Today's New York Times has a story, mostly about the inconvenience of people who's social security numbers are used by illegal immigrants. The important point that I get is that all of these people are paying money into the Social Security system, with no plans to ever get any money out. That money is a significant subsidy to everyone else.
"It's basically a subsidy from migrant workers to the aggregate of American taxpayers," said Douglas S. Massey, a professor of sociology at Princeton who studies Mexican migration.
(See below for more)
Maria, 51, came from Mexico City illegally six years ago and bought a counterfeit green card and Social Security card through a friend for $180. She earns $6.50 an hour, and like most of the seven million working illegal immigrants in the United States, she pays income tax and Social Security tax. She agreed to be interviewed on the condition that her last name not be used.
"We know we'll never get it back," Maria said of the Social Security payments. "It's unfortunate, but it's a given."
They go on to discuss recommendations, from an official in the social security administration for a huge cross reference between the social security administration and law enforcement agencies to track these people down. Current law apparently prevents the social security administration from helping to prosecute illegal aliens.
This says to me that a real crack down on all of the law abiding undocumented workers in the United States will cause a major increase in the federal budget deficit, in addition to the direct cost of enforcement, and the incalculable human cost to both the undocumented workers, and their familes, customers, and co-workers.
The only real solution is to lift these people out of the shadows, so they can work and be productive members of society without living in fear, knowing that they have no recourse if their rights are violated. That is the only way to improve the employment conditions for both the undocumented workers, and the American citizens who work along side of them, sharing the burdon of the unfair employment practices that employers who exploit the undocumented are able to use.
The link (again) to the story on the Times's website: http://www.nytimes.com/...