Carrying Capacity Network Action Alert Bush Administration Pushes for Illegal Alien Amnesty Again! Devastating Effects for American Workers, Taxpayers and Citizens

February 2005

The new session of Congress is barely underway and the Bush Administration is already pushing once again for a so-called "Guest-Worker" plan with the Mexican government. This euphemistically titled plan would reward immigrants who have broken the law and entered our country illegally, by giving an estimated 18 million or more illegal aliens amnesty.

Under the current proposed plan, illegal immigrants now living in the U.S. would be given a three-year temporary work VISA, which could be extended indefinitely, and would lead to permanent resident alien status. There is no way to ensure that participants in this program will merely be guests of our country and then leave. The Bush "guest-worker" proposal is nothing but a thinly-disguised amnesty which, if passed, will have devastating impact on our country.

Impact on American Workers

- An estimated 15 million United States citizens are currently unemployed and millions more have given up searching for jobs altogether.
- American workers lose a staggering $190 billion annually in wage depression due to mass immigration, with an average reduction of $1,700 annually for native-born workers. (Borjas, Harvard University)
- All of the decline in net employment over the 2000-2003 period was borne by native-born workers. Native-born men were found to face the greatest job competition. (Sum et al., Center for Labor Studies at Northeastern University)
- Since January of 2001, Hispanic employment is up 13.3 percent while non-Hispanic employment has only risen 0.2 percent. (American Worker Index, VDARE.COM)

- All of the decline in net employment over the 2000-2003 period was borne by native-born workers. Native-born men were found to face the greatest job competition. (Sum et al., Center for Labor Studies at Northeastern University)
- Since January of 2001, Hispanic employment is up 13.3 percent while non-Hispanic employment has only risen 0.2 percent. (American Worker Index, VDARE.COM)

Fiscal Costs of Immigration to American Taxpayers

- Net cumulative costs from immigration for the 1998-2007 decade are projected to reach $932 billion (after subtracting taxes paid by immigrants), an average of about $93.2 billion per year. (Huddle, Rice University)
- Analysis of the latest Census data indicates that California's illegal immigrant population is costing the state's taxpayers more than $10.5 billion per year for education, medical care and incarceration. (Camarota, Center for Immigration Studies)

Immigration, Border Security and Terrorism

- "Think about it. If an impoverished, uneducated Mexican can come wandering across the border unchallenged, consider how much easier it is for a well-financed, well trained terrorist to do exactly the same thing." (T.J. Bonner, National Border Patrol Council)
- "‘If someone wants to come here to cause harm or terrorism, he can , ' said a 10-year inspector who insisted on anonymity for fear of agency retaliation." (Orlando Sentinel, "Security at airports sees slow change")
- "The massive flow of people across U.S. Borders makes exclusion of all foreign terrorists impossible." (The National Commission on Terrorism, June, 2000)

Population Explosion if Amnesty Passes

- Since 2000, at least 6.1 million new immigrants have arrived, compared to the 5.5 million who arrived between 1996-2000, during the economic expansion. (Center for Immigration Studies)
- " . . . between March 2000 and March 2004, the Mexican immigrant population in the USA increased by 2.1 million. Over the last four years only 708,000 green cards went to Mexican immigrants."(Center for Immigration Studies)
- Illegal immigrants in the United States actually number between 18 million and 20 million. (Robert Justich, Bear Stearns Asset Management)
If amnesty is given, those numbers do not account for the number of family members that would follow suit and come to live and work in the U.S. as they would already have a place to stay. It would mean adding 54-60 million immigrants to the number of immigrants already illegally here in the country, given that the average Mexican has a family of 4.

Generous legal immigration policies encourage illegal immigration because once established, legal immigrants become a magnet for friends and family who want to move to the U.S. but don't want to wait for a green card. With President Bush virtually making legal all the illegal residents in the United States, there will be an even larger influx of illegal immigration into the country than there has been in recent years.

Urgent! Act Now:

1) Call, write and fax your senators and representative today and tell them that you do not want "earned legalization," a "guest worker program" or other disguised amnesty for illegals in any form. Tell them that the solution to the illegal immigration problem is strict enforcement of our laws against illegal immigration and a moratorium on legal immigration. Advocacy for a moratorium on legal immigration creates leverage that allows other good bills to pass and is a solid, consistent defense against the bad immigration bills that are routinely floated – for example, versions of amnesty for illegal aliens.
2) Tell them that a moratorium on all immigration in excess of 100,000 per year is essential to reducing illegal immigration and stabilizing the U.S. population.
You can reach your senators and representative by calling the Congressional switchboard at (202)224-3121 or by writing:

FAX and E-mail contact information for your legislators can be found at www.congress.org.
3) Help us intensify our efforts to stop the amnesty by using the enclosed business reply envelope to send a special donation to CCN today. You can also make a secure on-line donation at www.carryingcapacity.org.
4) Help us multiply our clout by giving a gift membership to a friend or family member who may not be familiar with the variety of "costs" of legal and illegal immigration.