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39 J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare 111 (2012)
Fear vs. Facts: Examining the Economic Impact of Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.

handle is hein.journals/jrlsasw39 and id is 709 raw text is: Fear vs. Facts: Examining the Economic Impact
of Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.
DAVID BECERRA
DAVID K. ANDROFF
CECILIA AYON
Arizona State University
School of Social Work
JASON T. CASTILLO
University of Utah
College of Social Work
Undocumented immigration has become a contentious issue in
the U.S. over the past decade. Opponents of undocumented im-
migration have argued that undocumented immigrants are a social
and financial burden to the U.S. which has led to the passage of
drastic and costly policies. This paper examined existing state and
national data and found that undocumented immigrants do con-
tribute to the economies of federal, state, and local governments
through taxes and can stimulate job growth, but the cost of provid-
ing law enforcement, health care, and education impacts federal,
state, and local governments differently. At the federal level, un-
documented immigrants tend to contribute more money in taxes
than they consume in services, however, the net economic costs or
benefits to state and local governments varies throughout the U.S.
Key words: immigration, undocumented immigration, social
work, policy, Latinos, economy
Despite the recent reported decrease in undocumented im-
migrants living in the U.S., undocumented immigration to the
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, December 2012, Volume XXXIX, Number 4

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