America's Struggle with Illegal Immigrants

Illegal immigration has plagued the United States since immigration laws were created, and has worsened in recent history. Since Ronald Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provided amnesty for 3 million illegal aliens in exchange for increased border security, millions of people have entered the country illegally. Over the past 30 years, the illegal immigrant population of the country has more than doubled from 5 million in 1986 to over 11.5 million in 2015. It has become one of the most controversial political issues in America. While not every undocumented alien is a bad or dangerous person, illegal immigrants in general are a national security threat, harmful to the economy, and a burden on the social welfare system. The best solution to the illegal alien problem is to secure and enforce the border, purge American territory of every person unlawfully trespassing upon it, and reform the immigration system to make it easier for foreigners to enter the United States legally like people have done for centuries.

The debate of who should be allowed to enter the United States has been an issue for many years, with the large number of people entering and living here illegally this has become a significant talking point amongst the candidates in this presidential election. But are their views something that should be shared and supported by Christians today? There are definitely two opposing views from Christians on this topic. I will present both views regarding illegal immigrants in the United States and then I will present my own opinion on this topic.

America is deemed the land of the free and the home of the brave. The very fabric of this great nation was built upon immigrants from the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock to the millions of immigrants landing at Ellis Island. America is known as a melting pot of many different cultures and ethnic groups with roughly 11.7 million illegal immigrants living here. There has been a long standing love/hate relationship with the issue of immigration. It has long been debated as to whether or not we should continue to allow immigrant into our country so freely.

“More than any other nation on Earth, America has constantly drawn strength and spirit from wave after wave of immigrants. In each generation, they have proved to be the most restless, the most adventurous, the most innovative, the most industrious of people. Bearing different memories honoring different heritages, they have strengthened our economy, enriched our culture, renewed our promise of freedom and opportunity for all” (Clinton 146). Those are some wise words from a former president who explains the importance of immigrants and has the mentality of a person who has reason. For many, or everybody, walking through a hot, dry desert with no water or even through a cold, windy and rainy desert would not be an activity that they would like to engage. Even though this dangerous and severe weather goes on, several people still immigrate illegally because they want what is going to be best for them. Some make it all the way and unfortunately some we do not hear about ever again.

Illegal immigration is an on-going issue, which is of much importance in the United States today. It has been overlooked for many years, however it has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. Most of the illegal immigrants, 54% to be exact, come through the Mexican border. (Hayes 5) Since the early 1980’s, the number of illegal Mexican immigrants has risen at an incredible rate, causing the United States government to take action to create an even-handed solution that would be in the interest of both the illegal Mexicans and the citizens of the United States. This, however, has proven to be very difficult since it is still an issue today. The argument is that the

Illegal immigration and the deployment of these undocumented inhabitants of America has been a disputed issue for decades. It is debated whether to return the illegal immigrants to their country of origin, or to let them stay in the United States. Factual evidence and statistics has proven that although the immigrants may not be authorized as citizens or inhabitants of America, they do contribute to the diversity of the country. With such a large population of foreigners, the immigrants also influence America’s economy and the workforce. Immigration has been a prevalent aspect of civilization in the United States for centuries, and it is clear that allowing these illegal aliens to remain in the country will keep the economy and workforce secure. Since the immigrants have immensely escalated since the 1920s, it would drastically affect the nation to deploy all of these people. The deployment of illegal immigrants would negatively impact the economy, diversity, workforce, and stability of the United States, and undocumented immigrants should therefore be allowed to stay in America.

Which makes a twisted kind of sense. The man captured the attention of an entire country when he started off his presidential campaign railing against undocumented immigrants, and has made a name for himself as a presidential candidate spouting off hateful drivel. It’s been a ratings boon for networks, a rallying cry for conservatives and self-congratulatory bonanza for liberals that have taken to Facebook to bash him.

“The economy consists of the free flow of money, goods and services as well as the production of such goods and services. Illegal immigration has a direct economic impact, though the details are a little more complicated than the storyline of they 're taking our jobs.” (Hirby). In discussions of illegal immigration strictly through only an economic perspective, a controversial issue is whether undocumented immigrants in the United States of America ultimately represent a taxation liability or prosperity. While some argue that undocumented immigrants take more out of government funded programs than they pay to the economic interests of America, specifically they don’t pay taxes that legal American citizens do and essentially are an economic burden. Others contend that undocumented immigrants consistently pay billions in taxes, and contribute much more than they are costing the government.

