Safety Through Immigration Control By Edwidge Danticat

    All around the world terrorism has increased tremendously. There have been recent terrorist attacks in Spain, London, Paris, and Berlin and that has made the United states question their safety. “Mass migration has caused terror attacks across Europe and is responsible for the recent bloodbath in Nice where 84 people were slaughtered, according to senior Hungarian politicians”(Christy's 1). Illegal immigrants

September 11, 2001 was a day that devastated our nation and changed the lives of every American in some way.These terrorist attacks would ignite many changes in the lives of United State citizens.The U.S. government implemented a series of critical immigration policy measures,such as heightened airport security,increased funding,removing criminals,and turning police officers into immigration agents to respond to future threats of terrorism.In this paper we will examine how the attacks contributed to different factors.

    On September 11, 2001, Islamic extremists stole four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against the United States. Two of the airplanes were flown into the twin towers in New York City, the third airplane hit the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth airplane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Known as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive death and destruction, triggering the United States to create major changes in their security and terrorism protocols. While everyone agrees that what happened on 9/11 was terrible, many believe that the changes in America’s security protocols are not for the best. How 9/11 affected America’s security protocols was for the worse, it caused: privacy invasion for foreign and American civilians in airports, immigration laws increased out of fear, and discrimination and racism towards Arab civilians.

Micah Issitt and Andrew Walter define immigration as the “movement of persons from one nation or region to another with the purpose of seeking permanent residence.” Unfortunately, illegal immigration has become more prominent in the U.S. arousing debates on what to do with the illegal migrants. The 9/11 attacks on the twin towers were caused by terrorists, who penetrated our weak borders to gain access to their planned attack. Under the Obama era, two and a half million more immigrants have crossed the border illegally than during Bush’s reign in office, which shows how our border is becoming more and more vulnerable. If the borders are not secured soon, more and more migrants will come illegally and take jobs from legal Americans, also

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, immigration control and national homeland security have been issues of concern for both the national government and private citizens. In the wake of the attacks, a lot of articles were written about what the appropriate response should be to prevent another attack. In 2004, Mark Krikorian wrote an article for the Providence Journal entitled “Safety through Immigration Control” in which he contends that the only means to keep America safe from a follow-up attack is to strengthen and enforce immigration law to prevent terrorists from being able to enter the country. Edwidge Danticat, writing for The Nation in 2005, provides a juxtaposition to Krikorian’s stance in her essay “Not Your Homeland”, in which she describes her witnessing of the inhumane conditions many immigrants are forced to endure in the name of increased security to protect the country. She questions whether the added protections are worth the human cost we are paying by treating immigrants and refugees as guilty until proven innocent. At the crossroads of these two perspectives lies the question: what is the proper balance between national security and the humane treatment of immigrants?

Illegal immigration has been around ever since borders were created to divide the world. The reasons for illegal immigration, stretch from escaping unstable governments, seeking job opportunities, and making money. In the United States, most of the current illegal immigration comes from Mexico and Latin America because of poverty and the lack of jobs (Poroy)(Wilson, Armstrong). The United States provides many cheap labor positions in construction and farming where business owners are looking for immediate workers that will get the job done. Unfortunately, illegal immigrants cost the U.S. government around $11.4 billion to $20.2 billion each year due to the use of America’s goods without paying all their taxes(Amadeo). Fortunately, over the

The history of terrorism is as old as humans’ willingness to use violence to affect politics. Terrorism can affect everyone, whether directly or indirectly. However, a group that is largely affected is immigrants, mainly due to the U.S. policies on Counter-Terrorism. These policies might protect our country, but they also indirectly lead to discrimination against immigrants. The U.S. policy on Counter-Terrorism causes unfair immigration laws, encourages social media to demonize foreigners, and creates an unfair society for immigrants to live in.

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 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

On September 11, 2001, terrorists initiated multiple attacks on America that took the lives of nearly three thousand innocent people. It was a day of destruction and horror that will be branded in the minds of many for a long time. The tragedies on 9/11 could have been avoided if airport security in the United States had been stricter. A strong foundation for Homeland Security is essential in protecting America from further attacks. In the essay

As previously established, the United States, a country with borders stretching over thousands of miles, lacks the capacity to fully observe and protect every corner of its territory. Some individuals seem unmoved by so many undocumented persons entering the country, stating that “borders should generally be open and… people should normally be free to leave their country of origin and settle in another…” (Higgins 528). However, these proponents of open borders neglect to recognize that as hundreds of illegal immigrants cross the borders, the issue of terrorism and overall safety becomes a major concern. Without undergoing the proper restrictions and precautions required to enter the United States, these illegal immigrants could potentially be a major threat to the country. So in order to decrease these Terrisits attacks in the United States, we need to strengthen the border security. Because of the events of 9/11 and the expanding population of displaced people, the legislature of the United States has consistently expanded its endeavors to upgrade national security over the previous years. The Secure Fence Act of 2006, marked into law by George W. Shrubbery, ordered the development of 652 miles of wall along our Southern fringes. What's more, as of February 2012, DHS has finished 651 miles of obstructions. As per DHS, the quantity of Border Patrol specialists

One of the factors that define what the experience of these incoming asylum seekers will be like is how the citizens of the welcoming country treat them. Therefore it is important to consider how after 9/11, the opinions of citizens towards immigration has changed. Gail Stewart talks about, how civilians were told that the perpetrators of the attacks were immigrants from the Middle East, who obtained legal visas; therefore it created a sense of discrimination in the face of civilians and policy makers. Stewart talks about the differing ideas of people. Some suggested that the country should go as far as, “keeping the borders closed” (Stewart, 2004). Meanwhile others feel like the whole idea of the US is based on welcoming immigrants, and “The greatest victory for Osama bin Laden, of course, would be if America lost faith in its openness" (Stewart, 2004). The road the government decided to take is requiring a much more detailed background check, for anyone seeking to immigrate to

Every year people from all over the world come to the United States for a myriad of reasons. Some to seek employment, some education, and others to seek safe haven from violence and oppression from foreign governments. Regardless of the reason, the beauty of the United States is that the protections afforded by the constitution apply to anyone within its territory. However, since the terrorist attack against the United States on September 11, 2001, the protections of the constitution have since become a blurred line. Legislation such as the Patriot Act, and methods in which law enforcement conduct operations to combat terrorism have pushed the limits of the constitution. Finding the balance of working within the confines of the constitution is a constant challenge. The growing challenge elicits the potential for legal, policy and ethical issues, which ultimately undermine the very purpose of what the constitution is intended to protect.

The United States of America has always been a refuge where poor and oppressed people from the far corners of the world can come to begin a new life. Much of the nation’s allure to prospective immigrants is in its promise of equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, or color. But the pressures of rising unemployment rates, congested cities, a crippled healthcare system, and national debt skyrocketing out of control have caused America to defend her borders against the influx of immigrants that threaten her already ailing economy. Still, despite all the heightened security measures incorporated in recent decades, a steady stream of immigrants continue to enter the country illegally. The Washington Times reports that there are

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.