| Everyone in this country will benefit if | | | | now can apply for citizenship in less time |
| immigration reform is enacted and illegal | | | | without having to return home before |
| immigrants are legalized. This even includes | | | | applying. Many immigrants place a high value |
| the people who insist they should all be | | | | on training and education available through |
| deported. Almost every aspect of our lives | | | | the military. When citizenship requirements |
| will be affected positively. | | | | are eased, more immigrants will sign up, |
| | | | which will help enlistment numbers. |
| We all agree that people should not be in | | | | |
| this country illegally. We agree that we have | | | | All immigrants realize they would have an |
| to document the people entering and leaving | | | | easier time if they spoke and understood |
| our country. But the people who are against | | | | English, but since they are here illegally |
| reform should consider that legalizing these | | | | and could be deported at any moment, there is |
| people will benefit the whole country; the | | | | little incentive to learn. If the |
| military, Social Security, our economy, | | | | undocumented people were given legal status |
| education, even our national security. | | | | and one of the requirements for them to stay |
| | | | were to learn English, they would have a much |
| The most immediate benefit would be to | | | | better reason to study and learn. |
| business. Our unemployment rate is below 4.5% | | | | |
| -- and 10% of our work force is undocumented. | | | | Many benefits will occur if all legal |
| With so few people out of work now, there | | | | residents are required to know our national |
| would not be enough available workers to | | | | language: the lines in the grocery store and |
| replace these people if they were suddenly | | | | bank move faster, neighbors can discuss |
| deported. Our birthrate is low, our | | | | problems, we'll have safer traffic when |
| population is aging and the workforce is | | | | everyone can read the signs, women can report |
| shrinking. | | | | domestic violence, parents and teachers can |
| | | | discuss a child's progress, problems can be |
| If farmers can't hire enough workers to plant | | | | discussed with a doctor and contracts and |
| or harvest, they would close, more of our | | | | agreements will be understood. |
| food would be imported along with safety | | | | |
| concerns and it would be more expensive. | | | | The high school dropout rate for immigrant |
| Hotels, motels, restaurants and landscape | | | | children is very high. They know that even if |
| companies would close. Even with the slowdown | | | | they do well in school, they won't be able to |
| in the construction industry, there wouldn't | | | | attend college at a price they can afford. If |
| be enough workers left to build and repair | | | | they manage to get a college degree, they |
| houses. The factories that could outsource | | | | can't get a good job because they are here |
| their work overseas would do that, rather | | | | illegally. The only jobs they can get are in |
| than close, but many would have to close. | | | | hotels, restaurants, farms and others that |
| This would lead to unemployment of the legal | | | | are low wage. This defeats the purpose of |
| workers in those companies. Besides these | | | | their education and our country loses the |
| work force problems, there would be a smaller | | | | benefits of these young people educated in |
| tax base for those towns and the country. | | | | our schools. |
| | | | |
| A major benefit would be to Social Security. | | | | If undocumented people are offered legal |
| Fifty years ago, it took 20 workers to keep | | | | status, they would have to register with the |
| enough tax money flowing in to keep a retiree | | | | government, fill out an application, be |
| on Social Security. By 2030 there will only | | | | finger printed and have a background check |
| be two workers to cover each retiree. All the | | | | before receiving an I.D. card. People who |
| baby boomers will be in that group of | | | | fail these tests would be deported. We will |
| retirees and more will be getting ready to | | | | all be safer when this happens and we could |
| retire. Add the fact that people are living | | | | all rest easier knowing residents had been |
| much longer and it's easy to see why we need | | | | identified and investigated. And more drug |
| more young workers now. We also need a steady | | | | smugglers would be caught when border guards |
| supply of young workers coming into the | | | | don't have to chase poor men, women and |
| system. The young immigrant workers who are | | | | children trying to come in to work and live. |
| already here may be the answer to the Social | | | | |
| Security funding problems of the future. | | | | There are many reasons why we need |
| | | | immigration reform and why we all should be |
| Our military would benefit: there are almost | | | | happy when we get it. Even the people who |
| 30,000 non citizens now on active duty in the | | | | insist we should deport millions of people |
| U.S. military. The waiting period for | | | | here now. Everyone will benefit when we get a |
| citizenship for immigrants in the military | | | | comprehensive immigration reform package |
| has been decreased and active duty immigrants | | | | passed. |