The Problem Of Illegal Immigration

“The result is family separation—often involving U.S. citizen members. Such destruction to families also results from the expansion of the so-called Secure Communities program under the Obama administration’s watch”(Hing 982). The Secure Communities program did not seem like it would cause any issues but it has. The Secure Communities has “called for expeditious removal of the thousands of unaccompanied children arriving at our border who are fleeing violence” (Hing 982). The children are trying to come to a better place but since there is no family members and they are just children they do not have a way to check their status and have no other choice but to be removed from the

Between 2001 and 2004 the estimated number of central American migrants that reported detained and deported, doubled to more than two thousand a year. Most of the migrants that leave their home in central America and Mexico have a set goal which is to find their mothers. “An estimated 1.7 million children live illegally in the United States, most from Mexico and Central America” (Nazario, Pg. 241). A study featured in the book from a Harvard University showed that “85 percent of all immigrant children who eventually end up in the United States spent at least some time separated from a

children are leaving everything behind and migrating to the U.S with a hope of survival.

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.

Immigration has played an important role throughout American history. What fundamentally sets America apart from other nations is the foundation that it was created by immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their children (Camarota & Zeigler, 2016). During times of economic growth, laborers have been imported, and deported during recessions (Flores, 2016). An average of 1.1 million immigrants relocate to the United States annually (Storesletten, 2000). US Customs and Border Control officials, have witnessed a significant increase in the number of “unaccompanied alien minors” from Latin America, anticipating 75,000 minors (if not more) from 2016 to 2017 (Rush, 2016). The average age for “unaccompanied alien minors” is 11 years

There are many vulnerable populations within the United States. One of the many vulnerable populations are undocumented immigrants. Undocumented immigrants also known as illegal immigrants according to Wikipedia (2016) is defined as “the migration of people across national boarders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country” (para 1). The United States of America has one of the largest population of immigrants. In this paper, I will be discussing the multiple stressors related to undocumented immigrants as well as the programs that can be used to help alleviate those stressors.

“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.

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

and Mexican governments and awareness campaigns carried out between 2013-2014 successfully sent the message to residents of the primary sending countries in Central America. However, Central American men, women and children continue to travel north into the migrant trail and across Mexico. The analysis of The Beast Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Oscar Martinez offers concrete, systematic evidence of the relative weight crime victimization plays in the migration decision. The Beast allows us to understand why these individuals continue to make the trip when seemingly fully aware o the dangers involved and supports to suggest that no matter what the dangers of migration may be in the future it is preferably to a present-day life of crime and violence endured in the Northern Triangle. Having such knowledge of what motivates Central Americans to consider migration and understanding the influence of this prior knowledge in their decision for immigration along with an understanding of how preceding U.S. and Mexican efforts to deter immigration grants the United States government to understand immigration patterns and a possible solution for mass migration crisis. The current migration dilemma and book proposes the possibility of a different attempt on behalf of the United States government to deter migration from the Northern

There was a record number of unaccompanied child migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border the summer of 2014. These young people hoped to flee from violence, and poverty affecting their countries. This wave of migrants garnered a lot of attention due to the fact that in the first half of 2014, more than 57,000 children arrived in the U.S. This was more than twice the number of arrivals as the ones that made it to the U.S.-Mexico border in all of the fiscal year of 2013.

The process of moving children into these areas creates a significant issue for communities. The social services of the community and the community’s resources cannot sustain the influx of children that need to be cared for. Even though many of these cases are placed on a “priority docket” the immigration system has become bloated and overwhelmed, resulting in cases going unresolved for a long period of time. The immigration court system cases are currently waiting on average of 1,071 days before they have their first hearing. In the

Every year, around one million people are immigrating into the United States both legally and illegally. As of now nearly 40 million immigrants live in the United States; 11.5 million of which came to the country illegally (CNN). That is nearly thirteen percent of the total United States population. The role the United States government plays in the handling of immigration from foreign countries both legal and illegal, plays a vital role in the security of the people of the United States and

Immigration is one hot topic in today’s conversation and society. Many think that immigrants coming to America are taking many jobs away from who need them. Some also think that there are jobs being taken away are not ones that Americans would not perform due to the horrible working conditions, low pay, and lack of important medical coverage. The immigration issue has come to a point where the United States must make a decision to spend a lot of money to curtail the amount of immigrants coming here.

One of the first root causes seen in Which Way Home is migrating to the United States (U.S.) to get a job and to financially help their families. Fourteen year old Kevin from Honduras wanted to go to the U.S. so he could find a job and help support his mom. Kevin’s step dad did not want him and his step dad beat his mom, as well. Kevin felt that by migrating to the U.S. he would be able to support his mom and his siblings. Many child migrants feel that they have no opportunities in their home countries and that if they move to the U.S. they will have more job opportunities and they will be able to help support their families financially. Kevin traveled with his friend Fito, who wanted a better life for himself, which is another root cause.