9/11 Immigration Policy

In the years after 9/11, immigration control have become under speculation and debates have start that immigration control is part of homeland security. Many people believe it to be true because the 9/11 attackers were going through immigration system and had one way or another violated the system and no actions

The Homeland Security Act and the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 along with the Department of Homeland Security, formed Nov. 25, 2002, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), formed in 2003 are all things put in place post 9/11 to control immigration. The one most Americans are familiar with is the Homeland Security Act, which was put into place to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimize damage and assist in recovery for terrorist attacks that occur in the United States. Visas got to be harder to drop by for visitors, understudies and outside nationals and the individuals who were conceded into the nation were liable to further investigation as fingerprints and other biometric information was gathered. The Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Migration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), are tasked with the security of the U.S. also, its outskirts. The movement strategy influenced individuals from Mexico and Latin America, in spite of their having nothing to do with 9/11, and their way to U.S. citizenship.

1) Is current immigration policy seriously treated as a national security issue? How was it treated prior to September 11th?

The events of September 11, 2001 initiated another shift in the United States' immigration policy by dramatically increasing immigration enforcement. Immigrant removals, including deportations and so-called voluntary departures, had doubled since the attacks and fewer immigrants, especially from the Middle East are allowed in the Western countries. United States and other big countries in the European Union were the first ones to revise their policy in line with the new context of national security. Since September 11 attacks, the emphasis of American immigration policies became border security and removing criminal immigrants to keep national safety and prevent future terrorist attacks. At the same time, the United States kept its commitment

In our past history, The United States Customs and border officials have been focused on relatively common matters of enforcing laws regarding trade and immigration, watching over agriculture and economic interests from pest and disease, and processing people, vehicles and goods. After the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, the primary concern was the homeland security. The threat of terrorists and terrorist tools coming through our borders all add to an increased set of dangers to The United States. Is it the responsibility of our United States Military to defend our country from these threats? The following myths are often understood as true, when in fact they are not.

Illegal immigration about our nation southern border did not become an issue that was highlighted until it became a political issue in the 1980’s. Before the 1980’s the southern border was pretty much open for people to cross. Because it wasn’t on the radar of either country it was quietly endured at the time by both sides of the border. However, the 1986 Congressional debate over how to deal with illegal immigration culminated in the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986(IRCA), which introduced employer sanctions for the first time, as well as a limited legalization program (Andreas 2009). The IRCA however was not really enforced however the legalization did open the door for many illegal immigrate to return to their homeland to get work visas and green card.

The United States of America experienced the greatest, and arguably the most significant, restructure of both governmental and legal proportions in its contemporary history. Following the suddenness of the attacks, the United States was desperate to ensure that an onslaught of a similar stature was subdued. Henceforth, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was established, bringing into existence the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a department specifically concerned with internal issues faced by the USA. Primarily made as a direct response to the 9/11 attacks, the role of the DHS is to protect the United States of America and its given states and territories from danger; specifically, terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters; this is commonly seen in airports in the form of Customs and Border Control which are two functions of the DHS, following its subsequent take over of the IHS (Immigration and Naturalisation Services) in 2003. In the same movement for security, the *USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 was legislated in an attempt to “detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes”

In light of the September 11th tragedy the balance between open border commerce and tighter security must and will be reevaluated. As it appears now, all the terrorists were foreign. Some of these persons had entered the US via Canada. Some of the terrorists had been in and out of the country more than once and many had taken several flights each prior to the attack. Most of the terrorists had arrived in the US legally, taking advantage not just of loose security measures, but of lax immigration policies.i

The reforming of America?s immigration policy is something that can no longer be avoided and must be dealt with as soon as possible. Years of neglect by governmental agencies and policies makers have now made this issue one of the biggest in American politics. First of it must be understood that immigration does no only effect curtain areas of the country and curtain aspect of public life but rather all of American life. Both legal and illegal immigration affect major issues such as jobs availability for all citizens, wages, education in public schools system and in general, health care issues, and the homeland security.

Implementing stringent security controls along the borders is likely to reduce the influx of illegal immigration into the United States. With the increased border security, the American government could have helped alleviate the occurrence of the 9/11 bombing. Though this strategy is essential in alleviating the influx of illegal immigrants to certain geographic areas, increased border controls in these locations have made other, less controlled areas of the border more vulnerable. Rising crime rates, discarded debris, increased apprehension rates, and growing public scrutiny in these less secure areas provide clear evidence that border security is at once a social, an economic, and a national security issue.

No issue in any immigration policy kindles more dispute than the issue of illegal immigration. Unfortunately, some people confuse legal and illegal immigration. Legal immigrants are here legally. They have the proper, legal documents that allow them to live and work in the U.S. without complications. Illegal immigrants are defined as anyone who was born in a country other than the U.S. to parents who are not official U.S. citizens; they enter the U.S. without legal documents to prove their legal citizenship. Yet before the twentieth century, many individuals and families immigrated to the U.S. without restriction, and illegal immigration was not a problem at that time. Restrictive immigration quotas were presented, but even with limitations, citizens of the Western Hemisphere countries continued to immigrate outside of the quotas. Not until the 70th Congress did the Senate Committee pass an amendment to remove Mexico from the list of countries where families and individuals could immigrate without a quota. However, World War II began to require more and more troops, and the U.S. government looked toward Mexico because of the lack of manpower rather than issues regarding illegal immigration. The U.S. and Mexico endorsed an agreement that permitted Mexicans to work in America as a method to attend to the concerns of food processing in the U.S. during the war (Anderson, 91-93). In more recent years, President Obama, in an executive action, announced changes to DACA (Deferred

The history of immigration in the United States dates back to before the 19th century. Immigration first became an ordeal when the federal government took responsibility of its regulation in 1875 ("Historical Overview"). This began an issue still troubling our country. Over the years, many politicians have attempted to fix the system since the 20th century. Early in the 20th century,

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

National security is one of the most important topics in American society being debated today. Every day America faces threats from around the globe and the United States government has to implement policies in order to protect our nation. A major part of this argument involves how the government should handle immigration from countries around the world, specifically countries with high levels of terrorist activity. The way this is handled daily could be the difference between a normal tragedy free day in America, or a second 9/11 scale attack. In order to defend against an attack of this scale, the President and his cabinet must implement the smartest policies that will provide adequate protection from foreign threats and still stick to American

Always on the lookout for opportunities to press their case, anti-immigration advocates lost no time after the attacks of September 11. As one of them pointed out in testimony before the Senate,