preview

America's Illegal Immigration Reform

Decent Essays

There are few topics in America as controversial as illegal immigration. With the standards of living for the lower-class workers in Mexico as poor as they are, hundreds of men, women and children cross America’s southern border illegally every year in search of better opportunities for themselves and their offspring. As the 2016 presidential election has illustrated, America is very split on the issue. Republican nominee Donald Trump has stated that if elected president he will build a massive wall along America’s southern border, and that illegal immigrants will be deported en masse. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has stated that she will lead immigration reform if elected. While America has not yet decided who will …show more content…

Heidy Sarabia, in her paper titled Perpetual Illegality: Results of Border Enforcement and Policies for Mexican Undocumented Migrants in the United States, argues that heightened border security and legalization restrictions created America’s illegal immigration problem in the first place. For example, she states that The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) created “mixed-status families” by only allowing illegal immigrants who had lived in the United States throughout the entirety of 1982-1987 to alter their legal status (Sarabia). She goes on to explain that “These mixed-status families are one of the most important elements that pull migrants to return to the United States…”, and that any attempt to reform immigration that does not address this problem will only serve to create more “mixed-status families” (Sarabia). Additionally, Sarabia explains that illegal immigrants in the United States are settling for longer periods of time than they have in the past for two reasons: “First, leaving the United States decreases their opportunities for adjusting their legal status, and second, the intensification of border enforcement has made it more difficult and expensive to return to the United States”. So, in order to be with their families, Sarabia argues, and because of the dangers and expense now associated with illegally crossing the border, many undocumented immigrants choose to stay in America as long as they can since obtaining a visa and visiting legally is not an option for many. Sarabia offers an example in the form of Sandra, a Mexican citizen who at the time was trying to enter America to see her sick sister. She attempted to get a visa, but was turned down as many are (Sarabi). Presented with no other options she had little choice but to attempt to cross the border illegally (Sarabia). During the attempt her husband and

Get Access