Undocumented Immigration from Mexico or a Central American country or an Asian country - Research Paper Example

?Illegal immigration Immigration in general and illegal immigration in particular cause huge problems to America. Even though the contributions of the immigrant community in the past in the development of America are unforgettable, the concerns of illegal immigration have been growing in America since 9/11. The recent financial crisis gave more reasons to the worries of Americans towards immigration and illegal immigrants. It should be noted that America already suffers from huge capital outflow due to outsourcing. Moreover, a huge number of people from Asian and African countries are working in America at present. These immigrant communities send a huge amount of American currency to their mother countries; as a result, American economy suffers a lot. Apart from financial problems, lots of social problems arise in America because of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants struggle to get proper jobs and they may engage in theft and other violent antisocial activities. Moreover, many of the immigrants who migrated to America with educational purposes stay in America even after the expiry of their student visa. In short, illegal immigration is creating lot of economic and social problems in America at present. This paper analyses the types of problems brought to America by illegal immigrants and the responses of the US governments with respect to the crimes committed by illegal immigrants especially from Asian country and what should be expected to take care of the problems. According to a study conducted by Palivos &Yip (2010): Although illegal immigration is a boon to a country as a whole, there are distributional effects, whose sign is in general ambiguous. This is because all sources of income of both groups are affected and some of these changes tend to move income in opposite directions. Nevertheless, calibration exercises show that the wealth distribution is likely to become more unequal as the number of illegal immigrants increases (Palivos &Yip, p.21). Unequal wealth distribution and subsequent problems are the major effects of illegal immigrants. As mentioned earlier, illegal immigrants will never get white collar jobs and they will be forced to accept any type of jobs in order to survive in America. There are plenty of industrial units in America which employ illegal immigrants, especially from Asian countries. These people came to America on visit visa or student visa and stay there even after the expiry of their visa permit. They may get some support from their friends or relatives from Asian immigrant community in America. At the same time, employers in America make use of such illegal immigrant people for getting their jobs done at cheaper rates. It is a fact that labor cost in America is skyrocketing and many organizations struggle to compete effectively in the market because of that. In short, illegal immigrants are a blessing to the employers or organizations. However, it should be noted that these illegal immigrants may struggle to find enough money for their daily expenses from lowly paid jobs. It is impossible for them to earn a work permit legally in America. They have to engage in some kind of lowly paid part time jobs in organizations where they will be exploited by the employers. Employers will never give any additional benefits to them apart from the salary. Landscaping, construction, restaurants, hospitality, prostitution, agriculture and domestic service etc. are some of the popular employment sectors for the illegal immigrants in America. California is a state in which illegal immigration is probably occurs in the largest magnitudes. California is very close to Mexico; therefore, Mexican people can easily cross the borders. It is estimated that more than three million illegal immigrants are there in California alone. Californian authorities are not much concerned with illegal immigration because of the contributions given to Californian industries by this immigrant community. Mexicans are ready to accept any jobs in industrial units even if the salaries are extremely low. The American dollar value in Mexico is comparatively higher and, therefore, they are ready to work for low salaries. In fact, California is the cheapest labour market in America, only because of illegal immigration. Cheap labour helps business people to reduce the prices of their products in order to compete more effectively in the domestic and international markets. Thus, many small scale and large scale industries were developed in California as a result of illegal immigration. However, Californians are not realising that illegal immigrants are looting domestic job opportunities from the Americans and they are contributing more to the Mexican economy than to American economy. Locals in California are struggling to get proper jobs because of the intrusions of Mexican illegal immigrants. California is already struggling as K-12 education system spends approximately $7.7 billion a year to school the children of illegal aliens who now constitute 15 percent of the student body. Another $1.4 billion of the taxpayers' money goes toward providing health care to illegal aliens and their families, the same amount that is spent incarcerating illegal aliens criminals (Longley) Life expenses are growing day by day in America and even people with white collar jobs are currently struggling to manage their family budgets. In short, wealth distribution could become uneven in America, as a result of illegal immigration. Unequal wealth distribution and lack of resources to find livelihood may force lowly paid employees or Illegal immigrants to engage in robbery and violence. Elements of disparities in social structure are the major cause of criminal activities in a