For years, undocumented workers quietly paid into the system. Then Washington changed the rules, broke the trust, and may have accidentally punched a giant hole in its own finances.
I dont think Canada is a safe haven for undocumented people wanting to escape America. I am not aware of any specific program that provides assistance to undocumented people. Further under the safe third country agreement with the US undocumented persons are turned back to the US if they try to claim asylum. The number of total asylum seekers of any stripe at the border for a year is around 2,000 so doesn't look like Canada is such a haven for the undocumented. So no pat on our backs this time. I do believe however that given Canada's need for foreign workers and given that i have little knowledge on foreign worker progeams, I think it would be reasonable to provide some opportunity for qualified and fully vetted individuals to apply for entry to help fill this need.
I agree! We have a lot of foreign workers, particularly in Ontario, gigantic farms of fruits vegetables & berries everywhere! Most families bring back the same ones every year. Still others are taken in by families who want them to stay all year )
Great piece and a reminder to all countries who have that “quiet” agreement. Think twice when you go after immigrants, the majority of whom are doing jobs that citizens won’t do, pay taxes and do not get the benefits everyones’ taxes pay for.
The Fartage party in the UK otherwise known as Reform, is magnifying the’illegal immigrant’ rhetoric, and it is unfortunately working. They are not looking at the legal side of this. The illegal immigrants, that is those coming in by boats from the Continent, have gone down since the Labour Party were voted in. The papers have not said a word about that. If the same system( ICE) happened over here, we would lose most of our NHS. Staff and most of our Carers. The young don’t want to work, and certainly not in jobs that are connected to caring. It doesn’t take much of a jump to see that the loss of these people would precipitate the Privatisation of the NHS. Which Farage wants and has said so. .
Thanks Fred! This “You know what would make this better? Let’s make taxpayers afraid to file." haha Ya, he wants to send all foreigners home, dead or alive, & then let's them know how he ICE will find them all. Ok then, just cause my skin is prettier than orange & you're gonna "FIND" us all...no tax returns for you mister" LOL I think it's hilarious! How stunned can you be & still live? LOL
He just improved the lifespans of "foreign workers" by letting them know how he would find them all LOL I think that's awesome, for the workers! Ya, never mind filing taxes, just lay low & keep working :)
I am so pissed at the damage the US government is doing to the international economy, I would go further with Barb: Lots of you say you are apalled by what Trump is doing. But what are you willing to give up, to stop it? When will average americans like Barb put their freedoms on the line, to rein Trump in?
When historians look back at this time, there will be comparisons to Nazis Germany, in the way the majority of working class Germans shrugged because "That's just politics, there's nothing we can do about it..."
🇨🇦💙 Western Union stat — Until Trump got in office, illegal immigrants sent over $80 billion per year, or roughly $6.7 billion per month to their families back home. (Drug dealers, pimps, murderers, and criminals don’t use Western Union).
Western Union recently reported a 22% decline in US remittance volume, largely due to Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. Imagine if they were granted legal status and paid taxes.
I have often thought about this exact scenerio regarding the undocumented people in the US. If all the workers are deported or sent into the underground economy, they are not paying any taxes! I think they shot themselves in the foot!
I dont think Canada is a safe haven for undocumented people wanting to escape America. I am not aware of any specific program that provides assistance to undocumented people. Further under the safe third country agreement with the US undocumented persons are turned back to the US if they try to claim asylum. The number of total asylum seekers of any stripe at the border for a year is around 2,000 so doesn't look like Canada is such a haven for the undocumented. So no pat on our backs this time. I do believe however that given Canada's need for foreign workers and given that i have little knowledge on foreign worker progeams, I think it would be reasonable to provide some opportunity for qualified and fully vetted individuals to apply for entry to help fill this need.
Fair point, Larry.
I was thinking more about skilled workers and legal immigration pathways than undocumented migration.
Canada still needs workers... the question is how we do it smartly and sustainably.
I agree! We have a lot of foreign workers, particularly in Ontario, gigantic farms of fruits vegetables & berries everywhere! Most families bring back the same ones every year. Still others are taken in by families who want them to stay all year )
Great piece and a reminder to all countries who have that “quiet” agreement. Think twice when you go after immigrants, the majority of whom are doing jobs that citizens won’t do, pay taxes and do not get the benefits everyones’ taxes pay for.
