The United States was founded by immigrants , so why is immigration such a controversial issue now?
Each new group of immigrants -- going back to the 1700s -- has upset some of the people who have been here a while. They fear strangers, different languages, customs, and religions. The established members of society usually focus on the new immigrants taking jobs from them. Usually employers pay as little as possible for laborers. That serves to keep wages low and only attract new immigrants.
The big question is: If we had no immigrants, would employers pay laborers decent wages?