Study: Legalizing undocumented adult Latinos would be boon to state's economy

[one...two...tree 2,762]

California could reap an economic boon worth $16 billion by legalizing its 1.8 million undocumented adult Latino immigrants, according to a USC study released today.

The economic benefits would come as newly legalized immigrants earned higher wages, spent more consumer dollars, paid more taxes and helped create jobs, according to the study by the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration.

"People keep using our economic condition as an excuse to not do comprehensive immigration reform," said Manuel Pastor, one of the study's authors. "It's just the opposite: What we need to do to right our economy and move forward is create a path to legalization."

But Steven Camarota of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies said that legalization would also cost taxpayers. He said the majority of illegal immigrants already pay taxes, but legalization would make them eligible for scores of public services, including welfare, unemployment insurance and non-emergency healthcare.

"Whatever the drain is now, it just gets bigger with legalization," he said.

The USC study did not examine the added costs in services to the state.

The study was released at a kickoff rally in Los Angeles to renew lobbying efforts for legalization, more worker and family visas and other elements of comprehensive immigration reform. Amid balloons, posters and lively cheers, several labor, religious and immigrant rights leaders spoke in favor of reform. Angelica Salas of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said activists plan to hold town halls, identify and register pro-reform voters, and visit all 53 congressional representatives and two senators in the next few months.

The California effort is part of a 50-state campaign to amass enough congressional votes for reform legislation by May 1.

--Teresa Watanabe

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[Gary and Alla 3,694]

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And another call for slave conscription. How ridiculous. Imagine, a bunch of illegal aliens (they are not "immigrants") that have no language skills, poor education and very limited work skills. They work cheap so they have a value as long as they are available (and able) to be treated as slaves and exploited accordingly by politicains and business alike...which IS the purpose of them being here.

Now you legalize them and now they have to compete for work with legal immigrants and US citizens who have language skills, education and greater ability for the minimum wage PLUS benefits. They cannot compete and have nothing to offer at that "price point". It is like Hyundai suddenly deciding they will increase their profits by raising their prices to the level of Mercedes. The illegal aliens/now legal immigrants do not have the skills to compete for even minimum wage. They will suddenly become jobless and on the public dole. There will be a new wave of illegal immigrants conscripted to replace the now leagl workers at the low wages and slave conditions. There will be a new wave of people dependent on the government.

It is the ongoing saga of slave labior in this country for the dual purpose of providing an underclass willing to work cheap for business and an underclass dependent on the governemtn to promote government control and power and bloated budgets. Win/win for both the parties. The only losers are the illegal aliens and legal immigrants kiscked around like soccer balls for everyone else's persoanl agenda. It is sickening.

Apply a $500,000 per day tax per illegal worker, sieze property to pay the tax and the abuse of humans in this country for the benefit of business and politicians will end. They will walk back to freedom the same way they arrived in slavery.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

There will be a new wave of illegal immigrants conscripted to replace the now leagl workers at the low wages and slave conditions.

That's the central point, isn't it? Politicians and businesses like to pretend that legalizing those here illegally now will somehow put an end to the issue of people entering and / or remaining here illegally. It won't. It hasn't in the past and it won't in the future. Until we implement a system that ensures that only those here legally are able to find employment, the stream of illegal migratin won't stop. Now, once such a system is in place, the problem of illegal aliens in the country will to a large degree take care of itself.