Honest Concerns About Immigration

I am unapologetically in favor of increased immigration into the United States. Of course I prefer it to be done legally, but when that option is unnecessarily difficult, I sympathize with illegal immigration. It is one of the primary reasons the American culture and economy are great. However, an important part of political debate is presenting the benefits and being honest about the costs. So here is a list of some real flaws with increased immigration:

1) If all limitations to immigration are done away with we could theoretically have billions of immigrants. Why be a poor farmer in India when you be a rich (comparably) dishwasher in America. This would very likely drive down wages for some, especially unskilled, workers. After all the only difference between unskilled Americans and the rest of the world is location. Unskilled Americans benefit that there are some jobs that have to be done domestically.

2) This would shift the world's vast inequality to America's shore. The average wage in America would go from $48,000 to $9,000, though most at the bottom would be new immigrants who would be making more than before. The evidence is unclear, but there is a real safety concern that comes with extreme rich and poor living in close quarters. Also, it's not something the poor want (since comparative wealth is what most people care about). Nor is it what the rich want (since seeing the poor is burdensome).

3) There would be an unequal amount of  one race/nationality, namely Mexico. Because of its relatively close location to America's border and it has relative poverty, there would be (and is) a disproportionate amount of Hispanic immigration. This could lead to a strong division in America. Most immigrants to America assimilate quickly because there are huge benefits to doing so. But if the numbers are large enough and your homeland is close enough, there's a chance the transition would take longer.

4) If Mexican immigrants become a significant portion of the American population, it's feasible that they would  see themselves as more Mexican than American. That is what happened 150 years ago when Mexico liberalized its immigration policy to Texas, something it later regretted. It not only creates political tension, but also racial tension. For better or worse, people prefer to be around people who are like them. Worst case scenario is somewhere between a civil war and Mexican terrorists.

5) There would be an increase cost to social programs compared to the increase in taxpayer money. Most immigrants would be poor, so they would likely take more than they give to the government. Everything from the cost of having more poor (Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment insurance, etc) to bilingual education. In a nation where we want basic necessities to be had by all, this is a real concern.

Like most political changes increased immigration would not be a complete improvement in the lives of all people at all times. Anyone telling you otherwise is being disingenuous. There would be a transfer of wealth from the American uneducated and poor to the world's uneducated and poor. However, I'm confident the benefits to both current and future American citizens would be well worth the previously described costs. Our world is changing faster than it ever has before and that means more improvement, but it also means more painful transition.