To escape violence, to be able to feed their families, to reunite with family members living here, or simply to have a better life. Many would prefer to stay where they are, but just cannot survive there. Often the wars and economic desperation they are fleeing are created either directly or indirectly by our own government's policies, and by the policies of multinational corporations and institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. If we do not actively oppose these policies, we share the blame for them. Virtually all immigrants would come here legally if they could.
Statistics show that an influx of new immigrants actually boosts the economy.
The conservative Alexis de Tocqueville Institution found that U.S. states with higher immigrant populations have lower rates of unemployment. We could cut our expenses and generate a lot more income by replacing this system with one that allows everyone in, and gives all who want to stay and work a social security number. Many undocumented immigrants pay more income tax than they owe because they are afraid to file and claim a refund. If all immigrants were granted legal work permits, they would be entitled to all the same benefits and rights as everyone else, and they would pay the same taxes as everyone else. It's true that many companies prefer to employ undocumented immigrants because they are easier to exploit.