The Rights of Illegal Immigrants

3197 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: effects of immigration in our economy and who is affected the most

As the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States begins to increase once more, the issue of allowing or prohibiting immigrants to gain temporary status in order to obtain work continues to create national problems. According to a report given by the Department of Homeland Security, it is estimated that the number of immigrants entering the U.S. is at about 1.1 million people per year. (Hanson Par. 1) These individuals come into the United States in search of better living conditions and opportunities. However, these immigrants face challenges when it comes to work and other types of living.
The current federal government has not established a secure and assuring law in favor or against illegal immigrants working in the United States, with a legal status. This led state governments to attempt to regulate their own standards on the issue. The views and ideas surrounding the issue vary widely, whether in favor or against the issue. Legal citizens in America have provided varied opinions for illegal immigration as a positive or negative idea.
When dealing with the idea of the rights of illegal immigrants, the court case Yick Wo V. Hopkins (1886) comes into play. In this case surrounding the discussion of the rights of Chinese immigrants, the court ruled that the individual had Constitutional rights just as any other person in the nation. Within the 14th Amendment, it states, "Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," applied to all persons "without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality," and to "an alien, who has entered the country, and has become subject in ...

... middle of paper ...

...lations, helping to secure the population of America from illegal immigrant. This will bring control away from the states, and utilize it as a federal law. Certain states such as California, will be opposed to the ideas presented within the act, but will have to respect and follow it. Police officers in every city and county of the U.S. will need to be trained in order to handle to the possibility of coming in contact with a illegal individual. Schools will then need to check the legal status of their students; leading many to self deport themselves and their families, controlling the security of the nation as a whole. The passing of the SB 1070 act is the most reliable and viable policy for the problem of illegal immigrant workers in the United States, and therefore should be considered for the nation as a valuable solution to the problems presented.

Show More
Related

  • Welfare For Children of Illegal Immigrants

    4120 Words  | 9 Pages

    Based on "The Bill of Rights", foreigners do not have the right to enter the United States, but once here, immigrants are entitled to certain broad constitutional protections. In due process, immigrants have the right to be treated fairly, whether in a deportation hearing or a criminal court proceeding applies to every person within The United States borders. And Equal Protection prohibits discrimination based on race or national origin. An alien's rights to free speech and religious freedom are protected under the First Amendment. The Refugee Act of 1980 gives certain aliens the right to political asylum in the U.S. New immigrants to our country are not a scourge as some politicians claim. In fact, they can help solve many of our economic and social problems. Therefore when a child is born of illegal parents, the child should not be refused welfare. In other words, the child should not be treated as a second class citizen. In fact since it was born in the United States, he or she is to be considered a United States citizen because that is exactly what he or she is.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Immigration Reform

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... great need to put a new policy into effect, which addressed the changing immigration issues of family, visas, workforce, citizenship and other legal matters. In June 2013, the U.S. Senate approved a policy called S.744 which is called “The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013”. This reform bill will now be sent to the U.S. House of Representatives. The majority of the Republican Party is expected to oppose this bill. This reform includes, as Traurig and Reiff (2013) stated, “A path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants, an innovative temporary worker program, increased visa numbers for skilled foreign workers, and a nationwide employment eligibility verification system”. One thing is for certain; we can all agree that immigration reform is a must. It is apparent that his bill is a step in the right direction.

    Read More

  • Senate Bill 1070 Research Paper

    465 Words  | 1 Pages

    Senate Bill 1070 is a law created in Arizona to reduce the amount of immigrants.Every time a police pulls over someone ,in the state that uses a law like this, they have to check their US Citizenship and make sure that they are legal citizens. If the person that gets pulled over is not a US citizen, they will get shipped back to the country they are from. In my opinion the law is good. Less untrustworthy people will be in America. Most of the illegal immigrants that cross over to the United States are unprofessional that take the jobs of poor people that are citizens and creating poverty. Illegal immigrants also abuse the United States. The US gives people money that have little money and expect to get money back in taxes. Most immigrants that are illegal don’t care about the US government, but only want money so they don’t pay taxes back to the US.

