Illegal Immigration & Healthcare

Illegal Immigration & Healthcare

Western International University

COM 112 Utilizing Information in College Writing

April 30, 2006

Illegal Immigration & Healthcare

For many people around the world, immigration to the United States is just a dream. Those who have already legally immigrated to the US have found the dream. Many illegal immigrants dislike the label but that is what they are. When an immigrant enters the country without permission from the American government that immigrant is illegal. Without proper healthcare screening these illegal immigrants can bring in diseases we have long since wiped out into our country. They are and will continue to be a major health risk to the American people.

In an article written by Congressman Elton Gallegly says “Illegal immigration is the number one reason our healthcare is on life support.” (Gallegly 2005). Just by definition illegal immigrants are here because they entered our country illegally and without permission. It is an accepted idea that illegal immigrants do not have healthcare and when they become sick the seek emergency room assistance (Gallegly 2005). With healthcare insurance skyrocketing many Americans are going without this insurance just to survive.

The pro-illegal immigration folks say that America benefits because many of the jobs that these illegal immigrants take are jobs that Americans do not want. Without these foreign workers the opponents say our economy would come to a screeching halt and they plan to do it on May 1st. But the illegal immigrants are not the enemy of the American people; it is the corporation who exploit these poor people. If an American worker wants a job currently performed by an illegal alien they have two choices: they can turn that person in but that would not guarantee them the job or they can agree to work for less. When they work for less it usually means that they will not have health benefits. Without benefits illegal immigrants use taxpayer hospital treatment. Illegal immigrants also do not contribute to social security, Medicare, federal, state, or local taxes.

If the president gets his way all these illegal immigrants will enter our country only using a work permit (Haver 2004). He also has proposed a road to legalization and wonders how can we carry out this great task? What of the people who are already in line to become legal immigrants. The question is what happens when you have 10 to 20 million applications hit the USCIS at one time? How will we fund such an undertaking and how will we manage the workload? The cost is going to be another burden on the American people because many of these people will need legal counsel. Just as an example a legal fiancÐ"© visa currently take anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Who is going to pay all the fees? Currently a fiancÐ"© visa application and processing is upwards of 600.00 including vaccines and that just gets you in the country. If you want to become a permanent resident it will cost you another 400 dollars for an AOS or adjustment of status.