The United States has always been known as a nation of immigrants; however as of late, the policy enacted upon immigrants does not seem to reflect that ideology. In order to understand how to effectively write immigration policy, it is important to acknowledge the history, politics, and philosophy of such legislation. Particularly in the last ten years, congress has worked on a lot of immigration policy like the Dream Act, a piece of legislation that worked to provide citizenship to undocumented immigrants. This policy, similar to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 and many other legislative actions, was either overly politicized or passed in one house of congress but could not garner the support to pass in the other (Robertson). In November of 2014, President Barack Obama released an executive action on immigration; this document demanded progress in terms of getting serious about illegal immigration and border security, deporting people who threaten national security, and ensuring accountability by implementing background checks and taxes (The White House). While this executive action has the full force of law, it must go under scrutinous judicial review before it is implemented as part of American policy.
The current governing immigration policy is the Immigration and Naturalization Act, it mainly focuses on immigration based on family and employment, but also includes a 70,000 persons quota on refugees seeking asylum. There is such an urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform because the Immigration and Naturalization Act does not provide solutions for illegal immigrants or offer a path to citizenship for people who are undocumented. Although politicians haven’t made overwhelming progress in terms of imm...
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...ly targets immigrants and puts them at a great disadvantage. It is not difficult to see the inherent injustice that exists in restricting people who have such a great respect for American ideals from fulfilling their basic political rights.
When Congress is writing legislation concerning immigration reform, they should consider tackling the issue from historical, political, and philosophical standpoints. Writing comprehensive immigration policy is difficult because of political divides and an fundamental inability of America’s legislature to overcome its partisan issues and find a solution to an issue that has lead to the deportation of nearly two million people. However, legislators may be able to overcome partisan divides if they understand the history of failed comprehensive immigration reform and importance of the “America is a nation of immigrants” philosophy.
In June 2012, President Obama announced an immigration policy that would grant deportation relief to qualifying immigrants. The policy, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), would also give these undocumented immigrants the right to work. Although DACA has changed since President Obama’s initial announcement, the policy still has stringent requirements. Beneficiaries must have immigrated at a young age, and they need a high school education. Yet despite DACA’s restrictions, the policy has proven controversial. While Democrats have cheered DACA as a step towards immigration reform, Republicans have denounced DACA as an example of executive overreach. The conservative organization Heritage Action for America, for instance, has accused DACA of leading “residents of foreign lands [to] illegally enter the U.S.” Indeed, according to Heritage Action, Obama’s amnesty policies make undocumented immigrants believe that “they will not be returned home.”
...ves of immigrant groups such as the Indians, Chinese, and Germans have proved that prior policies have been based on anti-immigrant rhetoric at that time. Therefore, reforming the immigration policies today should not be based on racism, or nativism. In addition, it is important to dispel the misconceptions of the Latino/a immigrations today because it is a mistake to formulate polices based on preconceptions of racialized groups.
...e private sector to find new growth opportunities and create new jobs. Furthermore, America always has been, and always will be a country of immigrants. Despite that rich tradition, Congress has not updated the country’s immigration policies in three decades. However, Congress now has an opportunity to fix the immigration system and improve the economic well-being of all Americans. Failure to address the issue will have severe consequences for America’s future and well-being, and that is why how America reforms the immigration system will determine its future. The current immigration system is outdated, broken, and reveals that Comprehensive Immigration Reform is urgently needed, and is good for America’s workers and the economy. Despite the claims, complaints and the resistance of many, Americans should welcome, accept and support Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
It has been nearly three decades since the last time Congress reformed our immigration system. From the Reagan era to the Obama administration, the country has undergone financial, social and political changes yet our immigration policies continue to be the same. Since the implementation of the last immigration reform in 1986, the United States government has spent nearly $187 billion ($220 billion when adjusted to 2013 dollars) in immigration enforcement agencies and programs alone (Meissner, Kerwin, Muzaffar & Bergeron, 2013). The high costs and the increasing public concern has led Americans to recognize the brokenness of our current immigration system and how it has not kept up with changing times. Research has shown 71% of Americans say undocumented immigrants should have a pathway to remain in the country legally (Pew Research Center, 2013). Although Congress and the White House have had numerous failed attempts to pass immigration reform in the past, H.R. 15 proposes an updated bipartisan system that can further secure the borders and solve problems surrounding immigration (Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, 2013.
“What makes someone American isn’t just blood or birth but allegiance to our founding principles and faith in the idea that anyone from anywhere can write the next chapter of our story.” - President Barack Obama. The United States is the melting pot of the world. The great country of American was built on immigration. Look around, so many people have ancestor that risked everything to come to the United States to make something of their lives, and the lives of their children. If it weren’t for immigration, we may not be where we are today. Immigration reform is the term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country (Immigration Reform, para. 2). In 2013 the Senate passed the immigration reform bill that would give a path to citizenship to the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. If the government passed Immigration Reform there would be many benefits to our economy, and to the individuals looking for a better future. For example, immigration increases the efficiency of the U.S. economy, it enables entrepreneurs to come to America, it brings increased national security, and immigration reform can reduce the deficit (Furchtgott-Roth, 4
The United States is in the midst of a major debate over immigrants and their place in our economic and political life. As during other times in our history, immigrants, are being blamed for causing or contributing to the social, economic and political ills of our society. Politicians from both major parties, at both the national and state levels, are promoting a range of punitive legislative proposals that single out immigrants for adverse treatment by the government. Many violate basic civil liberties principles.
