--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The effects of illegal immigration aren't…" description: "\"The effects of illegal immigration aren't that different from those of legal immigration —an illiterate Central American farmer with a green card is ju..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-krikorian-34364_21st-century_the-effects-of-illegal-immigration-aren_882851.jpg" --- # The effects of illegal immigration aren't that different… ![“The effects of illegal immigration aren't that different from those of legal immigration —an illiterate Central American farmer with a green card is just as unsuited for a 21st-century economy as an illiterate Central American farmer without a green card.” quote by Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-krikorian-34364_21st-century_the-effects-of-illegal-immigration-aren_882851.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-krikorian-34364_21st-century_the-effects-of-illegal-immigration-aren_882851.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-krikorian-34364_21st-century_the-effects-of-illegal-immigration-aren_882851.jpg) > “The effects of illegal immigration aren't that different from those of legal immigration —an illiterate Central American farmer with a green card is just as unsuited for a 21st-century economy as an illiterate Central American farmer without a green card.” [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal status does not change the economic readiness of unskilled migrants; both face similar challenges in a modern economy. **In simple terms:** Immigration status doesn't affect job readiness. Key Takeaway Focus on education and skill training. Themes immigration economics skill gaps Mood critical analytical Type policy economic When to use this quote - job training programs - education policy - community support - employer hiring practices Key Concepts human capital labor market integration Questions to Reflect On - How can policy better address skill gaps? - What role does education play in integration? A Different Perspective Legal status alone cannot solve workforce readiness issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) [Green card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green-card/) [Illegal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-immigration/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Legal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-immigration/) ## Related quotes > [ The facts \[on immigration system \] aren't known because the media won't report on them. The politicians won't talk about them and the special… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-facts-on-immigration-system-aren-t-known-because-the-media-won-t/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [This is a serious problem of major concern, and we have got to approach it in a way that is consistent with this nation's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/this-is-a-serious-problem-of-major-concern-and-we-have-got-to/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [I think we need a real plan, which is why I have offered a much more specific approach to securing the border, fixing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-think-we-need-a-real-plan-which-is-why-i-have-offered-a-much-more/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Ending illegal immigration only strengthens legal immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/ending-illegal-immigration-only-strengthens-legal-immigration/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [On immigration policy, I believe we ought to call an immediate halt, stop illegal immigration and reduce legal immigration back to about 250,000 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-immigration-policy-i-believe-we-ought-to-call-an-immediate-halt/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [There's got to be a point where we fix the system so that legal immigration is easier than illegal immigration and show respect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/there-s-got-to-be-a-point-where-we-fix-the-system-so-that-legal/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-divided-allegiance-here-any-man-who-says-he-is-an/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [We need legal immigration as an alternative to illegal immigration and a way of getting the millions of unauthorized immigrants already here to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/we-need-legal-immigration-as-an-alternative-to-illegal-immigration/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [ We are trying to identify employers that might be \[hiring illegal aliens\] and to take effective action against them. We're trying to make sure… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/we-are-trying-to-identify-employers-that-might-be-hiring-illegal/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [Legal immigration is good for America, if it's controlled and structured via the legal process, of course. But the problem is the system we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/legal-immigration-is-good-for-america-if-it-s-controlled-and/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [We must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-must-say-no-to-illegal-immigration-so-we-can-continue-to-say-yes/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [As president, I will fight illegal immigration in order to preserve an appropriate level of legal immigration. At the same time, I believe our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/as-president-i-will-fight-illegal-immigration-in-order-to-preserve-an/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [There is no quick fix for illegal immigration. But only when we achieve better control of our borders and better respect for our immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/there-is-no-quick-fix-for-illegal-immigration-but-only-when-we/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/in-the-first-place-we-should-insist-that-if-the-immigrant-who-comes-3/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## More by Mark Krikorian > [But it's more an up-versus-down issue because the research has shown that opinion leaders, whether they're elected officials, journalists, business leaders - it's academics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/but-it-s-more-an-up-versus-down-issue-because-the-research-has-shown/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [Of 472 civilian occupations defined by the Department of Commerce, only six are majority immigrant (legal and illegal). These six occupations account for 1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/of-472-civilian-occupations-defined-by-the-department-of-commerce/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [Well, because we're talking here about people who've been ordered deported and the administration has done nothing about actually making sure that they go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/well-because-we-re-talking-here-about-people-who-ve-been-ordered/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [By holding down natural wage growth in labor-intensive industries, immigration serves as a subsidy for low-wage, low-productivity ways of doing business, retarding technological progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/by-holding-down-natural-wage-growth-in-labor-intensive-industries/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [In enforcement, you always have to have both a focus on the really worst actors - you know, gang bangers, in this case, drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/in-enforcement-you-always-have-to-have-both-a-focus-on-the-really/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [There's definitely a huge gap between the elite and public perceptions on immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/there-s-definitely-a-huge-gap-between-the-elite-and-public/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [Well, enforcement theater is OK if it's reality theater. In other words, obviously, you want to make it clear, you want to make people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/well-enforcement-theater-is-ok-if-it-s-reality-theater-in-other-words/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [But the other audience, I think, is people in Central America because since last summer, they've been running ads down there - the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/but-the-other-audience-i-think-is-people-in-central-america-because/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [Well, nobody's being deported - nobody - practically. And so what the people down there getting is the American government is telling us that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/well-nobody-s-being-deported-nobody-practically-and-so-what-the/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [Assimilation is really a psychological process where you come to identify with a new country as yours. The ease of overseas travel and information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/assimilation-is-really-a-psychological-process-where-you-come-to/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [But the question is - are we deporting a couple hundred people for show or are we actually making a serious effort to remove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/but-the-question-is-are-we-deporting-a-couple-hundred-people-for-show/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [And they are much more skeptical of the very idea of having immigration limits, whereas the public - again, independents and Democrats, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/and-they-are-much-more-skeptical-of-the-very-idea-of-having/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [The interesting point is that the polarization is not so much among the public, although there's some of that. The polarization on the immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/the-interesting-point-is-that-the-polarization-is-not-so-much-among/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) [Explore all 14 Mark Krikorian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) ## More 21st century quotes > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [“You know it’s the 21st Century when someone TEXTS you from the washroom to ask you to bring them a roll of toilet paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/you-know-it-s-the-21st-century-when-someone-texts-you-from-the/) Comic Strip Mama > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. 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In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. 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