Immigration in American Society - Essay Example

Immigration Introduction Immigration is one of the key constituting factors of the American society. Itdoes have the capacity to effect profound economic, political, social and cultural changes. Illegal immigration to the United States of America is an equally widespread phenomenon. The economically supreme position of the United States vis-à-vis the lesser developed countries is the major cause for this wide scale immigration. There exist a number of both economic and social rewards for a prospective illegal immigrant in the United States, popularly known as economic incentives or the magnet of illegal immigration. To name a few, high wages, enhanced social mobility and raised social status are the important ones. The readiness of the employers to hire undocumented workers is a guarantee to the prospective illegal immigrant for the life he/she aspires. Throughout the history of America, people of differing ideologies have generally agreed on immigration controls. Public opinion polls have continually shown an overwhelming opposition to illegal immigration as well as for the concept of amnesty. The most persuasive rationale to be in opposition to this latest bill again does not respect the rule of law. There have been controversies regarding the political loyalties, work habits and moral values of the immigrants. Enforce the Law Amnesty for illegal aliens is the cornerstone of both John McCain and Barack Obama’s immigration policy. Amnesty is merely a reward for law-breaking and by whatever name, causes ever escalating future illegal immigration. “No system depending on a strict regard for the rule of law can treat law-breaking so casually” (Erler, 2004). Those who favor amnesty for illegal aliens, specifically those crossing the southern border do not seem to realize that a crime has been committed and not, as they might have you believe, one without a victim. A cluster of criminal activities exist in order to make illegal immigration possible. Since the deportation of illegal immigrants is not a criminal activity, it is more of an administrative function than a judicial one. Therefore, an efficient executive branch is central to the right handling of the issue of illegal immigration. The executive branch is charged with enforcing the law pertaining to illegal immigration. Nevertheless, none of the Presidential candidates has pledged to make the executive proactive against illegal immigration. It is often noted by many an observer that the number of illegal immigrants is outpacing the number of legal ones and it is a rapidly growing phenomenon. There is a strange phenomenon that the children of illegal immigrants get legal status without their parents being so and enjoying all the benefits of United States citizenship. Harmful to Citizens The massive numbers of illegal aliens pouring across mainly the southern border has and continues to cause substantial economic, social and physical harms to legal citizens. These harms occur predominantly to those who are among the most vulnerable segments of the population, minorities, children and the poor. Simply enforcing the laws presently on the books and deporting illegal aliens is an economic necessity that would also result in decreased crime rates. The effect of immigration cannot simply be calculated through a cost-benefit analysis merely in monetary terms. Immigration has wider and larger implications in any given society mainly because of the demographic changes ought to take place as a result of constant immigration. Immigration makes the society more complex and stratified. It engenders more boundaries between social groups based on religion, culture, language, ethnicity and nationality. High level of migration of guest workers could entrench the wretched conditions of already weaker sections of the citizenry due to the potential high competition for low-paid jobs. By quoting the census data, Stephen Ohlemecher brings out the fact that ‘nearly one in five people living in the United States speaks a language at home other than English’. There are all the prospects for a linguistic social anarchy in the united States. Illegal immigration could be a major threat to the security of the citizens. ‘Since smugglers facilitate the illegal entry of persons into the United States, some maintain that terrorists may use existing smuggling routes, methods, and organizations to enter undetected.’ ( Wasem, 2007,) Furthermore, alien smuggling is a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise. Alien smuggling involves severe crimes such as kidnapping, human trafficking, abuse of women and children, identity theft and the production of false documents. Illegal immigration via deserts and mountains in all sorts of adverse conditions also poses a danger to the lives of immigrants themselves. Harmful to the Economy An all-time high of 37.5 million was the number of immigrants in the united states as of 2006. ‘The number of foreign-born people residing in the United States is at the highest level in U.S. history and has reached a proportion of the U.S. population not seen since the early 20th century. There is a broad-based consensus that the U.S. immigration system is broken’ ( Wasem, 2007). Illegal immigrants receive more from public monies than they contribute which lowers the standard of living for legal citizens. Illegal immigrants contribute greatly to the overall population growth and health care, education and employment are the most impacted. Salaries are driven down by illegal immigrants willing to work for much less while their children, illegal and legal, overcrowd the schools. It’s the U.S. taxpayer who is sent with the bill for their health care services as well. In addition, the large influx of illegal aliens burdens the already inadequate number of units classified as affordable housing and other welfare resources such as energy, water and land usage (“Illegal Immigration”, 2003). A Solution The U.S. could consider adopting similar immigration regulations as in the U.K. where a person cannot immigrate without first securing employment. The points or credits based system would be more efficient. Non-residents cannot apply for state benefits of any type. Legislators should consider the net effect on society and encourage the immigration of high-skilled and well-educated people who will contribute to the economic health of the nation rather than low or no-skilled workers who are a heavy economic and social burden. Both the fence and gate should be big enough to effectively control immigration. If Congress were to put the country’s interests ahead of its own, it would pass an illegal immigration bill which grants no amnesty. Congress should also pass legislation amending the Immigration and Nationality Act eradicating the idea that children born of illegal aliens are automatically citizens. That privilege should be reserved for children of legal immigrants. Congress should also criminalize illegal entry into the United States which would force government administrators and health workers to report these people to the authorities. Laws should be enacted that bring criminal charges against all those who aid illegal aliens to gain entry into the country and against those employers who hire them. All social benefits, including medical care, education and welfare for illegal immigrants should be eliminated with the only exception being medical treatment given when first contacted before deporting the criminal. Mexico, Central America , Asia and Canada are places that contribute much of the illegal immigrants to the United States. The March 2006 estimate of Pew Hispanic Center points out that 81% of the illegal immigrants to the United States are either from Mexico or Central America (or to a lesser extent, South America). The borders with Canada too are a hotspot for prospective illegal immigrants to the United States. Both India and China, despite the stories of their grand economic triumph, have increased their share in thee pool of illegal immigrants to the United States. There could be country specific approaches to solve the problem of illegal immigration such as special provisions for prospective immigrants from Mexico and Canada sine both of them share physical boundaries with the United States. Conclusion If the U.S. cannot secure its own borders, what confidence does this instill in the world’s view when it tries to police other areas of the globe? The U.S. can hardly be seen as credible when helping to solve other countries’ problems when it cannot solve its own immigration dilemma, a problem many other countries do not seem to struggle with. No one-size-fit-all policy framework can adequately address the issues pertaining to immigration in their entire complexity. It is a matter of fact that immigration both positive and negative outcomes. In other words, it is a necessary evil in the modern capitalist society. What is to be done is the encouragement of legal immigration in accordance with the real needs of the U.S economy and the political and humanitarian concerns of American polity. We cannot let the American Dream die down, but the dream has to be seen in changed terms in order to prevent it from being a utopia. The hard working and industrious people from around the world should not be deprived of the opportunity to be part of the American Project, and the American ideals of rule of law, liberty and freedom from want must be defended. Preservation of legal immigration as prevention of illegal immigration is the key step in it. References Erler, E. J. (2004). “Amnesty for Illegal Aliens.” The Washington Times. Retrieved October 3,2008 from “Illegal Immigration is a Crime.” (March 2003). Federation for American Immigration Reform. Retrieved: October 3, 2008 from Wasem, R. E (2007). Immigration Reform: Brief Synthesis of Issue, Retrieved: October 6, 2008 from < http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/91856.pdf.> Read More