Affects of Migration on the Us

Affects of Migration on the US

Migration (human) is the movement of people from one place in the world to another.1 In 2009 the US population was estimated at 307,212,1232 while persons obtaining legal permanent residents in the US totaled 1,130,818.3 Migration into the United States directly affects its stability in numerous ways, three of which we will explore further: Economic, Security, and Environmental.

Economic affects on US stability due to migration are both positive and negative. For example, for several years there has been a severe nursing shortage in US hospitals where experienced nurses from the Philippines have been able to fill the need when not enough Americans have been educated in the nursing filed.4 For those who migrate education is plentiful since “The US Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that all children, no matter their immigration status, have the right to attend a US public school from kindergarten through 12th grade.”5 Even local government resources are being pressured to train migrants in skills for jobs. Unfortunately job opportunities are not as plentiful. The economic affects on several industries such as farming and construction are stressing US citizens’ jobs and wages due to the desire for cheaper labor which migrants are willing to accept to send money back to their ‘home country’. Due to lower wages many jobs are displaced, unemployment rises, savings accounts dwindle, housing values decrease while families foreclose and the US economic spending decreases. We are seeing these economic affects now in the US, partially due to migration. Other factors include welfare costs, tax payments, incarceration expenses, medical costs and many more.

After 9/11 the security of the US became number one priority. Security resources have been relocated to increase focus on foreign boarders and update policy concerning migration. With high amounts of human migration increased violence and terrorist activity are of concern due to conflicts among merging groups. Even among US citizens who have been displaced from their homes due to unemployment ‘tent cities’ are not uncommon; giving terrorists the opportunity to prey on those starving for opportunity. Health and energy security is not growing as fast as migrants are moving into the US. As an example, the nurse and hospital bed shortage creating concern when the next pandemic hits. Prisons, traffic, crime rates, our health care and welfare systems are all affected by migration.

The US’s concern on environmental affects of increasing migration. The overall stress on natural resources is affected by the increase in population