Title: Illegal Aliens Taking U.S. Jobs
Headings: Illegal Aliens Taking U.S. Jobs
Illegal Aliens Taking U.S. Jobs
How Many Illegal Aliens Work in the U.S.?
Illegal Immigration is Not Necessary for the U.S. Economy

Content: Illegal Aliens Taking U.S. Jobs
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Illegal Aliens Taking U.S. Jobs
Illegal Aliens Taking U.S. Jobs
March 2020
Many illegal aliens come to the United States seeking an opportunity to work, and many are welcomed with open arms by U.S. employers who are able to hire them for wages lower than they would have to pay to hire U.S. workers. Although this employment is illegal under a 1986 law – known as the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) – some employers ignore the law and knowingly hire illegal workers nonetheless. Others do not properly vet employment documents and hire the illegal workers who apply using fake documents. This practice is made easier because there is no requirement to verify documents presented by workers, and because E-Verify remains voluntary on a nationwide basis, employers can rather easily evade compliance. The defenders of illegal aliens — ethnic advocacy groups, business lobbyists, and some religious organizations — often assert that illegal aliens only take jobs Americans “will not do.” This is patently false because they are working in jobs in which U.S. workers are also employed — whether in construction, agricultural harvesting, or service professions. In fact, as one study demonstrates, “of the 474 civilian occupations, only six are majority immigrant (legal and illegal).” When the hiring of illegal alien workers is prevalent in a sector of the economy, such as it is in seasonal crop agriculture, employers come to rely on illegal workers who will work for less in order to protect their bottom line. In turn, this depresses wages and working conditions for all workers in that occupation. For obvious reasons, these jobs and the wages offered become less attractive to U.S. workers who have other options.