Enforcing immigration laws benefits American workers, taxpayers | Steven Camarota

The reasons for enforcing the law go well beyond deporting criminals. When undocumented immigrants leave or are deported, the rule of law is restored. Less-educated American workers also win, as do taxpayers. It keeps the size of the foreign-born population within reasonable limits, facilitating assimilation.

In its detailed 2017 review of the academic literature, the National Academies of Sciences found that immigration reduces wages for some American workers, particularly the least educated and poorest.

It is difficult to tease out the specific effects of illegal immigration. But the Center for Migration Studies and Migration Policy Institute estimate that a majority of undocumented immigrants have no education beyond high school. The documented immigrants and U.S.-born workers facing competition from undocumented immigrants tend to be the least educated and poorest. 

Undocumented immigration has also allowed politicians, businesses and society to ignore the huge decline in work among less-educated U.S.-born men. In 1960, 7% of non-institutionalized U.S.-born men ages 20 to 64 without a college degree were not in the labor force, meaning neither working nor looking for work, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. By 2000, it was 16%. In 2025, it was 21%. 

This deterioration is linked to profound social problems, from crime to overdose deaths. Enforcing immigration laws will help raise wages and draw some of these men back into the labor force. It also will help create the incentive to undertake the difficult reforms necessary to address this problem. After all, why should our leaders care about these men if undocumented immigrant workers are available?

Using undocumented immigration to hold down wages is neither fair nor wise.

Undocumented immigrants also impose high costs on taxpayers. A recent analysis of government data by my colleague Karen Zeigler and I estimated that a majority of households headed by undocumented immigrants use one or more welfare programs. Typically, undocumented immigrants receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children, who are awarded American citizenship and full welfare eligibility at birth. They also can access some programs directly.

Undocumented immigrants don't use the welfare system because they are lazy. Most actually work. Rather, they or their children qualify for means-tested programs because their low average educational levels result in lower incomes.

It also means their tax contributions tend to be modest, even when they are paid on the books. 

The National Academy of Sciences study showed educational attainment is the single best predictor of an immigrant’s income, use of public services and tax payments. Given the education level of most undocumented immigrants, they are a large net fiscal drain, even though some do pay taxes.

Beyond keeping out violent criminals, Washington has sound reasons for numerical limits and selection criteria for undocumented immigrants. These include protecting American workers, avoiding fiscal costs and keeping the overall numbers low enough to facilitate assimilation. Sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants undermine these goals and have an adverse effect on the rule of law.