More handpicked essays just for you.
Pros and cons of immigration to the U.S
Pros and cons of immigration to the U.S
Pros and cons of immigration to the U.S
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Pros and cons of immigration to the U.S
The immigration debate has been in the news a great deal recently. Most of the attention has been focused on the illegal immigrants entering our country from Mexico, mostly Hispanics and Latinos. Uncontrolled immigration is harmful to the United States. It harms the American worker and it harms the American economy. The open borders are a threat to national security because terrorists, smugglers, and drug dealers can also freely cross the border. These key facts cannot be ignored and outweigh the claims that race and ethnicity are part of the debate. Immigration should be restricted and a better I.D. system would help stabilize the immigration problem. The United States had an open door policy on immigration from the nations beginning until 1921. During that time, between 1790 and 1920, the population grew by 102 million. That’s about one million new immigrants each year for 130 years. Most of these immigrants were from European countries. In 1921 Congress passed the Quota Act which put a cap of 360,000 new immigrants per year. Congress did this because the public was concerned about the number of new immigrants and how it would affect the country. This act also favored immigrants from England, Germany, France, and Scandinavia over those from Asia, Africa, and southern Europe. In 1960 another policy change was enacted. It changed the makeup and number of immigrants coming to the United States. Congress passed the Nationality Act of 1965. The act took effect in 1968 and set an annual immigration cap of 290,000. The eastern hemisphere could contribute 170,000 new immigrants and the western hemisphere could contribute 120,000 new immigrants for the grand total of 290,000 immigrants. The new law... ... middle of paper ... ...pay a consequence. There are laws already on the books about hiring illegal workers and the government needs to consistently enforce them (Barbour 72). As you can see immigration is a very complex subject with many varying views and angles. We are a nation made up of immigrants. My grandfather on my father’s side emigrated from Lebanon. My great grandfather on my mother’s side emigrated from Lithuania. They came here in pursuit of the American Dream. They were proud to follow the rules of the nation and I am so glad they came to this country. However the world has changed since those days and is a much more dangerous place. Restricted and controlled immigration can only be good for the country’s national security, the American worker and the U.S. economy. The belief of open borders in nice but unrealistic in the dangerous world we live in today.