Thanks Barb.
That was one of the big points for me too...
immigration debates often miss the economic reality sitting right in front of us.
The Fartage party in the UK otherwise known as Reform, is magnifying the’illegal immigrant’ rhetoric, and it is unfortunately working. They are not looking at the legal side of this. The illegal immigrants, that is those coming in by boats from the Continent, have gone down since the Labour Party were voted in. The papers have not said a word about that. If the same system( ICE) happened over here, we would lose most of our NHS. Staff and most of our Carers. The young don’t want to work, and certainly not in jobs that are connected to caring. It doesn’t take much of a jump to see that the loss of these people would precipitate the Privatisation of the NHS. Which Farage wants and has said so. .
Interesting point, Penny.
Healthcare, agriculture, caregiving, construction...
a lot of systems quietly rely on workers people rarely think about until they’re gone.
Politics gets loud fast, but labour shortages tend to speak for themselves eventually.
Fred, there are similar problems here, but hopefully common sense will prevail
Thanks Fred! This “You know what would make this better? Let’s make taxpayers afraid to file." haha Ya, he wants to send all foreigners home, dead or alive, & then let's them know how he ICE will find them all. Ok then, just cause my skin is prettier than orange & you're gonna "FIND" us all...no tax returns for you mister" LOL I think it's hilarious! How stunned can you be & still live? LOL
😄 Glad it gave you a laugh, Patsy.
Sometimes policy decisions end up creating consequences nobody in charge seems to think through first… and the math eventually catches up.
Everything and everybody Trump touches turns into a rotting pile of manure. Can you name one thing he's improved? (that is if you aren't in the 1%)
Well Frank… his golf score seems to improve no matter what reality says. 😏
Jokes aside, that’s exactly why opinions on him are so polarized...
some see disruption, others see damage.
History will probably have a loud argument about this one.
He just improved the lifespans of "foreign workers" by letting them know how he would find them all LOL I think that's awesome, for the workers! Ya, never mind filing taxes, just lay low & keep working :)
😄 There’s definitely an irony in it, Patsy.
If people become afraid to interact with the system, the system usually ends up collecting less information... and less tax money too.
why do you keep saying “America” turned taxpayers into….”
Its TRUMP that is doing it.. and he only speaks for 30% of folks in the US…
Fair point, Barb... and I get where you’re coming from.
When I say America, I’m talking about the policies coming out of the U.S. government, not every American citizen.
Plenty of Americans disagree with this stuff... loudly.
That said, presidents don’t act alone.
Agencies, lawmakers, courts, and voters all shape what happens too.
But yes… this particular push has Trump’s fingerprints all over it.
I am so pissed at the damage the US government is doing to the international economy, I would go further with Barb: Lots of you say you are apalled by what Trump is doing. But what are you willing to give up, to stop it? When will average americans like Barb put their freedoms on the line, to rein Trump in?
When historians look back at this time, there will be comparisons to Nazis Germany, in the way the majority of working class Germans shrugged because "That's just politics, there's nothing we can do about it..."
I hear your frustration, Northshore.
I think history will have a lot to say about this period.
That said, I try to be careful painting millions of ordinary people with one brush...
plenty of Americans are protesting, organizing, voting, and speaking out too.
Big systems rarely change quickly, even when people want them to.
🇨🇦💙 Western Union stat — Until Trump got in office, illegal immigrants sent over $80 billion per year, or roughly $6.7 billion per month to their families back home. (Drug dealers, pimps, murderers, and criminals don’t use Western Union).
Western Union recently reported a 22% decline in US remittance volume, largely due to Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. Imagine if they were granted legal status and paid taxes.
Interesting stat, Roxy.
Whether people agree or disagree on immigration policy, there’s definitely an economic side to this conversation that often gets ignored...
labour, taxes, remittances, and who actually keeps certain parts of the economy moving.
Stupid is as stupid does.
I have often thought about this exact scenerio regarding the undocumented people in the US. If all the workers are deported or sent into the underground economy, they are not paying any taxes! I think they shot themselves in the foot!
That was my thinking too, Sandi.
Even if someone supports tougher enforcement, there’s still a math problem here...
fewer people filing taxes while spending goes up isn’t exactly a winning formula.
There's an even older rule in life: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!