society. In a society dominated by illegal immigrants such disparities could be more evident and, therefore, the chances of social problems are also bigger. According to US census bureau statistics; In March 2002, 12.5 million Asians and Pacific Islanders lived in the United States, representing 4.4 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population. While one-half lived in the West (51 percent), 19 percent lived in the South, 12 percent, lived in the Midwest, and 19 percent in the Northeast. In comparison, 194.8 million (69 per-cent) of the United States population was non-Hispanic White and 19 percent lived in the West, 33 percent in the South, 27 percent in the Midwest, and 21 percent in the Northeast (Reeves and Bennett, p.20-21) The Asian population size at present in America could be around 20 million, when we consider the growth rate of this community in America from 2002 onwards. It should be noted that African Americans, Hispanics etc. are not included in this list. If that also taken into consideration, one can safely say that in America the number of whites could be lesser than that of the Blacks. Immigration in general and illegal immigration in particular can often create demographic imbalances in the host country. It should be noted that America is a secular democratic country which gives ample freedom and liberties to all religions and cultures. All the people in America can spread their religion in America and they can establish their own churches, mosques or temples in America. No other country in the world provides such liberties to immigrants. It should be noted that in countries like Saudi Arabia, nobody can keep a Bible with them. On the other hand, in America, no such restrictions are there and, therefore, it is an immigrant’s paradise. Immigrants who are already in America will try to bring their friends and relatives to America at any cost. In short, a huge Asian and other overseas communities are currently staying in America. This will definitely create demographic imbalances in America. Rouse et al. (2010) have pointed out that “one of the primary concerns raised by many Americans is that the influx of immigrants has a potentially negative effect on American culture, particularly if these immigrants are not willing to conform to the American way of life” (Rouse et al., p.860). Culture plays an important role in shaping national identity. Even though multiculturalism is good for the secular images of a country, it is not so when we consider the social problems in a multicultural society is concerned. For example, India is a secular democratic country in which Hindus constitute more than half of the population. Clashes between Muslims and Hindus are common in India even though India is a secular democratic country. It should be noted that even within the same culture different ethnic groups may clash with each other. For example, even though Muslims constitute the majority in Iraq, clashes between different Muslim communities such as Kurds, Sunnis and Shias are common. The case is not different in Pakistan, as well as the majority of the African countries. Under such circumstances, one can anticipate the depth and breadth of possible social problems multiculturalism may bring to America through immigration. Immigrants will never integrate into American culture which is evident from the fact that many of the Asian people are trying to establish their own cultural centers, celebrations and social activities in America. For example, Indians in America will usually celebrate festivals such as Onam, Vishu, Pongal, Deepavali etc. These festivals have nothing to do with American culture. In other words, immigrants will never forget their roots and will try to fabricate a life mixed with their original identity with American identity. Thus, instead of an American culture, they will cultivate a new culture in America which is not so good for American culture. Illegal immigrants do not have the liability to pay any kind of taxes in America. At the same time, they can enjoy all facilities in America, just like an American citizen. It should be noted that ordinary persons in America pay huge amounts in the form of various taxes. These taxes are used by the government for building infrastructure facilities in America. It should be noted that the beneficiaries of public funds are not only the tax payers but also the non-taxpayers. For example, the water and electricity like public services will be utilized by the illegal immigrants even though they are paying nothing for it. “Researchers and observers, aware that widespread concern over crime committed by immigrants can boil over into hate crimes committed against them” (Horowitz). Illegal immigrants can create more problems not only to the government, but they can create problems for themselves too. For example, if a crime committed against the illegal immigrants by some locals or others, they cannot register any complaints to the police department. At the time of registering complaints, people should prove their identity. Since illegal immigrants have no license to stay in America, they won’t be able to approach the authorities with any type of complaints. At present, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 and its subsequent amendments regulate legal labor migration into the United States. Under its auspices, the opportunities to migrate vary significantly, and generally they are tied to education level. For example, well-educated foreign nationals who speak fluent English and have skills that are readily transferable to the U.S. labor market can legally migrate under non-immigrant temporary employment visas. On the other hand, legal avenues of migration for unskilled laborers and workers whose skills are not readily transferable to the American labor market are limited (Liebert, p.391). The