    Read More

  • Illegal Immigrants: Amnesty

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States is known to have one of the most accepting immigration in the world. It has contributed to the country's population growth as well as social change. However, the policy remains to be a controversy because of the topic that is illegal immigration. According to the Department of Homeland security in 2010, there are 10.8 million illegal immigrants residing among the 300+ million Americans. Since then, the number has grown to 11+ million people. The U.S. Congress has always sought to find the solution for illegal immigration, with amnesty being an option. If enacted, an amnesty will give unauthorized immigrants a path to legalization and eventually citizenship. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) is a prime instance of amnesty, with some 2.7 million people gaining legal status during the Reagan office. With the immigration policy being contested in Congress, a solution to illegal immigration via amnesty should be considered as it may benefit the country's labor force and economy, control the influx of immigrants in the country, and provide the opportunity for the currently illegal immigrants to become productive members of America.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of Illegal Immigration

    1494 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most immigrants usually fill essential service jobs in the economy, which are vacant. Unfortunately, like new immigrants throughout U.S. history, “they experience conditions that are commonly deprived, oppressive, and exploitive” (Conover, 2000). They are paid low wages with little potential for advancement, are subjected to hazardous working conditions, and are threatened with losing their jobs and even deportation if they voice dissatisfaction with the way they are treated. Many work several jobs to make ends meet. Many also live in substandard housing with abusive landlords, have few health cares options, and are victims of fraud and other crimes.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The DREAM Act

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most of the United States (U.S) is comprised of immigrants—including those who have migrated to the States from another country and those whose ancestors freely travelled to the States in search of a fresh start. Every year, the U.S. grants a limited number of people around the world the opportunity to immigrate to the States each year. As a result of the restriction, citizens from neighboring countries cross the border illegally. According to an article by Jens Manuel Krogstad, 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants reside in the U.S. in 2014. This whopping number has stirred controversy both politically and economically for America’s government officials. As a result, many people argue whether illegal immigrants should or should not be aided

    Read More

  • Welcome to the U.S.A.

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine yourself in a life of poverty. No healthcare, earning low wages in poor working conditions. This is the life of an illegal immigrant, surprisingly, in the United States of America. What, exactly, is an immigrant? According to the World Almanac of U.S. Politics 1997, “Not subject to any numerical limitation, immigrants [are] classified as immediate relatives (spouses, parents, or natural children) of U.S. citizens; returning permanent resident aliens; certain former U.S. citizens; and certain long-term U.S. government employees” (Wagman). The fear stemmed from being caught as an illegal immigrant hinders every decision of his livelihood, from education to employment—their whole lives are affected in a negative manner. No one needs to live that way. The solution, however, is not to simply accept every willing immigrant freely, but to give all foreigners a more fair and reasonable chance of becoming a citizen of the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” Strict enforcement of a more streamline verification process by the government in supervising legal immigration is needed to continue America’s evolution culturally and economically with the addition of individuals from foreign nations trying to properly enter the United States of America.

    Read More

  • Immigrant or Not, When On American Soil We All Have Rights

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    A lot of people argue that immigrants should not have the same rights as an American citizen, but that idea is not so American, is it? America is known as the land of the free,but if people who come here to make a life for themselves, legally, are denied of their rights we are selling false hope.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Illegal Immigration

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States of America’s national immigration problem has sparked many bitter altercations and deliberations among the political spectrum of the United States government. Approximately thirteen million illegal immigrants are currently residing within United States borders. The processes involved in both legal and illegal immigration needs to be reformed and become more restrictive towards those illegal immigrants.

