Illegal immigration and its negative impact on American workers gets a lot of attention, but a new report says legal immigration might be just as detrimental. The research examined multiple EEOC cases and found a disturbing trend. "There are numerous cases---I found 21 of them alone---in which employers are accused of openly favoring foreign-born workers over native-born workers in low-skilled industries like farming, trucking or warehouses," says policy analyst Jason Richwine.
Richwine tells KTRH that the pattern of discrimination was broad and distinct. "These cases are not accidental...there is a very systematic attempt to get around employment discrimination laws and replace native workers with foreign-born workers," he says.
Companies have many reasons to hire immigrants over American workers. "(Companies) find that immigrant workers tend to be more pliable, in the sense that they'll work for less and they'll put up with worse job conditions," says Richwine. "As a result, native-born workers in the same industries as new immigrant workers certainly suffer downward pressure on wages and working conditions, and even their own job security."
According to the statistics, an estimated four million Americans join the workforce every year out of high school or college, but another 2.6 million legal immigrants and visa holders also enter the workforce to compete with them---and that's not accounting for illegal immigrants.