A recent research report released by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) indicates that legalizing the status of approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States would neither increase their income nor take away job opportunities from Americans, as low-skilled undocumented immigrants rarely transition to high-paying jobs after obtaining legal status.
The author of this report, titled "Immigration Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects," is PPIC researcher Laura Hill. She stated, "We did not find any change in wages for undocumented immigrants after they obtained legal status." She further added, "The reason they do not secure better jobs is likely due to their low skill levels rather than their lack of legal status. We believe this suggests that employers do not discriminate against undocumented immigrants, as they pay the same wages to employees regardless of their legal status."
Data from the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C., shows that approximately two-thirds of undocumented immigrants, or about 8 million people, are working adults.
Undocumented immigrants account for 10% of the workforce in California. Claire, CEO of the Coachella Valley Immigration Services and Assistance organization in Palm Springs, California, stated that undocumented immigrants play an indispensable role in the prosperity of the local economy. He said, "Unfortunately, there is a shortage of labor for certain jobs that Americans are unwilling to do, and undocumented immigrants effectively supplement the U.S. labor force."
The PPIC also found that 87% of undocumented immigrants who crossed the border illegally and 91% of those who overstayed their visas filed federal taxes in the year prior to obtaining legal status.
The income of undocumented immigrants is lower than that of legal immigrants. The income of those who crossed the border illegally is 33% lower than that of legal immigrants, while the income of those who overstayed their visas is 13% lower than that of legal residents. However, this disparity is primarily caused by skill levels and demographic factors, particularly education. Among employees without legal status, half crossed the border illegally, with 60% lacking a high school diploma; in contrast, those without a high school diploma account for 23% of visa overstayers and 21% of legal immigrant employees.
