U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Falsehoods on Immigration – Part 5



The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has put up a website giving what it calls “10 Immigration Facts Everyone Can Agree To.” The so-called facts are both falsehoods and half-truths. Here is their #5:

U.S. Chamber’s Myth: “Immigrants hurt communities that are struggling economically.”

U.S. Chamber’s Fact: “Immigrants have economically revitalized many communities throughout the country.”

FAIR’s Fact:

A distinction has to be made as to whom you are talking about. There are high-earning immigrants who are an economic benefit to any community, however unemployed and underemployed Americans are often adversely affected by mass illegal and legal immigration – which hurts struggling communities. Illegal aliens almost always represent a fiscal burden on a community, especially if they have children in public schools, and if their children are born in the United States and are eligible for welfare benefits. The Senate legislation backed by the U.S. Chamber (S.744) would put the estimated 12 million illegal residents on a path to gaining the same welfare benefits as those U.S.-born children. In addition, the experience of the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens clearly demonstrated that the amnesty led to an increase in illegal immigration.

About Author

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Jack, who joined FAIR’s National Board of Advisors in 2017, is a retired U.S. diplomat with consular experience. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform and has authored studies of immigration issues. His national and international print, TV, and talk radio experience is extensive (including in Spanish).

4 Comments

  1. avatar

    Hard to believe that immigrants have “revitalized communities” when the Census Bureau recently released a study that figured “true poverty”, based on wages paid vs. cost of living. California, the home of most immigrants in numbers as well as percentage of population, had the most people in poverty. A lot of the traditional “poor” states like Mississippi came out ahead of them.

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  3. avatar
    cynthia curran on

    Like I say robots, robots, robots, the amnesty isn’t gong thru because the right and left disagree. The path is to destroy jobs of illegal immigrants by going to automation and robots. Its started to happen right now. Support more people in the US working online and less likely to have jobs that hire them. Kiosks and burger flipping machines are going in. I robot is cutting down on some of the cleaning jobs. San Diego introducing a robot to cut into farm work.

  4. avatar

    Detroit’s Bankruptcy

    Had nothing to do with America’s overpopulation rising unemployment and outsourcing. Bringing in more of the same will not make it worse?

    The Chamber of Commerce needs to wake up and smell the coffee.