ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Karina Patel is a junior majoring in Photojournalism. She was raised in Daly City and is currently residing in San Bruno with her family. She wrote this editorial for her ENG 214 class with Jennifer Beach and she enjoyed the whole process of researching this subject. She became interested in the topic when she read Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas, which she recommends anyone read.
Karina Patel is a junior majoring in Photojournalism. She was raised in Daly City and is currently residing in San Bruno with her family. She wrote this editorial for her ENG 214 class with Jennifer Beach and she enjoyed the whole process of researching this subject. She became interested in the topic when she read Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas, which she recommends anyone read.
Undocumented citizens have always been a controversial topic, but it is safe to say that right now it is something that almost everyone is talking about and is a main issue for our government. The problem specifically is about how many people assume undocumented citizens are these huge criminals who are hiding and using up the U.S.’s resources. This idea has been fueled by the current administration, claiming that undocumented citizens are a drain to the economy and that they evade taxes because they are not citizens. This got me thinking if that was true. Everyone who works in the United States must pay an income tax. How can that be avoided? Well, some undocumented workers work under the table jobs, jobs that only pay in cash and have no paper trail. However, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy state that as of 2013, 11.2 million undocumented immigrants were paying taxes. So how and why are undocumented citizens paying taxes?
If they are going to work in this country to prove they can be of value, then they have every right to obtain these benefits.
You need a Social Security number to pay income tax and work legally. If you do not have a Social Security number, then you can get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a number that allows undocumented citizens to legally pay taxes even if they are working illegally. I learned from an article called “Undocumented Citizens Pay Taxes too, Here’s how They Do It”, written by Alexia Fernández Campbell and published by Vox, a news website, that undocumented citizens try their best to pay taxes because they hope it will get them citizenship. There are not many studies around why undocumented citizens pay their taxes, but there have been cases where some were granted citizenship because they paid taxes, showing that they contributed to the country and will continue to do so in the future. Those who pay their taxes might mean a chance at becoming a citizen in the future explains Hunter Hallman in “How Do Undocumented Immigrants Pay Federal Taxes? An Explainer.” At least that is the hope. The sad thing is that all these undocumented workers are paying taxes that they may never benefit from. Social Security and Medicare are the main programs that income tax is funded by. Undocumented immigrants do not benefit from either of these programs because they are not citizens. Yet in the year 2013, the Social Security Association found that undocumented citizens contributed $13 billion dollars to Social Security according to Campbell. Social Security is a trust fund that provides economic stability to retirees, people over the age of 65, give or take, who are no longer working and earning money. This however is something only documented citizens can benefit from, even though the undocumented population has paid into this fund just as much as every legal working citizen. On the other hand, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, allowing undocumented citizens to work legally would increase their state and local tax contributions. This means they would get paid more because of their legal status therefore contribute more to taxes and would be able to reap the benefits that come with paying taxes.
There are people out there who disagree with these findings and disagree that undocumented workers do in fact contribute more than they benefit in this system. And I think it is not the facts that they necessarily disagree with. It is the fear of having ‘outsiders’ in their space. Uncomfortable with the notion that they might stir up trouble in their neighborhood. Or bring whatever they were running from into this country. Something that is important for everyone to know is that undocumented citizens work hard every day for the future and safety of their children, the same as everyone else in this country does. There are people from all over the world wanting to live here so that they have a chance to live better and happier lives. We are all the same, whether someone is documented or not. Our parents came here for the same reason undocumented citizens came here, for a better future for their family and children. This country is where there are opportunities to thrive and succeed, we should be proud and welcome everyone who wants to come here because they are promoting and benefitting this country in doing so.
It is clear that undocumented citizens contribute to the economy. What needs to happen now is a way to legalize these workers so they could contribute even more as well as be able to receive benefits like Social Security and Medicare. Not only do workers benefit our economy, it provides hard working people the benefits that they deserve to have. If they are going to work in this country to prove they can be of value, then they have every right to obtain these benefits. There needs to be a way for undocumented workers to become citizens. The immigration system we currently have is not working, otherwise there would not be as many undocumented workers as there are today. Those who are here illegally but have been and are paying income and other federal taxes should have a chance to become a citizen. They have worked hard for this, and it is not hurting anyone to let them become citizens, so why not make the process for those already here and contributing easier?
