Executive Summary 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. A new immigration reform will stimulate economic growth, nurture innovation, secure borders, strengthen families, and build flexibility in immigration law. This policy brief discusses how the passage of H.R. 15 will benefit the United States of America while also examining the need to reform our current immigration system. H.R 15 was purposefully written by the National Democratic Caucus to accommodate the views from the Democratic and Republican Party; thus, allowing room for compromise. Figure 1: Survey by Pew Research Center 03/... ... middle of paper ... ...ed from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dbhBn1dnc Peri, Giovanni, and Chad Sparber. 2009. "Task Specialization, Immigration, and Wages." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(3): 135-69. Pew Research Center. (2013). Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive. Retrieved from http://www.people-press.org/ United States. National Economic Council. Domestic Policy Council. President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Office of Management and Budget. (2013, July). The Economic Benefits of Fixing our Broken Immigration System by the Executive Office of the President. (Research in brief) Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov White House (Producer). (2013, June 24). What You Missed: Vice President Biden Answers Questions on Immigration Reform [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov
In Pia Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny’s article, “The Economics of U.S Immigration Policy,” Orrenius and Zavodny state that Americans’ are split between those who believe immigrants (legal and illegal) positively impact the economy and those who believe immigrants negatively impact the economy. Pia Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny’s argue that the United States needs to implement an “immigration policy that addresses the concerns” about low-skill, unauthorized “immigration’s labor market and fiscal impacts” (954). The article may appeal to experts or those who have a higher interest in immigration due to the academic diction and the genre of the article, while discussing the public concerns with immigration, how immigration impacts the economy,
The main component for our argument in favor of expansive immigration reform is written by the recently appointed senator Larry Obhof. In his article “The Irrationality of Enforcement? An Economic Analysis of U.S. Immigration Law” he argues in favor of an immigration law properly utilizing the cost and benefits of a border control that will allow for more immigrants to legally enter the country easier. If this “no illegal immigrants” policy continues than Americans can and will be hurt by it. In addition, immigrants seeking to escape to a better life will also be negatively affected. Senator Larry Obhof believes that having more immigration can be helpful because it allows for more labor within the workforce, new human capital to the United States, and give American employees access to a different culture in the workplace. Senator Obhof has some splendid ideas and methods on how immigration should be further legalized in the United States and where it can positively affect the economy as a whole. The native-born population presently working in the economic industry have seen an increase in the efficien...
Pia M. Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny. “Does Immigration Affect Wages? A Look at Occupational-Level Evidence.” Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Research Department. Working Paper 0302. August 2003. 21. Print.
Obama Administration proposed what is called Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It is composed of six sections aimed at fixing the current immigration system. It includes enhanced border enforcement, interior enforcement and the most controversial section; an amnesty program to legalize undocumented immigrants. In other words, it creates a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants that is fair and feasible. Many argue that even though Comprehensive Immigration Reform is good for America because it addresses important issues like creating a committee to adopt the number of visas available to changing economic times, preventing people from working without permits and creating programs aimed at helping immigrants adjust to life in America. Yet it rewards violators of current U.S. laws who entered the country illegally, and those who entered the country legally but overstayed their visas. Opponents of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform proposal claim that immigrants have a negative impact on the economy; overwhelming social services of many states, and posing a threat to American workers as a result of big corporations exploiting immigrants with low wages and poor working conditions. With the recent economic downturn and the severe recession that hit the U.S, many individuals blame immigrants for their economic misfortune and lack of employment. For both the opponents and proponents of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Proposal, for the millions of the undocumented immigrants and their families, and lawmakers; immigration has become an emotional political issue. Despite the resistance of many, America should embrace comprehensive immigration reform.
“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
Orrenius, Pia M., and Madeline Zavodny. "The Economic Consequences Of Amnesty For Unauthorized Immigrants." CATO Journal 32.1 (2012): 85-106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Various housekeeping jobs and yard work is done by immigrants, both legal and illegal. Immigrants are a necessity in the United States Labor Market; between 7 and 8 million of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States are working, contributing to the economy and contributing to America’s growing work force (Jacoby 22). Unemployment is above 8 percent, and some American’s would argue that these jobs could be filled by U.S. workers, but they can’t. The reason being that unemployed United States workers are usually selective as to which jobs they are willing to take, and many of them do not want to be dish washers or housekeepers. Americans have also become more educated over time, and they strive for higher positions with a larger income. The lower positions do not disappear and unskilled worker...
