Illegal immigration has been an ongoing issue in the political arena for the past decade with immigration laws still being discussed. To immigrate means to come into a country of which one is not a native for permanent residence. The United States is a nation founded by people who emigrated on the principle of freedom. What would our forefathers think if there could see the issues facing their nation today? There are many issues surrounding immigration policy such as national security, border patrol, deportation, lack of jobs, and lower wages. The United States needs to adopt policies to further correct the current laws for legal and illegal immigration.
President Obama addressed the DREAM Act at The State of the Union last month urging lawmakers to approve the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is legislation drafted by both Republicans and Democrats that would give students who grew up in the United States a chance to contribute to our country’s well-being by serving in the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a higher education. The DREAM Act was passed in December 2010 by the House of Representatives with a vote of 216- 198 but in the Senate the DREAM act did not gain enough votes to break the Republican filibuster at 55 of 60 votes (Stolz 16). Obama recently said, “We need five more years to reform an immigration system that doesn't work and make sure that we are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants” (Schwandt). Texas became the first state to allow undocumented students to attend Texas universities and be able to pay instate tuition. The first group of the students graduated from college since the law was enacted in 2001, although these students still cannot work because they are undocumented. Thus, the passage of the DREAM Act bec...
... middle of paper ...
...Facets Of Effective Immigration Reform." Society 47.2 (2010): 110-
117. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
Hines, Barbara. "An Overview Of U.S. Immigration Law And Policy Since 9/11." Texas
Hispanic Journal Of Law & Policy 12.1 (2006): 9-28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
Kerwin, Donald, and James Ziglar. "Fixing Immigration. (Cover Story)." America
205.18 (2011): 12-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
Krikorian, Mark. "To Reform Immigration, Legal And Illegal." National Review 63.15 (2011):
36-37. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
Stolz, Rich. "Lessons For The Future Of Immigration Reform." Social Policy 41.3 (2011): 4
19. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
Schwandt, Kimberly. "President Obama Confident He's Got Five More Years in White House –
Fox News." America's Election HQ. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
* Cuello, Dr. Jose. "Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies." Faculty Research Portfolios - Dr. José Cuello. n. page. Print. .
Cuello, Jose. "FOR COMMENT: Latinos and Hispanics: A Primer Technology." E-mail to Recipients of list H-LATAM. 17 Dec 1996.
Currently, there are 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States; 6 million of those immigrants are Mexican-born (Preston). Within that undocumented population are individuals who were brought to the States as children. These individuals have grown up in the American culture and consider themselves American, but struggle with being treated as second class citizens due to their undocumented status. On June fifteenth of 2012, the Obama Administration announced the executive order Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This order will allow immigrants who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children to apply for work permits and avoid deportation (Hennessey and Bennett). President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is not only beneficial to it applicants but also to the United States as a whole.
Immigration has been prevalent in The United States of America since the days of colonization in the 17th century. Masses of migrants around the world have sought a place in which to escape persecution, gain economic fortunes, and live their lives in freedom. America has always symbolized the land of opportunity everyone has been looking for, as exemplified by the inscription on The Statue of Liberty:
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most severely affected groups because the current immigration system disproportionally affects Latino/as. Recognizing how the experience of Latino/a immigrants have been both similar and different in the past from other immigrant groups and dispelling common misconceptions about Latino/as today bring an awareness how Latino/as are affected.
Nill, A. (2011). Latinos and s.b. 1070: Demonization, dehumanization, and disenfranchisement. Harvard Latino Law Review, 14, 35-66.
“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
Immigration reform has been one of the “hot” topics that have been consistently at the forefront of many American discussions. At this time, there are more illegal immigrants in our country than legal immigrants. This is a major controversy in the realm of other social policies. Illegal immigration, or undocumented immigrants, refers to foreign people entering the United States without government permission or violating the immigration law. This is typically done by sneaking into the country or staying beyond the allotted time frame.
Clutter, Ann W., and Ruben D. Nieto. "Understanding the Hispanic Culture." Osu.edu. Ohio State University. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. .
As previously stated, the Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing ethnicities in our country. Throughout the years ...
About half a million children are born to undocumented immigrants every year. These children are not given the opportunities that they so rightly deserve. They spend their entire lives in the United States and are considered illegal immigrants. They are given no choice, but to live their life as an undocumented immigrant. That is what the DREAM Act is trying to solve. The DREAM Act, or Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors is a proposal that would provide permanent residency to undocumented immigrants who meet certain eligibility requirements (The DREAM Act). If the DREAM Act is approved, then the education will be improved. It will improve the economy, the military will receive a significant increase in recruitments, and the lives of undocumented immigrants will thrive.
After about twelve years of the DREAM Act floating around in congress, many people on both sides of the issue are unsure of what will happen. For some, the fact that it has been around for long without much progress means that the DREAM Act will not pass. On the other side of this issue, the dreamers, continue fighting to keep the DREAM Act alive, so that all the immigrant students can continue to post secondary education, and not have to stop their education at the end of 12th grade. These young immigrants were brought here when they were younger and have lived in the United States most of their life. They are known as dreamers because many of them cannot continue their education due to the barriers placed on them because of their undocumented status. Those who wish to continue to a post secondary education have to pay higher out-of-state tuition rates. The passing of the DREAM Act will provide a path to legalization for educated and dedicated individuals who will continue to contribute a lot to the U.S. economy and in many other ways. The majority of undocumented students were brought to the U.S. when they were small children, and they “should be allowed to have the chance to stay in the country call home” (Bennion).
Kanellos, Nicolás, Felix M- Padilla, and Claudio Esteva Fabregat, eds. Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: Sociology. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1994. Print.
Cardenas, V., Kerby, S. (2012). The state of Latinos in the United States. Retrieved from www.americanprogress.org
Throughout the past centuries, immigration has had many positive and negative impacts on our country and society. Law and order have been the founding cornerstone of our democracy, and the mandate of the U.S. Constitution is for Congress to do the work of the people and that of the nation. Immigration has continuously been a passionate debate within our society. This particular topic will always be a sensitive subject due to Americans personal beliefs and morals.