above facts clearly indicate that Americans do not like the accumulation of unskilled immigrant community. It is a fact that America is currently struggling to find enough manpower in the skilled employment sectors. For example, majority of the nurses working in American hospitals are from Asian countries. It is impossible to replace all those immigrant nurses with locals. In other words, Americans can never think in terms of completely stopping immigration to their soil. However, they can definitely think in terms of limiting illegal immigration of unskilled people. Illegal immigrants will always be a liability to the government, whereas skilled immigrants will always be an asset. Apart from terrorism, illegal immigrants can cause increased crimes, multiculturalism, increased number of traffic accidents, dramatic impacts on infrastructure developments, increased environmental problems, antisocial activities such as theft or prostitution etc. A comprehensive program to end illegal immigration is necessary in America. The majority of the Gulf countries which are facing the same problem, has already started to implement strict measures to control illegal immigration. Continuous check-ups at workplaces and residential apartments are done in the Gulf countries to catch illegal immigrants. Such measures are needed in America as well. The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) codified legislation that created what is now known as the 287(g) program,4 a federal program that allows local law enforcement agencies to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in order to perform certain duties of federal immigration officers. In the past, these partnerships authorized local law enforcement personnel to investigate and detain individuals suspected of violating certain provisions of federal immigration law, facilitating their transfer to ICE facilities and the initiation of removal proceedings (Michaudp.1085). Even though there were many laws to restrict immigration, none of them was implemented properly. Authorities kept a blind eye towards the immigration issue. Moreover, they thought that immigration is actually a blessing to America, rather than a curse. So, none of the illegal immigration acts were implemented strictly. However, the scenario has changed a lot, especially after the 9/11 incident. Authorities have now realized that 9/11-like terrorist activities may again happen in America through illegal immigrants. In other words, if not restricted effectively, terrorists can enter America through illegal channels. The above awareness forced the authorities to tighten the screws on illegal immigration. Arizona has recently introduced a controversial immigration act to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants. “This law was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations, would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally” (Archibold). To conclude, illegal immigration is a big social problem in America at present. Even though it was not a serious problem in the past, changing global political, economic and cultural climates made it a significant problem at present. Terrorists can enter America through illegal channels and conduct their missions easily. Recent economic crisis has destroyed the financial backbone of America; it is no more ready to tolerate illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants loot employment opportunities from Americans even though they bring cheap labour to America. Illegal and uncontrolled immigration may create demographic imbalances in America. It is a threat to American culture and identity. Immigrants bring their domestic culture to America and they are not ready to integrate with the American culture. Illegal immigrants are normally unskilled people who contribute less to American economy. They pay no taxes even though they enjoy all public utility services. America was not ready to tighten the screws on illegal immigration till 9/11. However, it is now considering illegal immigration as a serious threat to its safety and security. Most of the states started to tighten the screws against illegal immigration. Arizona seems to be the state which implemented toughest immigration law in the recent past. In short, America can no more keep a blind eye towards illegal immigration and it should regulate it as much as possible for the safety and security of authentic Americans. Works Cited Archibold, Randal C. “Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration”. 2010. The New York Times. April 23, 2010. Web. 30 November 2011. Horowitz, Carl F.“An Examination of U.S. Immigration Policy and Serious Crime”. 2001. Web. 30 November 2011. http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/crime/toc.html Liebert, Saltanat. “The Role of Informal Institutions in U.S. Immigration Policy: The Case of Illegal Labor Migration from Kyrgyzstan”. Public Administration Review. May - June 2010. EBSCOhost Longley, Robert. “Illegal Immigration Costs California Over Ten Billion Annually”. Web. 30 November 2011. Michaud, Nicholas D. “The Decline of the Federal Immigration Partnership and the Rise of State-Level Immigration Enforcement”. 2010. Arizona law review. VOL. 52:1083. EBSCOhost Palivos, Theodore, & Yip Chong K. “Illegal Immigration In A Heterogeneous Labor Market”., 2010. Journal of Economics (2010) 101. DOI 10.1007/s00712-010-0139-y. EBSCOhost Rouse, Stella M., Cutaia Betina Wilkinson, & Garand James C. “Divided Loyalties? Understanding Variation in Latino Attitudes Toward Immigration”. 2010. Social Science Quarterly, Volume 91, Number 3, September 2010. EBSCOhost Reeves, Terrance and Bennett Claudette. “The Asian and Pacific Islander Population in the United States: March 2002”. 2002. U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration. U.S. Census Bureau. Read More