In 2007, the White House issued this statement in hopes to influence a Congressional debate: “Immigration has a positive effect on the American economy as a whole and on the income of native-born American workers” (Pear). This statement relates to the idea that immigrants actually enhance the productivity of American workers and increase their earnings in a significant amount, estimated at $37 billion a year (Pear). This is just one way in which immigrants support economic development in the United States. Since the U.S. is an i...
In 2013, nearly 1.7 million immigrants entered the United States -- a nation built with the blood and sweat of the millions of immigrants who came to it -- in search of a better life, one free from tyranny and oppression. However, only nine hundred thousand of these immigrants entered the country legally, vesting their time and resources into the legal residency “green card” program -- the very first step to full citizenship (Monger). The other seven hundred thousand immigrants entered the country illegally, exploiting security failures on the US southern border, and policy failures in Washington, DC (Morgan). While a large proportion of the undocumented population poses no immediate threat
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...
Illegal immigration was an issue in the past and is a pressing problem in the present. The U.S. Government has been trying to find a resolution to this issue for years. The United States approved the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, which allowed the American Government to punish American companies that consciously employed illegal immigrants (Nadadur 1037-1052). The United States’ Government Immigration Reform and Control Act has been unsuccessful in controlling illegal immigration. It is estimated that illegal immigration into the U.S. has a yearly interval of three hundred fifty thousand people (Rousmaniere 24-25). It is apparent that the 1986 act was not able to keep a handle on illegal immigration. Illegal immigration continues due to the fact that immigrants only take the jobs available to them, which in turn helps support the United States’ economy, so measures should not be taken to halt immigration.
Throughout history, and even today, people around the world have been taught that the United States is a melting pot of different ethnicities, belief systems, and cultures. America has had many attempts at immigration reform, with policies such as the DREAM Act or President Obama’s immigration executive orders. While these policies had excellent intentions, many of them have fallen short in providing the proper reformation this country needs. Borders are important, and it should be required for everyone in the country to pay taxes, but immigration reform is necessary if the United States is to continue being the great power it has always been. Immigration reform needs to be pushed through Congress to the President’s desk.
...m as an emergency political problem and citizens should become aware of the negatives that have been an inhumane result of racial profiling and anti-immigration laws in recent years. It is also necessary for the nation to become informed and concerned on the positives of immigration reform. The necessary facets to begin with,which can be backed by sociological and statistical data, include the application of a pathway to citizenship for nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants, execute family reunification in various situations, and provide a safe haven for victims of international human trafficking. After all, is it not the nation’s utmost desire to be capable of building and providing The American Dream? If so, building a foundation of these ingredients is absolutely necessary in order to maintain great opportunity beyond any either country.
Currently around 52%, or around 6 million, of the illegal immigrants in the U.S are from Mexico. With the peak number of illegal immigrants occurring in 2007 with 12.2 million, the Pew Research center predicts the number to be increasing again from the steep decline in 2008 and 2009. Although the true cause of the decline is unknown, Jefferey S. Passel, a senior demographer at Pew’s Hispanic Trends Project noted, “The dates of decrease matched the deepest years of the economic slowdown, with its high unemployment. We don’t know what caused the decline, but it certainly coincides with the recession.” As the recession slows to a stop, illegal immigration is expected to grow despite a reco...
Immigration has a significant negative impact on the U.S economy. Consequently, amplifying the work demand between the early 80's thru the end of the 90's, immigration diminished the median, yearly net income of a native born citizen of the United States roughly $1,700. Among those born on U.S. soil,who didn't possess a high school diploma, approximately the most indigent ten percent of all workers, the assessed consequence was even greater, causing a reduction in pay by nearly 8 percent. The disadvantageous effects on United States endemic African-American and Latin laborers are somewhat greater than on Caucasians, due to the fact that a much bigger percentage of non-majority ethnic groups are in point-blank rivalry with non-citizens. The lower rate of pay happens irrespective of whether they are documented or undocumented aliens. It's the existence of extra employees that brings about a reduction in pay, not their legitimacy (Davidson, 2006).