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