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
Immigration has always been a complex issue in the United States. Previous and current administrations have had great difficulties in setting policies and programs in place to address this problem. During the course of American history, laws were enacted to address such issues. There were numerous legislative milestones in regards to immigration in the United States. In order to understand the current issues regarding immigration, we have to look back at the policies that were in place along with the goals that they intended to serve. According to (Barusch, 2012), the United States had an open immigration policy; which means that anyone could relocate to this country. As a result of this policy, the government had to redefine
The return and removal of illegal immigrants from the United States is one of the most widely discussed topics. Since 2007the United States Customs and Border Protection (ICE) has returned or removed over 1.2 million illegal immigrants from the United States. ICE has expanded its Criminal Alien Program to included incarcerated criminal illegal aliens. In 2007, ICE identified 164,296 convicted criminals who were incarcerated in Federal, state and local penitentiaries (These are people who came into the United States illegally and committed a crime.)
Immigration Reform At this time, the United States has allowed more immigrants to enter the country than at any time in its history. Over a million legal and illegal immigrants take up residence in the United States each year. Immigration at its current magnitude is not fulfilling the interests or demands of this country.
Back in 2007 there were several concerns over immigration as a whole and exploding proportions of illegal immigrants crossing the border in the Arizona area. Arizona attempted to resolve the influx of people across the border by imposing heavy fines on employers hiring illegal immigrants. At that time in Arizona there was a democratic governor Janet Napolitano that continually vetoed the Arizona’s legislature attempt to reduce illegal immigration. In 2009 the state replaced the Democratic governor with a Republican governor Jan Brewer who was supportive of reforms for immigration in Arizona. In 2010 the immigration problem was so sever that Arizona passed legislation allowing the state to enforce federal law for identification of legal immigration into the United States. This sparked a nation wide discussion on illegal immigration and immigration reform.
Immigration is defined as the act of leaving your country of origin and going to another different one to stay there permanently (Dictionary.com). Reasons, why people escape or leave their original countries, are varied; ranging from war, poverty, natural occurrences such as earthquakes while others just take the step for fun purposes. A reform is a change from the way things were done originally and make them better. Therefore, immigration reform is a term that is frequently used in political talks that refer to the alteration of the immigration policy of the nation. The debate is currently prevalent in the United States of America. It is a topic that has been discussed and reforms put across since around 1986 but it’s never addressed fully due to the conflicting stands taken by the leaders, the democrats, and the Republicans always have different views. Recently, the President Obama tenure has reawakened the issue. Some people support the reforms while others do not. It is a time the United States of America undertook immigration reforms as a solution to its porous borders.
In the United States, immigration has been high topic of debate. As of 2015, 13.5 percent of the United States population of 321.4 billion were immigrants (Jie). Immigration has been shaping the way America works for many years now. It has brought changes to the economy, workforce, culture, language and politics just to name a few changes. America is often referred to as the melting pot of cultures. Where the “American dream” can be reached as long as you are willing to work hard. However, citizens also demand strict boarders to prevent illegal workers but we still want the free movement of goods. A lot of legislative bills have been past in recent years that have brought change to immigration and the way it is done. The top five bills that have affected the country are as follows; The Immigration Reform and Control Act, IRCA, of 1986 penalized employees for hiring unauthorized workers. However, did nothing towards changing the immigration system or provide resources to implement the employer sanctions provisions. The Immigration Act of 1990 overhauled the immigration system by raising the number of permanent vistas form 290,000 to 675,000 and allotted 555,000 visas annually of underserved counties. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibly Act, IIRAIRA, of 1996 dealt with government spending and a three or ten year bar on returning to the United States for people who were caught without proper documentations from applying for asylum status within one year
Post the Civil Rights movements in the United States it is visible the upswing in wars; it went form war to poverty, to war to drug, to war to terrorist. Immigration law is very complex, and as result there is much confusion as to how immigration law works in reality. Most people get confused thinking that because United States is a country built of Immigrants however immigrants have experienced discriminatory process, for example: the Chinese exclusion Act. In which at certain point America wanted immigrants in the country and then suddenly the government does not what them anymore and expulse them of their soil.
There are not many people who know that there is war going on within America. A war, that is capable of impacting the future of America. Millions of “Dreamers” are fighting to be recognized as American citizens. In recent months and years, the debate on immigration reform has been heated and often uninformed. Every president mentions in his speech to take action on immigration reform. But unfortunately he ends up taking action against immigrants by deporting them. Is the country founded by immigrants has closed doors for the immigrants? People are fighting for the immigration reform. In order for the bright future of America we need to fix the present problems. A land of opportunity has taken many hits but the immigration reform made us think about our legal system. It is essential to understand that “immigration reform” is not a cup of tea. The question many are asking is that how can we accept millions of people into our labor force? We are already struggling from unemployment rate, which is peaking high. In this paper I will be primarily focusing on the role of immigrants on our economy, businesses and society, and how it impacts our society.