    Read More

  • Essay On Undocumented Citizens

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    Undocumented citizens should receive the same rights as American citizens. While in America, everyone should be protected from discrimination, unfair treatment, and injustice. This is because no one should be denied basic human rights. Also, immigrants will always attempt to come to the U.S., whether it's allowed or not. There is no reason why while in America, they should have less rights than regular citizens. It is only discriminatory and unnecessary. Lastly, immigrants have always provided for this country more than they have hurt it. If undocumented citizens help contribute to America, why should they not be allowed American rights?

    Read More

  • U.S. Immigration Laws Should Be Made More Lenient without Compromising National Safety

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    The harsh bills approved are not only against the illegal immigration but also, can have many negative impacts on the legal immigrants. (Ejera, 3) The bill would tighten the borders and also, lead to the deportation of illegal immigrants who commit crimes. But, it seems like that bill will affect the family immigration and also the legal immigrants to receive many public benefits. Many argue that these bills are not only attacking the illegal immigrants but also the rights of legal immigrants to be the part of the American society. The rights of the legal immigrants should be protected. Combatting with the problem of the undocumented immigrants should not jeopardize the dreams and rights of the legal immigrants.

    Read More

  • The Outdated United States Immigration System

    2240 Words  | 5 Pages

    Immigration is a top political issue in the United States. There are various differences of opinion that society has toward this issue. However, one factor in regards to immigration in which the majority of society can agree is the Nation’s system is currently outdated. Such an agreement is based upon the foundation that we actually “[h]ave more than 10 million undocumented workers in the country” (Gutierrez, 2013). General public concern is foremost driven by the focus on an extreme increase in immigration of undocumented immigrants in recent decades. There is also intereste in whether the impact of the rapid increase has a negative influence on the economy and contributes negatively to our fiscal situation. Pia M. Orrenius,Assistant Vice President and Senior Economist of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas states in The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, “The undocumented population rose from a few hundred thousand, primarily in agricultural workers, in the late 1960s to two to four million, mainly living in urban areas in 1980. The undocumented population rose further to 8.4 million in 2000 and 11.2 million in 2010” (Orrenius,2012). With this rapid increase, the question often in conflict with members of society is;what is the best step for the United States to take towards such an increase? Since the federal government appeared to not be taking any steps towards finding a solution this issue, state legislatures have in some cases decided to take matters into their own hands. One example is when in “April 2010, the Arizona state legislature passed a law ‘to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States’” (Loftus, 2013). There is su...

    Read More

  • Immigration Reform

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    We have created the land of free. Nonetheless, there have been a number of Immigration Acts in the United States. The first one was the Naturalization act of 1790. Then the immigration act of 1965 passed, and immigration restrictions applied to Mexican Immigrants for the first time. Nearly 30 years later in 1986, the immigration Reform and Control Act was, created which granted amnesty to immigrants that had lived in the United States before 1982. Nevertheless, this later act made it a crime for employers to hire undocumented immigrant workers. In order to create a successful Immigration Reform Policy, the government has to consider several socioeconomic areas including border control, worker programs, education, and the economy. “All the elements of this problem must be addressed together” (Bush 2006)

    Read More

  • The Effect of Illegal Immigration on the US Economy

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States of America, being a country founded by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people who have overstayed the time granted on their US, visa or those who have broken the federal law by crossing the border illegally. Matt O’Brien stated in his article “The government thinks that 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007.”(Para, 2) While some argue that illegal immigrants burden the United States of America and its economy, others believe that they have become essential and are an important part of the US, economy.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of Immigration

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    The current effects of immigration throughout the United States has had a negative impact on its economy. Whether foreigners are legal permanent immigrants or illegal occupants, nations must diligently keep track of all individuals. This is a brief analysis on how immigrants impact the U.S and strategies to minimize their effects on this nation. In addition, the U.S must implement and monitor plans of action to lessen unemployment of citizens and reduce the excessive use of benefits and resources by immigrants.

    Read More

More about The Rights of Illegal Immigrants

Open Document