Illegal immigration disproportionately impacts the wages and employment opportunities of African-American men

Foreign-born Hispanics who are in the United States illegally are disproportionately male. African-Americans who have not pursued education beyond high school are also disproportionately male. These poor educational attainment levels usually relegate both African-American men and illegal immigrant men to the same low-skilled labor market, where they must compete against each other for work. Not only do illegal immigrants compete for jobs with African-Americans, but that competition drives down wages for the jobs that are available. Immigration, both legal and illegal, has resulted in a disproportionately large increase in the number of high school dropouts in the labor pool. This has caused a drop in wages among the poorest and least-educated members of the workforce. These people are disproportionately likely to be African-American men. The consequences of illegal immigration for black men and the black community in general are not limited to wages. Lower wages and fewer jobs also correlate with an increase in the black incarceration rate.