Works Cited“Undocumented Immigrants’ State and Local Tax Contributions.” Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, July 2013.
Campbell, Alexia Fernández. “Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes Too. Here's How They Do It.” Vox, 17 Apr. 2017.
Hallman, Hunter. “How Do Undocumented Immigrants Pay Federal Taxes? An Explainer.” Bipartisan Policy Center, 28 Mar. 2018.
If they are going to work in this country to prove they can be of value, then they have every right to obtain these benefits.
You need a Social Security number to pay income tax and work legally. If you do not have a Social Security number, then you can get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a number that allows undocumented citizens to legally pay taxes even if they are working illegally. I learned from an article called “Undocumented Citizens Pay Taxes too, Here’s how They Do It”, written by Alexia Fernández Campbell and published by Vox, a news website, that undocumented citizens try their best to pay taxes because they hope it will get them citizenship. There are not many studies around why undocumented citizens pay their taxes, but there have been cases where some were granted citizenship because they paid taxes, showing that they contributed to the country and will continue to do so in the future. Those who pay their taxes might mean a chance at becoming a citizen in the future explains Hunter Hallman in “How Do Undocumented Immigrants Pay Federal Taxes? An Explainer.” At least that is the hope. The sad thing is that all these undocumented workers are paying taxes that they may never benefit from. Social Security and Medicare are the main programs that income tax is funded by. Undocumented immigrants do not benefit from either of these programs because they are not citizens. Yet in the year 2013, the Social Security Association found that undocumented citizens contributed $13 billion dollars to Social Security according to Campbell. Social Security is a trust fund that provides economic stability to retirees, people over the age of 65, give or take, who are no longer working and earning money. This however is something only documented citizens can benefit from, even though the undocumented population has paid into this fund just as much as every legal working citizen. On the other hand, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, allowing undocumented citizens to work legally would increase their state and local tax contributions. This means they would get paid more because of their legal status therefore contribute more to taxes and would be able to reap the benefits that come with paying taxes.
There are people out there who disagree with these findings and disagree that undocumented workers do in fact contribute more than they benefit in this system. And I think it is not the facts that they necessarily disagree with. It is the fear of having ‘outsiders’ in their space. Uncomfortable with the notion that they might stir up trouble in their neighborhood. Or bring whatever they were running from into this country. Something that is important for everyone to know is that undocumented citizens work hard every day for the future and safety of their children, the same as everyone else in this country does. There are people from all over the world wanting to live here so that they have a chance to live better and happier lives. We are all the same, whether someone is documented or not. Our parents came here for the same reason undocumented citizens came here, for a better future for their family and children. This country is where there are opportunities to thrive and succeed, we should be proud and welcome everyone who wants to come here because they are promoting and benefitting this country in doing so.
It is clear that undocumented citizens contribute to the economy. What needs to happen now is a way to legalize these workers so they could contribute even more as well as be able to receive benefits like Social Security and Medicare. Not only do workers benefit our economy, it provides hard working people the benefits that they deserve to have. If they are going to work in this country to prove they can be of value, then they have every right to obtain these benefits. There needs to be a way for undocumented workers to become citizens. The immigration system we currently have is not working, otherwise there would not be as many undocumented workers as there are today. Those who are here illegally but have been and are paying income and other federal taxes should have a chance to become a citizen. They have worked hard for this, and it is not hurting anyone to let them become citizens, so why not make the process for those already here and contributing easier?
Works Cited“Undocumented Immigrants’ State and Local Tax Contributions.” Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, July 2013.
Campbell, Alexia Fernández. “Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes Too. Here's How They Do It.” Vox, 17 Apr. 2017.
Hallman, Hunter. “How Do Undocumented Immigrants Pay Federal Taxes? An Explainer.” Bipartisan Policy Center, 28 Mar. 2018.