Almost a year ago, on April 23rd 2010, the governor of Arizona signed into law a tough illegal immigration bil?

[stein74]

Almost a year ago, on April 23rd 2010, the governor of Arizona signed into law a tough illegal immigration bill that attempts to reduce the number of undocumented/illegal immigrants in Arizona. The law is not yet implemented because the Courts are looking into the constitutional aspects of the law, but from a purely economic (not moral or political) point of view, what will be the likely effect of the proposed new law (assuming that the courts allow the law to go into effect and assuming that the proposed law does not have any effect on criminal activities in Arizona)?
a. In the short run, it will reduce the wages of unskilled US citizen workers and unskilled legal immigrant workers in Arizona.
b. In the short run, more employers will move to Arizona from neighboring states.
c. Assuming that that illegal/undocumented workers were employed in Arizona, in the short run, Arizona's gross domestic product will fall.
d. As illegal immigrants leave, employers acquire more wealth and pay less taxes - creating a virtuous cycle.

[cuartio52]

"assuming that the proposed law does not have any effect on criminal activities in Arizona" - You have to assume it will have an effect on crime since it is the purpose of the law. It also goes along with the economic impact the law will have. If you reduce the gang related activities, you reduce the money the state and communities spend on investigating gang related activities. Those cost savings will more than pay for the increased cost of checking ID's.

And wages going down? One thing about hiring illegals is that since they are breaking the law for being in the country illegally, employers also break the law and pay them under minimum wage. Who's going to report them for doing so? But if they hire legal workers to take the place, they have to be paid at least minimum wage, or the company can be reported. So I don't see how this will happen. If anything, the company will be paying MORE in wages than they were before, and on top of all that, they also have to pay other benefits.

[sonny]

I'd rather my groceries go up in price because an American has a job rather than they go up because 0bama needs more money for spending like a gangsta who needs a new pimp mobile and border patrols and health benefits for these illegals.
I also think they they will find a new way to pick their crops if Americans are unwilling to do it, which I don't believe.

[burt]

Assuming that that illegal/undocumented workers were employed in Arizona, legal, unemployed citizens will get those jobs

[winfrid12]

Do you own homework.


Fight the NWO!

V

[rheged]

It will decrease the state's taxes because it will mean that less criminals will be in their prisons and less money will have to go to patrolling the border.
Also, it will be adding to the amount of jobs because US citizens will be employed instead of undocumented illegal workers.
It will dissuade future criminals from crossing illegally and therefore, more US funds will stay in the US instead of being sent to Mexico.

I think it's C., but that's ignoring the fact that immediately after those illegal workers are deported, those job openings will be filled with tax-paying, legal American citizens, meaning the GDP will increase, as will demand, meaning more supply will be needed, meaning more jobs will be available, meaning demand will increase... And so on.

Nobody can tell exactly what's going to happen. Whether it will be great for the economy or bad, or not affect it, there are people with 'predictions', but there is no definite way of knowing.

What's so bad about enforcing a federal law?
Why would the federal government not want their law enforced by the states, especially if they're not doing it sufficiently?