Perhaps this is the case, but I don't see how they'd be able to receive a tax refund. Taxes paid using a bogus SSN (which does happen) cannot be attributed to an actual account, as such those refunds can never be claimed. It simply goes into an special account, which last I checked exceeds $450 million because it can't be paid out. One could argue that since they're in this country illegally, they have no right to that money anyway, since they're employed illegally. Though, the problem also lies with companies that knowingly hire them, etc.
My father immigrated to the U.S. while he was teenager, but he did it the legal way. I realize it's a difficult and long process to be naturalized, but it certainly seems better than constantly worrying about being deported because you're in the country illegally. So, I can empathize with them, but I don't really have any sympathy for them.
In any case, it's certainly not a black and white issue.
Either way you slice it you end supporting the claim that illegal immigrants not only pay taxes, they pay MORE taxes than anyone else in their tax bracket because they cant receive the refund of their money like most americans under that bracket.
That government recognizes this, and therefore tacitly allows such activity because it is a nice wellhead of free cash for the system.
And of course they have a "right" to that money, that is another huge fallacy.
Illegal Immigrants have broken one law, thats it. A clerical law that they break out of sheer necessity, not out of malice or criminal behavior.
If i download an episode of Mad Men tonight should i then forfeit my tax refund next year since i broke a law?
They worked hard for that money, much harder than i work for mine, and they do it thankfully because they know that the little money they make goes a long ways towards making a better life for them and their family.
Of course they deserve that refund check, its money they have overpaid to the government.
And i would help them get that money. (Its not impossible as you might think).
My father immigrated the legal way too. And after he immigrated legally he illegally overstayed that tourist visa.
My mother came here "legally" too. Legally as in she didnt wade through a river, walk in the hot sun in the desert, or traverse any sort of hill country.
No, she just sat in the passenger seat as my dad drove in, she waived at the border patrol agent and came right in.
"Are you an American ciitizen"
"Yes" she answered.
That was that.
See you cant compare what happened in the past with the reality of today.
You cant say "well my parents came here legally, or they didnt cross the border illegally, or at least they didnt crawl through some gutter or pay some coyote to smuggle them through", etc...
Thats because getting a tourist/student/worker/etc... visa was inexpensive and easy as pie.
As was simply crossing into this country at the border checkpoint without even knowing any English past the phrase "American Citizen".
Please, do me this favor... try to find out how a 25 year old guy from some dirt poor village in southern Mexico is going to get any sort of visa to legally enter the US.
Do the research.
You will find out that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the majority of people in these Latin American countries to legally enter the US.
Visas are restricted by how much money you make, if you own property of any value, if you have a college education, if you are more european looking than native, and other factors that reward visas only to people from good families, with good educations, good jobs, and good land.
These countries dont want their citizens to stay in the US full time, they dont want to lose their citizens and potential tax revenues to another country. That is why they restrict visas to those who they dont deem to be a risk of not coming back.
That is why a poor person would never get a visa, the incentive to stay in the US is too great.
Of course you could always pay a large upfront sum of money and bribe the person that hands out the visas... but if you are a poor laborer who just wants to come to the US to work hard, pick some strawberries in Fresno, and better his lot in life, that aint going to be happening unless you illegally cross the border.
Now go back to your parents and ask them how easy it was to get a visa so they could come to the US?
Things were a lot easier back then.
