Some people talk about immigration in terms of politics, some in terms of history. But the core of the matter is numbers. The Labor Department says that immigrants make up about 15 percent of the work force. It’s estimated that a third of those are undocumented workers. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that one in four farmhands in the United States is an undocumented immigrant, and that they make up a significant portion of the people who build our houses, clean our office buildings and prepare our food.
America has become a nation dependent on the presence of newcomers, both those with green cards and those without. Business leaders say agriculture, construction, meatpacking and other industries would collapse without them.
Sure, it would be great if everyone were here legally, if the immigration service weren’t such a disaster that getting a green card is a life’s work. It would be great if other nations had economies robust enough to support
A. 15 percent
B. one third
C. 4.5 percent
D. one in four
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