Undocumented Immigrants Pay Nearly $100 Billion in Taxes. Where Does the Money Go?

Do undocumented immigrants actually pay taxes? Kathleen and Alejandro break down one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding undocumented immigration and explain how immigrants without Social Security numbers can file taxes using an ITIN. They also discuss why many undocumented immigrants choose to pay taxes even when doing so doesn't automatically provide a pathway to legal status. 

The conversation expands into the complicated reality of the immigration system, including visa overstays, the idea of immigrating “the right way,” why being undocumented is not automatically the same as committing a crime, and the economic consequences of reducing the immigrant workforce. 

Kathleen and Alejandro also discuss assimilation, what it means to criticize an American president while still valuing the country, and why they believe meaningful immigration reform matters more than blaming individual immigrants for a complicated system.