Why Care About Poverty Caused by Immigration?
Impact on the Poor Already Here. One may reasonably ask whether it matters what proportion of persons in immigrant households, or even in native households, live in poverty. What effect, if any, does a higher national or local poverty rate have on the quality of life in a community or the country as a whole, especially for the majority of the population who are not poor? In addition to altruism, there are a number of very practical reasons to be concerned about poverty in America and the role that immigration policy may be playing in its perpetuation and growth. Probably the most obvious reason for concern is the impact on the poor already here, both native and immigrant. The cost of anti-poverty programs depends in large part on the number of people who are eligible to receive benefits and services. If immigration increases the number of people who are in need of assistance, then the total cost of means-tested programs must grow accordingly. Increasing the total cost of anti-poverty p
