The immigration issue (YouTube Republican debate)

[bkholdem]

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So what's everyone bitching about then? I always assumed illegals didn't pay taxes.

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Exactly. And of course its convenient to preted like they dont pay taxes so that we can kick them all out for other reasons.

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I always assumed they didn't either, but that was before I actually knew any. Up until 5 years or so ago I always assumed that almost everyone I saw of brown skin was here legally, and that it might be temporary and it might be permanent, but that if it was temporary or permanent they had some kind of permission from the government to work if they were working. I assumed that if anyone who did not have the proper permission to work here (SS Card or whatever the government gives out to visitors) that they MUST BE working under the table if in fact they were working. Because, after all, every job I went to asked for my SS Card and other ID's and everyon I knew had SS Cards and ID's. So I always assumed it was very hard to get a permanent job without one.

I knew it was possible, but usually intermittently working as an extra on a construction crew or something like that. Like an on call person when they are short a guy.

Now I know many, many illegal immigrants and they all (save a few in the minority) get paid by check and have all the taxes taken out just like everyone else. Really. I didn't really think that was possible (based on my prior experience) until I met them and became friends with them and learned first hand. I have dozens of friends who are illegal immigrants now. All work or have a spouse that works (mostly all both work 40+ hrs a week), and almost all pay taxes. None file tax returns. The govt keeps the SS money for their kitty, and doesn't have to pay back any fed or state returns to them. That is the common reality.

If they could get some job under the table for the same or similar wages most probably would, but then so would I. The reality is that there are not many permanent jobs out there that pay cash under the table.

There are, however, many jobs that are quite lax with the paperwork requirements prior to hiring. I never knew this prior to befrending illegal immigrants.