The chapter begins by explaining how Cecilia Munoz, an immigration advocate was working towards immigration reform in the White House in the early 2000’s. The author notes that news had broken that President Bush had met with Mexican President Vicente Fox to collaborate on plans to provide status to 3 million undocumented immigrants who were living in the U.S. Views from the White House put a stop to immigration reform plans and geared their focus on decreasing immigration patterns. After the terroristic attacks of 9/11 the topic of immigration took a different turn. Immigrants had yet another target on their backs, being labeled as potential terrorists. A shift in immigration had taken place after the attacks. Many people and organizations
The reforming of America?s immigration policy is something that can no longer be avoided and must be dealt with as soon as possible. Years of neglect by governmental agencies and policies makers have now made this issue one of the biggest in American politics. First of it must be understood that immigration does no only effect curtain areas of the country and curtain aspect of public life but rather all of American life. Both legal and illegal immigration affect major issues such as jobs availability for all citizens, wages, education in public schools system and in general, health care issues, and the homeland security.
Immigration and deportation reformation has been one of the hot topics in the 2016 election. Many have chosen which candidate to vote for based on their point of view on immigration and deportation matters. Some supported Donald Trump because he promised to deport all illegal immigrants if he becomes president while others supported Hillary Clinton because she was against mass deportation. In most cases, mass deportation threat has been focused on illegal Mexican immigrants; being the largest group of illegal immigrants and the proximity of Mexico to the U.S. They have been labelled as criminals, rapists, and drug dealers and some have suggested that they should all the deported first. In a population of about 11.3 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., and a population of over 6 million Mexicans, it is evident that a mass deportation scheme will affect them most. However, it can also be proven that illegal Mexican immigrants contribute to the economy more than any other illegal immigrants. Providing a pathway to citizenship for law abiding illegal Mexican immigrants and deporting only treacherous ones will not only improve the U.S.’s international relationship, it will also help keep families together and keep hardworking immigrants who contribute to the country’s economy.
Amongst the many problems the United States face the one most Americans tend to focus on is the immigration “issue” they believe the country is going through. The way I see it immigration has played an important role in American history. Immigration has held a major role in shaping our country. Immigrants have provided many things such as customs, manufacturing, inventions, and entertainment. Many people today don 't realize how greatly we have been affected by immigration. Before the era of rapid communications and transportation, America encouraged relatively open immigration to settle its empty lands. Over many years, the policies have changed and become more difficult for immigrants and their families. Too often do
Policies are pivotal implementations put in place by the government on local, state, and federal levels. There are endless amounts of policies enacted by the American government, with many of these policies directly influencing the lives of citizens. As the 2016 Presidential Election draws near, understanding the policies projected by each presidential candidate is essential to making an educated decision when it comes to voting for the future condition of the United States. The two primary candidates for the upcoming election, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton propose policies and plans that are in opposition to one another. One of the policies that is receiving a great deal of attention in the media right now is the issue of immigration. This issue poses a difficult question regarding how to address the presence of illegal immigrants in the United States. On one hand, immigration supports the rights of immigrants, but on the other hand, this policy limits opportunities for Americans. Due to my lack of knowledge in the area of immigration, I have decided to further investigate this issue in order to understand how Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton plan to address immigration if they are elected to office. Each candidate has plentiful ideas regarding immigration that will result in a number of benefits and/or consequences for both Americans and immigrants. Besides solely looking at the positions held by the
Immigration has always been a focal issue in political arguments. Debate on the issue has recently picked up over the last decades for various reasons therefore, changes are being suggested and made. Views on immigration are distinctively different and it’s shown in proposed immigration reforms from multiple individuals. Hillary Clinton’s immigration reform is exceptional compared to those of her counterparts. The reform includes a chance of being granted full citizenship, health care, and to specifically help immigrants who plan to attend college or have been a positive impact on society.
This research paper explores the political issue of Immigration in the present day (2016) United States. The paper is meant to give an understanding of the issue, the importance of immigration reform, as well as a thorough analysis of the role the three branches of The United States Government: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive; and their role in the matter. By using several different peer reviewed journals, and articles the paper will give a well analysed view on the situation of reform currently in America by touching on the case of DAPA and DACA plans proposed by President Obama. The essay will also cover the positions of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump to show a future America could be heading towards.