ABSTRACT
As we consider who to admit, one of the obvious questions we ask ourselves is what impact will they have on us? Keep in mind that, as an earlier chapter discussed, “they” is not a single category but rather a wide variety of people, and all these different people have different kinds of impacts on us. This chapter explores some of the major economic, political, and cultural impacts immigrants (both legal and illegal) are having on host societies. These impacts fundamentally shape the debates over immigration, and so it is important that we understand them, especially because these impacts are often subjective and can be interpreted in varying ways. Finally, the chapter asks to what extent, if any, we should consider the impact of our admission policy on the immigrants’ home countries.
