US Border Solutions - Article Example

US Border Solutions The United s of America has been favorably referred to as the land of opportunities. No wonder many aliens try to find their way inside the country. In 2010 alone, it was estimated that about 11.2 million illegal immigrants lived in the U.S (New York Times par. 1). In simple terms, an illegal immigrant is a person who resides in a country against the law (U.S. Immigration Support par. 1). Illegal immigrants may also be referred to as illegal aliens, undocumented aliens, migrants, undocumented immigrants, or undocumented workers. The history of illegal immigration in the U.S. can be traced to the latter part of the nineteenth century. In 1751, President Benjamin Franklin referred to a group of Germans travelling to Pennsylvania as “a Colony of Aliens”. In 1875 the immigration of prostitutes and convicts was prohibited in the country with the institution of a federal regulation (End Illegal Immigration par. 1). Today, the issue of illegal immigration in the U.S. and across the world is an issue of great concern especially considering that international terrorism has become more of a reality than a dream. While some illegal migrants enter the country legally but overstay in the country beyond the legal term, most immigrants in the U.S. enter illegally (U.S. Immigration Support par. 1). In many cases, immigrants enter the country in a bid to find a better life or to find their loved ones. The case of Enrique, the boy who leaves Mexico and travels to America to find his mother, Lourdes, is a case in point. Some leave their countries to escape political and or economic hardships in their nations. Illegal immigrants opt to risk their lives and wellbeing as they pursue their illegal goals. For example, Nazario (129) notes that, “Live wires carry electricity above the trains for 143 miles north…the wires still carry 25,000 volts to prevent vandalism. Signs warn: DANGER—HIGH VOLTAGE. ..They do not even need to touch the lines to be killed”. They use a variety of ways to gain entry into the country. Some cross the Atlantic Ocean in tubes or homemade boats. Others are smuggled or somehow assisted into the country by residents as depicted by Nazario (151): Enrique learns that El Tiríndaro is part of a smuggling network. He has partners in three safe houses on the U.S. side of the river, people who will hide migrants if Border Patrol agents are in pursuit…The price is $1,200. Yet again, others get into the country aboard trucks, boxcars or shipping containers. In some cases, the illegal aliens bribe the authorities so as to be allowed into the country without having to undergo the normal registration procedures. Illegal immigrants from South America sometimes fly into the country. While this is rare today, some illegal immigrants enter the country as slaves for labor, involuntarily. On the other hand, there is a growing trend in which young girls or women enter the country illegally to work as sex slaves. Preventing Illegal Immigration in the U.S. With improved technology and security, crossing the national border without detection has become difficult. In fact, illegal immigrants make several vain attempts to get into the country before finally succeeding. This said, it remains a fact that several illegal immigrants still find their way into the country to-date. Several quarters have tried to postulate measures that may be effective in curbing the entry of illegal aliens into the country. Jeff Lukens for example supports the idea of constructing a physical barrier in the form of a fence to deter potential illegal immigrants from entering the country. Lukens strongly opposes the Obama administration for failing to complete the proposed 700-mile fence project that he believes would have been most effective in curing illegal immigration. While this has been effective in the past, the effectiveness of this measure is limited to those who opt to get into the country without collusion or by land. Lukens had been an ardent supporter of the regulation instituted in 2006 toward the construction of a double layer fence along the Southern Border. On the other hand, Peter Schrag does not belief in the effectiveness of physical barriers. Schrag notes that such barriers only serve to shift people’s attention from the real issues that affect people – the very issues that encourage illegal entry into the country. In his view, tight border controls have led to the number of illegal immigrants in the country instead of actually solving the problem (Schrag par 10). Schrag notes that with the tight conditions, many previously legal immigrants find it difficult to return to their countries of origin after the expiry of their visas. Furthermore, he does not believe that the excessive expenditure in physical infrastructures including fences, spikes and walls will solve the problem. Citing Douglas Massey’s study on inter-state workers, Schrag notes that border buildup has made more permanent residents in different states. He notes that the current measures being applied have come with negative consequences including foreign relation problems, and drug trafficking In view of the current situation, it must be remembered that, Contemporary and historical research utilizing official government statistics and local ethnographic surveys, does not yield evidence of a unique social pathology among Mexicans that might lead to a permanent, dangerous underclass, let alone of resistance tio assimilation. (Gerber 130) What this means is that illegal immigrants are not necessarily a danger to the country as commonly believed. However, illegal immigration should be prevented never theless through the institution of effective measures. Schrag proposes a variety of measures to deal with illegal immigration in the U.S. In his view enforcing rigorous laws in relation to work safety and labor will reduce employers’ incentives to employ and exploit illegal immigrants (Schrag par 10). He also suggests that the U.S. should spend on Mexico with the aim of improving its economy and infrastructure in a bid to curb illegal immigration from the country (Schrag par 10). Conclusion In view of the root causes of immigration from Mexico, Schrag’s proposal seems more viable compared to Lukens’. Schrag assumes a more humanistic stance at dealing with the problem and faces the root instead of trying to deal with the symptoms. Schrag’s stance is also more valid since it seeks to create opportunities for people who would otherwise end up being illegal immigrants. In essence Schrag’s proposal if properly implemented can work effectively with little negative consequences in relation to foreign relations and rise in illegal immigration. Works Cited End Illegal Immigration. Americans Working to Stop Illegal Immigration. 2012. Web. 4 June, 2012. http://www.endillegalimmigration.com/History_of_Illegal_Immigration_in_US/index.shtml Gerber , David. American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford. Oxford University Press. 2011 .Print. Nazario, Sonia. Enriques Journey. Random House Publishing Group. 2007. Print. New York Times. 11.2 Million Illegal Immigrants in U.S. in 2010, Report Says; No Change From ’09. 2011. Web. 4 June, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/us/02immig.html?_r=1 Schrag, Peter. Immigration: the 250-year perspective. The Washington Post. 2012. Web. 4 June, 2012. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-bookworm/2010/07/immigration_the_250-year_persp.html U.S. Immigration Support. Illegal Immigration. 2012 Web. 4 June, 2012. http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/illegal-immigration.html Read More