrants that have come to the United States, it would be wise to
use another source. The language in this source might also pose a problem because it is suited for higher
level readers.
When studying the history of immigration it is also important to understand demographics. The
article Changing Demographics (Wanlund, 2012) discusses the ever changing demographics in the
United States. The change is mainly due to immigration. Every year the United States receives countless
immigrants from all over the world. These immigrants are responsible for the plethora of cultures we
have in the United States today. This article allows the reader to delve deeper into the world of
Americas demographic landscape and discover the effects, both good and bad, the changing
demographic offers. As this article was published within the last five years, this article is a very reliable
source and contains many up-to-date facts concerning immigration and the effects it has in America.
Researchers should feel very comfortable using this source in their research because of the simplicity in
which the information is laid out.
Why People Choose to Immigrate Illegally
For the majority of the people in the world breaking federal law is something they avoid at all
costs. Yet every year countless people choose to break the law and immigrate illegally. This raises many
questions, the foremost being why people choose to risk crossing the border illegally and receiving
federal detainment. The article Illegal Immigration (Katel, 2005) seeks to answer this question.
Contained within the article are various explanations as to why people risk getting caught while
attempting to cross the border. The article goes into great detail concerning the reasoning behind the

risk. The number one reason people choose to immigrate illegally is their need for a better life. The
United States is a land of opportunity where everyone is equal under the law. This is very appealing for
people from other countries who might not have the same opportunities. In this article the author uses
language that is easy to understand as well as an easy presentation of the data contained within the
article. This source is fairly new and comes from the reliable database, CQ Researcher.

The Negative Effects of Illegal Immigration

Much of the controversy pertaining to illegal immigration is centered on the negative effects of
illegal immigration. The article Is Illegal Immigration an Economic Burden to America? (ProCon.org,
2015) contains numerous examples as to why illegal immigration hurts our economy. For example, the
article explains how illegal immigrants take jobs from Americans in need of work because illegal
immigrants will work for less. This article is special because it presents multiple authors and their
differing opinions. Each opinion is clearly stated and goes into great detail concerning the negative
effects of illegal immigration and the harm it does to our economy. Other examples contained within the
article are the numerous policies put into place by our government with the intent on supporting and
protecting illegal immigrants. This furthers the harm done by illegal immigration because these policies
are being funded by American tax payers. This source is reliable and the information is up-to-date,
making the article a great resource for researchers.
As mentioned before, illegal immigration harms American workers. The article Immigration
and the American Worker (Borjas, 2013) goes into greater detail concerning the negative effects of
illegal immigration on the American worker. Numerical data and other findings from studies done by

various institutions can also be found in this article. It clearly states facts and leaves very little room for
doubt in the message. The intended audience is the general public and because of this the article is
written using general language. Researchers should feel very comfortable using this source. It is a
reliable source because of its recent publication and reliable author.
Another negative effect of illegal immigration is whether or not they hold sway over who is
elected president. Illegal immigrants cannot vote because they are not citizens. However, the correlations
between illegal immigrants and legal voters cannot be ignored. The article Latino Voters (McCutheon,
2015) discusses these correlations in greater detail. The main purpose of this article is to understand how
much influence the Latino vote has because of their increasing population. As this article was published
just this year, it is a very reliable resource and contains up-to-date information. The data and numbers
supporting the articles main idea are clearly laid out and displayed in charts and graphs.
For researchers who are looking for more information on the negative effects of illegal
immigration the article 5 Facts about Illegal Immigration in the U.S. (Passel, 2015) provides just that.
In this article researchers can find five more examples of the negative effects illegal immigration has on
the economy, the government, the safety, and the families of America. It contains data and information
taken from the research and polls done by Pew Research. This article was written for the general public,
and serves to inform them of the problem of illegal immigration. The author of this article is also highly
qualified. Passel served as a former government official of immigration, and because of this Passel is
highly qualified to be writing about this matter.

Government Action

As mentioned before, the government has implemented numerous policies concerning illegal
immigration. Most of these policies serve to protect illegal immigrants who have been in the United
States for a while, as well as offer benefits to those who are in need. The article Immigration Debate
(Greenblatt, 2008) focuses on the more controversial aspects of immigration. The article also covers the
ways in which the government seems to support illegal immigration, what is being done to stop illegal
immigration, and what dangers illegal immigrants may pose to our safety and posterity. Contained
within the article are a number of links that will take the reader to informational websites that offer more
information and research pertaining to government action on or against illegal immigration. Since this
article was written in 2008, the information found within is recent and reliable. Information on the
author can also be found in the article, allowing for the researcher to decide whether or not the author is
educated enough on the subject.
Another great source for collecting research on government action is the article Immigration
Conflict (2012, Jost). The article also discusses the more controversial sides of illegal immigration. It
contains multiple examples of the problems illegal immigration poses to the United States, as well as the
action the government has taken in order to stem the tide of illegal immigration. As this article was
published in 2012, it contains more recent and up-to-date information than the article previously
discussed in this heading. This article was published by CQ Researcher and is written in such a way that
the reader can easily understand what is being said.
One of the most controversial topics concerning illegal immigration is crime, and what the
government is doing protect Americans from illegal immigrant crime. The article Transnational Crime
(Katel, 2014) examines the crimes committed by illegal immigrants and the rates at which they are
occurring. This article also compares the ties between illegal immigration and immigration crime rates.
Throughout the article the reader examines the negative effects of illegal immigration crimes on

families. This is not to say that all illegal immigrants commit crime, because that is not the case. This
article simply makes people aware that it is very difficult to find and punish those illegal immigrants
who do commit crimes. This is a very recent publication and as such it contains up-to-date information.
This article also comes from a reliable source, CQ Researcher.
Conclusion
In conclusion, illegal immigration has a serious effect on our economy, safety, and government.
It is not a new development, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. In fact, it is out of hand.
In order to fully comprehend this problem people must be made aware of the history of immigration and
how it has gotten to this point. People also need to be aware of the ever changing demographic
landscape, because it is something that affects all of us. After studying the history, one must turn to the
problem illegal immigration presents us with today. Illegal immigration reduces the number of jobs
available as well as lowering wages. The government has made many laws in the past concerning illegal
immigration, but the number of illegal immigrants continues to increase. Illegal immigration also puts a
damper on those who wish to become lawful citizens of the United States. This essay serves as a guide
and collector of sources for researchers who choose to do research over the topic of illegal immigration.
It is a serious problem that needs addressing.

References
Borjas, G. (2013, April 1). Immirgation and the American Worker. Retrieved October 22, 2015,

from www.cis.org
Greenblatt, A. (2008). Immigration Debate. Retrieved October 21, 2015, from CQ Researcher.
Jenks, J., & Lauck, W. (1926). The immigration problem; a study of American immigration
conditions and needs, (6th ed.). New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
Jost, K. (2012). Immigration Conflict. CQ Researcher, 22(10). Retrieved October 22, 2015, from
CQ Researcher.
Katel, P. (2005). Illegal Immigration. 15(17). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from CQ Researcher.
Katel, P. (2014). Transnational Crime. 24(30). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from CQ Researcher.
McCutcheon, C. (2015). Latino Voters. 25(13). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from CQ
Researcher.
Passel, J. (2015). 5 Facts about Illegal Immigration in the U.S. Retrieved October 22, 2015, from
www.pewresearch.com
ProCon.org. (2015, April 2). Is Illegal Immigration an Economic Burden to America? Retrieved
from http://immigration.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000788
Wanlund, B. (2012). Changing Demographics. CQ Researcher, 22(41). Retrieved October 2015,
from CQ Researcher.