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Immigration reform remains a hot issue in Houston, but for some people, the issue comes down to just one thing: Jobs. Are they being stolen from Americans?

The illegal immigrants wait in the shadows of the law, looking for work.

Meanwhile, at a Worksource Center in southeast Houston, those who are citizensalso look for work.

“It’s really hard at this moment to find a job,” said unemployed Houstonian George Mathis.

Houstonians are hoping to hook up with prospective employers.

In the competition for work, do these job hunters feel they’re in competition with illegal immigrants? In talking to some, the answer is ‘no’.

“Immigrants pick up the minor jobs, either farm work or things outside. Landscaping, things like that. People don’t want to work out in the heat,” said Mathis.

The life of illegal immigrants in Houston is the subject of a new documentary called “Undocumented”.

The recent immigrant rights protests inspired a young local man to turn into a film maker.

“It’s kinda putting a face to the undocumented immigrant,” said Jesse Salmeron.

Salmeron, a Houstonian who once was undocumented himself, says illegal immigrants are not hurting American workers.

“They do the jobs that most Americans would not like to do at all,” he said.

“That may be true, but that might be a commentary on how we’re not paying Americans or legal immigrants enough money to do those jobs and pay them,” said Gary Polland.

Polland is a former Harris County Republican Chair, and editor of the Texas Conservative Review

“Research indicates that lower income Americans lose about $13 billion in lost opportunity and lost wages due to the unfair competition from illegal immigrants,” he said.

By some estimates, undocumented immigrants make up around 5 percent of the workforce in the United States.

KHOU-TV

Immigrants line up to get jobs.

According to a recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center, there’s no data to show that the rise in the “foreign born” workforce has had any negative effect on U.S.-born workers when it comes to jobs.

“They do depress wages,” said Mark Jones.  The Rice professor has studied the effect of illegal immigration on jobs.

He says illegal immigration and immigration in general, has a beneficial effect on the U.S. economy.

Still he says, there are winners and losers in the equation.

“The winners tend to be the population in general, lower inflation, economic growth,  the losers tend to be those in lower skilled jobs, particularly those without high school education,” he said.

Jones says the economic growth means job growth as well, for all Americans.

So, the debate goes and so does the job hunt for citizens and those in the shadows.