The United States immigration policy has never pleased all Americans and probably never will. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, politicians have toiled continuously with the broken system. For example, Congress attempted to strengthen the western border by passing the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996 ("Historical Overview"). Although the proposed increase in Border Patrol agents seemed promising, insufficient funding kept the act from adequate enforcement ("Historical Overview"). Now, President Obama is trying to fix the immigration policy. Last November, the president issued an executive order so that his immigration proposal would be passed. In his proposal, his main focus was removing people who pose a threat to our country, as well as continuing to dispose of illegal immigration along the southern border ("Immigration"). Even though a few of the President 's critical points may be effective, it simply is not enough to remedy what has been broken for so long. Changes need to be made to our country 's immigration policy in order for it to be effective.

When it comes to Enrique and Lourdes I believe that they do defy the stereotypes. This book gave me the knowledge of what really goes on with illegal immigrants. The trouble they go through to get to America is unbelievable. Some even have to the repeat the trip multiple times. Enrique himself had to eight times. The worst is the beatings he went through most times. How can one endure something like that multiple times? The police were nothing, literally nothing. The law is meant to protect people not join in. The emotions come from Lourde and her story leaving your children behind is something I cannot imagine. After reading this I do not think anyone judge immigrants the same.

For ages, the United States has seemed to be the country where people seek to move to for a better life. The United States was built on immigrants. People have always migrated to the United States both legally and illegally. The main problem the country has face with immigrants is the amount that trespass the border illegally. Illegal immigration is the unlawful act of crossing a national border(Illegal Immigration Pros and Cons). The illegal immigrant population keeps growing at an annual average of about 300,000 people(Currie 10). In the recent year of 2014, there were about 11.3 million undocumented people living in the United States(Krogstad). Many have asked what harm they do to both the economy and the American citizen. Although there are many arguments as to how much harm they cause, there are as many arguments stating illegal immigration benefits the United States. Illegal immigration has a positive impact in the United States within the consumers, the working class, and the overall economy.

Illegal immigration and border patrol are becoming two of America’s top problems. The border separates Mexico from the United States, in particular Arizona and Texas. The fence is becoming a bigger issue for illegal immigrants to cross which, in turn, is making it an issue for border security. Different comparisons between Arizona and Texas and their state laws on illegal immigration will be made, the federal government’s policies on illegal immigration, and President Barack Obama views illegal immigration are all important issues for this topic. As illegal immigration continues to increase it is not going to end anytime soon.

Immigration has been an issue within the U.S. from the colonial days. Immigration is a hot topic in the U.S., which is gaining more focused attention due to the upcoming 2016 Presidential election. There are always two sides to an issue and immigration is no different. The Democrats and Republicans have different views on how to reform the immigration policies.

Since the establishment, people have been emigrating from every foreign country into the United States. Immigration is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as “a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence” (“immigrant”). In the beginning, America was the land of opportunity, which allowed people to have a chance at reaching success. Since then, the population has grown to over 320 million people. Because of the explosion of people entering the United States, a restriction must be instilled on the number of new foreigners who are allowed in. America is now well established, and the economy is not strong enough to support more than the population currently living within the borders. In attempt to control the amount of people entering the country, the United States government created an application process in which people who wish to become citizens are granted the opportunity to gain citizenship. Immigration is illegal without being accepted through the process, however, multitudes of people ignore the law and continue to cross the border illegally. Illegal immigration affects American citizens, immigrants, immigrant families, employers, and the Department of Homeland Security daily that create problems in the United States.

Illegal immigration is a huge problem in America today. Over the last two centuries, the United States has seen a dramatic increase in illegal immigration. This increase has caused a host of problems ranging from a strain being put on public schools to an increase in crime to a strain being put on the US economy. In order to fix this, the States need to secure the borders and prevent more illegals from entering. If this problem is not fixed soon, there could be major consequences. The United States wants to open its arms to legal immigration; but there is no doubt that the system is in need of reform. But it is important to withhold the laws that govern this country, and protect the citizens who are here.