TO THE EDITOR:
I would like to address the editorial titled “Illegal immigrants shouldn’t get benefits.”
I am undocumented and at UNC. I pay out-of-state tuition, and I have not had any of the so called “benefits” or “privileges” for being undocumented.
First of all, I have been paying taxes since the day I moved to North Carolina (more than 14 years ago). I don’t recall there ever being a sign saying, “If you are undocumented, you don’t pay taxes,” whenever I go shopping. I always pay something called a sales tax. If you ever see such a sign, please let me know!
My family reports their income taxes as well because — little known fact — the U.S. government issues an “Individual Taxpayer Identification Number” or ITIN card to most undocumented people for the sole purpose of reporting and paying federal taxes.
According to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, households headed by undocumented immigrants paid $317,729,252 in personal income, sales and property taxes in North Carolina in 2010. Talk about economic burden.
I don’t ever hear any complaints of the benefits that we all reap from minimum wage immigrant labor (mostly undocumented).
If it wasn’t for undocumented labor, many of the things that we buy, such as food, would be much more expensive. That’s a reality.
I find it disappointing that a student at UNC didn’t do his research before sending a letter to the editor.
