One of the largest work place raids was carried out in Iowa a few months ago, which resulted in the arrest of over 300 people working at Agriprocessors Inc., the nation’s largest Kosher slaughterhouse. Federal agencies along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies executed search warrants related to criminal activity as well as civil search warrants for people believed to have entered the United States illegally. As a result of the arrests protestors took to the sidewalks near the location where the arrests were made. The protestors campaigned for the rights of illegal immigrants stating that they have a right to stay in the United States and they are entitled to the same rights as US citizens.

The Federal search warrants indicated criminal activity along with worker abuse. They also alleged that three-fourths of the company’s workers were illegal immigrants using fraudulent social security numbers. Other allegation include workers who ran a methamphetamine lab in the premises and brought weapons to work and wages that are lower than the stipulated minimum wage. Allegations were made that the company paid illegal immigrants $5 an hour for the first few months and after received a raise of $6 an hour, while minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
These recent raids have sparked much debate about illegal immigrants and their rights. The allegations pertaining to the meatpacking plant are serious and although these workers underwent harsh conditions they did not want report the abuse for fear of losing their jobs.

One of the hottest topics debated in recent times is that of illegal immigrants and how they affect the job market and the economy as a whole. Since the budget deficit in California has grown to $26.3 billion, taxpayers are concerned about the cost to the state of illegal immigrants.

In recent times activists have launched a campaign to cut off welfare to US born children of illegal immigrants. Currently these children are entitled to welfare since they are US citizens. However, state welfare officials estimate that cutting off payments to illegal immigrants for their US born children could save the state as much as $640 million annually. According to a state survey, California is home to roughly 2.7million illegal residents. State officials also add that these illegal immigrants cost the state between $4 billion and $6 billion, primarily for prisons, schools and emergency rooms. On the flip-side, these illegal immigrants, amounting to about 7% of the California population pay taxes on items they consume, fuel and property they own. However, researchers claim that in the short term the cost to local government is more than the benefit.

Social security services states that many companies withhold income taxes from these immigrants based on their invalid social security numbers and that money goes to the federal government and not the localities. The social security services have also claimed that illegal immigrants nationwide have contributed over $12 billion to the system.