Immigration has always and will always be an essential part of America’s demographic and cultural diversity. Our country was founded on the immigration of Europeans to the New World; without them our nation would not be as advanced as it is today. Over the past three centuries, America’s immigration policies have evolved, both positively and negatively. Although we are moving forward, several episodes in our country’s immigration policy have targeted and attacked certain ethnic or cultural groups. Throughout America there is disparity regarding attitudes toward immigrants. Policies fluctuate throughout the entire country, different states, and even major cities. As the United States moves forth, it is vital that we remember how crucial immigrants
For over ten years, efforts to make changes to the United States immigration system have been put aside due to wars, attacks within our homeland and even worldwide financial crisis but it seems as though this being brought up more and more often. The history of the US immigration policy was more concerned with immigration enforcement over immigration reform. It was not until a few years ago that the US citizens voted they were tired of enforcement-only immigration policies and the pain they caused on immigrant families. So most feel now is the time to draw up new immigration laws that reflect American values and beliefs, and it ne...
President Obama recently declared, “What makes someone American isn’t just blood or birth but allegiance to our founding principles and faith in the idea that anyone- from anywhere- can write the next chapter of our story” ( Immigration Reform Quotes). In the United States of America, immigration has been a thorny issue due to the fact that some Americans do not want immigrants living in the United States illegally. Undocumented workers come to the United States for a better life for their children as well as a better life for themselves. They come here only because they want to provide their own families with better opportunities, something the may have not been able to have. What many Americans do not understand is that immigration policies
Ideas for capping immigration have been voiced in the past, but have not been heard. While some will argue legal immigration should have no restrictions, most Americans will agree illegal immigration is indeed a problem. With some 6 million people living in America illegally, and only 46, 750 deportations last year, a solution must take hold soon (Zarembo 26). President George W. Bush has been working on a plan to reform immigration that could make millions of undocumented workers legal. Bush may only open the application for legal residency to Mexicans, but nothing will be final for at least another year. As a result of negotiations, mayhem has broken out on Capitol Hill, with politicians pulling fiercely on both sides. Some believe this will trigger more ill...
The United States of America and its large diversity of cultures has been a melting pot of the early 20th century . This Country has constantly been rebuilt by immigrants making it the world 's leading destination country . Descendants from various countries such as southern and eastern Europe , Asia , Central and South America , including the Caribbean fully integrate the U.S. today . However , within the last several years there has been a long unsolved issue on behalf of millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. , and the question on behalf of whether they should be allowed to live in the U.S. without fear of deportation . Immigration in America has been one of the most controversial aspects of society and law . The demand for a change is high and the people 's voice in / to show this yet little , or no change has occurred .
For as long as I can remember, I believe in fairness and equality it shouldn’t matter what ones background or ethnicity is because to my understanding America is a free country and stands for liberty and justice for all. To band individuals from coming to America and treat them like criminals because of their race is just wrong. Throughout this paper we will examine what the three branches of the united state government have to say concerning immigration laws. The three branches are as followed: Legislative Branch, Executive Branch and, Judicial Branch. They each have an important job to do concerning our laws. The Legislative Branch makes the laws, the Executive Branch carries out the laws, and the Judicial Branch evaluates the laws.
The study also took a close look at how the courts deal with the issue, the administrative interpretation of the law, and the application of the reform to be very critical and increasingly impossible. The author discovered that immigration reform has chronic problems, citizens’ disinterest to participate in the political process, government inefficacy, and centralized decision making away from the very communities imparted. The lack of enforcement is mounting pressure on states’ budgets (appropriation and allocations) of resources as the number of beneficiaries for social services increased. On the other hand, Dorsey and Diaz-Barriza (2007) studied President Barack Obama stands on immigration when he was then senator and compared them to conservative and liberal position. In the research, the author lamented that then senator Obama called for a comprehensive immigration reform that would deal with the issues of border security, employers sanction for hiring illegal individuals and a path to earned citizenship. Both sides agreed in part, but disagreed with the issue of path to citizenship which created gray lack. Today, the debate continues between the both political parties and the states leading the president executive action on immigration in recent
We are now in the 21st century and like the beginning of the 20th century the United States finds itself in the throes of a period of mass immigration. More then one million immigrants enter the Unites States, both legally and illegally every single year. Many argue that this new wave of mass immigration may help sustain the success that our nation is having in regard to the way of living that many American have come accustomed to and yet others believe that although our nation was created by immigrants it is time to "shut down" our borders. The truth of the matter is that there will always be issues in regard to immigration and the policies that the government sets forth in order control who comes into this country. Also now more then ever immigration policy has a greater affect on the American people because of the fact that we find our selves living in a time of danger or as some might argue, a perceived danger in regard to terrorism. Also with the proposal of President Bush?s new guest-worker program raises more issues in regard to immigration. The following paper will attempt to overview current immigration policy and also state what immigration policy should be over the next 25 years.
In 2006 the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act was established to prevent illegal border crossing, improve law enforcement and provides legal immigrant status for the 11-million immigrants who already live in the U.S. Unfortunately, this and the Senate’s bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill passed in 2013 were not amended into law. The paralysis to adopt this policy change may be due to uncertain future cost and political polarization. Further, one could argue another reason is because the United States democratic system works hard to provide the best practical problem solving policy that benefits the greater good. But despite the U.S. democratic system analysis, it is long overdue to reform the law and now it’s time to change it.