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As we hear more and more about illegal immigration, and correlate that to the decline in the American economy, we simply conclude that illegal immigration is hurting the American economy. Too simply, in fact. The economy has also declined in correlation to the outsourcing of American jobs, the money spent fighting terrorism, and rising price of gas, which consequently increases the price of everything else.

Concluding illegal immigration hurts the American economy is overly simple in another way. If American jobs are being taken by illegal immigrants who are willing to do the work for less pay and no benefits, then, logically, they contribute to lower prices through lower labor costs. Perhaps we should care less about lower prices, and more about illegal immigration. However, the amount of time Americans use as consumers shopping for the lowest price, compared to the amount of time spent as citizens preventing illegal immigration, clearly shows we do not put our money where our mouths are.

If we consider the jobs Americans lost to employing illegal immigrants, we must also take into account the benefit of the lower prices and the money they spend in the market. There are societal issues that certainly makes illegal immigration a concern that needs to be dealt with. However, the thought that illegal immigration only hurts the economy is illogical. The bad must be weighed against the good to determine the net effect of illegal immigration on the economy, and, even if the net effect is negative, it is not as bad as the sum total of all the negatives.

There are cries that tens of millions of Mexicans have sneaked across the border over the years, and Americans will get the jobs they currently have if they are eliminated from society. Many American citizens suggest rounding illegal immigrants up, and sending them back to Mexico. However, when we consider the manpower to round them up, the facilities in which to detain them awaiting deportation, and the cost of transporting them back across the border, the costs are staggering. Unless we are willing to pay higher prices to compensate business for higher wages, and increase taxes significantly to pay for the cost of capture, detention, and deportation, we would actually damage the economy more putting forth this level of effort without a source of funding. If that is not sufficient reason to consider alternatives, another reason is that underneath their olive skin and nearly black hair lie the hearts and brains of human

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