Myths About Illegal Immigration

by Dr. Jameson Taylor - February 13th, 2008 - John W. Pope Civitas Institute

Myth #10: Illegal immigration is necessary to prevent the Social Security and Medicaid systems from running out of money.

Response: According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the average age of immigrants (both legal and illegal) in the United States is “40.5 years compared to 35.9 years for the average native.” The average age of new arrivals (since 2000) is 29.4 years. All this is to say that immigration will have little positive impact on the elderly-dependency ratio or on the viability of Social Security. Thus the Social Security Advisory Board cautions that while the “entry of immigrants and their fertility rates will have some mitigating effect on the overall aging of the population,” the impact “is likely to be very slight.”

This is an important addition to the dialog about illegal immigration in America. I recommend you read all 10 myths and the responses.