I need some talking points...links? rebuttles?

[fencesitter]

There is a local radio station with a talk show in the AM in my town. Nearly every other day, someone is calling in about illegal aliens. It's a crisis! we need a wall! round 'em all up and send them back! They're driving down wages, getting free healthcare, collecting welfare, sending their kids to our taxpayer funded schools and they don't pay taxes! I'm getting really sick of it and I would just love to come back with something that would make these xenophobes go "huh?". My response of this issue is being overblown to distract you from real issues isn't working.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. They Pay More in Taxes Than They Receive in Services

Most tax revenue raised from the poor and the middle class is in the form of Social Security, which is withheld by employers and sent to the feds. Illegals pay Social Security, but they rarely or never end up receiving it. Studies have shown that illegals end up as a net moneymaker for the feds via this mechanism.

That being said - I do believe that illegal immigration is bad. I'm all in favor of upping the amount of legal immigration, but illegal immigration is... well, illegal, and there are good reasons to control it.

[Virginia Dare]

2. First fundamental question...

Why do they come?

Second fundamental question:

Who is hiring them?

Third fundamental question:

Why are the companies that are hiring them getting away with it?

[dennisnyc]

3. try Lakoff

I found this article very interesting:

http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/immigration

Lakoff reframing the Immigration debate

Also, remember that the Repubs have been in power for 6 years w/o opposition and have done nothing. It is OBVIOUS that they only want to stoke fear and not solve any problems.

[Cerridwen]

4. A couple for you...

current (mis)administration's lack of enforcement

In 1999, under President Bill Clinton, the US government collected $3.69 million in fines from 890 companies for employing undocumented workers. In 2004, under President George Bush, the federal government collected $188,500 from 64 companies for such illegal employment practices. And in 2004, the Bush Administration levied NO fines for US companies employing undocumented workers. link

how businesses benefit and how illegal immigrants contribute to our economy

Having a sub-minimum wage working class in this country has the effect of benefiting business.

<snip>


"It creates a group of people do not demand, for the most part, do not demand their rights as American workers," San Miguel said.

<snip>

"The employers prefer to hire undocumented workers because they are more manageable," San Miguel said.

<snip>

University of Houston history professor John Hart said what counts is immigrants' contributions to the economy. He estimates undocumented laborers contribute $540 to $590 billion a year to the economy.link

businesses recruit illegal immigrants as cheap labor

His story is not unusual. A growing number of U.S. employers and migrants are tapping into an underground employment network that matches one with the other, often before the migrants leave home.

<snip>

As debate over immigration heats up in the United States, more and more U.S. companies in need of cheap labor are turning to undocumented employees to recruit friends and relatives back home, and to smugglers to find job seekers. link

Hope these'll get you started.

[fencesitter]

6. Excellent.

Thank you.

[Cerridwen]

7. Glad to help.

The links I posted had some good info; don't forget to click.

:D

[warrens]

5. Ask a strawberry grower on the West Coast

Half his crop didn't get picked this year because illegals are too nervous to come across the border for temp work.

There are cases to be made on both sides, but without illegals, our agricultural industry is in big, big trouble. Not to mention restaurants and virtually every other step in the food supply.