Illegal Immigration - Essay Example

Illegal Immigration Illegal Immigration Introduction Illegal immigration also referred to as undocumented immigration is the act where foreign nationals enter the United States without the government’s permission. The first century of existence saw a steady stream of western European immigrants as well as Africans who were forced to go to the United States as slaves. Globally, colonial masters believed immigrants were good for business. There was a quick growth in the United States and the demand for labourers was infinite. Everyone was free to immigrate to the United States unless the government could prove that one was a serious criminal (Melo, Colson & Ramirez, 2014). The end of the Civil War grew the desire to restrict immigration of specific groups to the United States. In 1875, the first statute was passed to restrict immigration which was barring prostitutes and convicts from admission (Nadadur, 2010). Various laws were enacted some to curb the issue of illegal immigration and others to ensure that regardless of their situation the immigrants are not subjected to any discrimination or unfair treatment. Critical Aspects of Illegal Immigration The nature of the injustice and the institution responsible for the perpetuation of the injustice Undocumented people go through a lot of discriminations in the United States. Institutions that have been set up by the government are sometimes seen to be the perpetuators of these kinds of injustices (Obama, 2015). From the health sector, education, finance and even housing, they are seen to discriminate against the undocumented regardless of these areas handling the basic needs of any human being. Although these people access the United States without all the required documentation, they deserve to be respected and be treated as human beings. On the health sector, the undocumented also face discrimination. Disease breakouts are sometimes among the reasons why people migrate from their country to the United States. The migration is usually in search of a better health environment but the reception they get at the health facilities is not as they expect. The health insurance and policies available have not put them into consideration making access to health facilities difficult (Rhodes et al., 2015). Yet, access to health services constitutes the main determinant of the quality of life for all human beings. The employment world in the United States is another key area where the undocumented face discrimination. Most of the undocumented are people who come to the United States in search of a better job. Upon their arrival, they may have the qualifications needed to perform a particular task but an American will be given the priority. Once immigrants acquire a job, they usually send it to their home country which is always seen as a way of destroying the economy in the United States (Nadadur, 2010). This perception by the employers in the United States makes it hard for the undocumented to penetrate the job market Undocumented people are always accused for the poor performance of the economy (Nadadur, 2010). For people to work and produce quality products, they need to perform their duties openly so that their earnings can be taxed and put into collective use. However, the undocumented work secretly and their earnings are not accounted for. The financial institutions such as banks are also not left out in discriminating against them. Accessing financial services such as banking, acquiring loans or even mortgages is usually hard for the undocumented. Banks and other financial institutions do not have faith in them because of their situation subjecting them to a life of financial struggles. Thus, any economy featuring these characterizations has hurdles of performance. Significance of race, ethnicity, class, gender, age and sexual orientation regarding opportunities and outcomes for certain segments of our society as they relate to illegal Immigration Racial discrimination is common among the undocumented. This group of people could be either Latin or Africans and a lot of judgment is passed on them based entirely on their race (Rhodes et al., 2015). Occurrence of such discrimination is witnessed mostly in public places. They may not get attended to in a store, or allowed to use a specific mode of transport because of their race. Educational institutions may not admit an undocumented person solely based on their race or ethnicity. This barrier leaves them with no option other than to remain uneducated and struggle to seek employment that will not require a high level of education. On the part where an undocumented person had acquired basic education in their home country, it is also hard for them to further their studies as they cannot get admission to schools. The education system is considered lower and poorer than in the United States hence difficult to continue with their studies. A discussion of how disparate policies or practices affect individual outcomes Policies and laws that restrict immigrants from getting employment have some negative outcomes. Sometimes some of the undocumented are people that are fleeing their countries because of crimes they have committed (Melo, Colson & Ramirez, 2014). The challenges they experience in acquiring a job is usually disappointing making some of them to go back to their old ways. Undocumented immigrants tend to be confined in specific areas. This kind of confinement often leads to overpopulation. Overpopulation results in competition for basic social amenities such as food, shelter, clothing and medical facilities (Melo, Colson & Ramirez, 2014). The government of such particular state may have a problem coming up with a budget that will ensure a smooth running of the state since they have no control over the population.This kind of practise forces some immigrants to escape to other areas in search of a better life (Melo, Colson & Ramirez, 2014). The sociological, psychological and legal costs of this injustice to society, the family and individual Families that are considered undocumented usually go through emotional or even worse psychological torture (Rhodes et al., 2015). These kinds of families are prone to being separated at any time. The separation occurs so abruptly leaving members of the family especially the children in utter shock leading to psychological torture. Upon separation, the member could be deported or even sent to a different part of the country never to reunite with their family. The undocumented people upon their arrival in the United States do interact with the citizens. Through these interactions some get close to the extent of forming relationships and even families. Once these ties are established, they no longer see each other as different but rather they view themselves as one people (Melo, Colson & Ramirez, 2014). Issues such as deportation or separation when they occur, it divides and demoralizes the society as they will see no need of being close to people that might be taken away any time Solutions or alternatives to the problem/s that you have identified To every problem there is a solution so is to this problem of illegal immigrants. One of the solutions is to enact laws that will ensure they get the proper treatment that all human beings deserve. Since the issue of illegal immigration arose, a number of laws have been set up to ensure that this activity is restricted and that also the ones that are already in the country are handled in the most appropriate way (Obama, 2015). However, improvement can be made on the laws to ensure that regardless of their situation they get access to the most basic things such as health care, education and even housing. Another solution is to create public awareness on the issue of illegal immigration. Reasons for immigration are different for different types of people. Some people will migrate to the United States due to things such as famine, diseases or in search of a better life through employment (Obama, 2015). On the other hand others will migrate to escape prosecution of the crimes they have committed while others are to do illegal business of drugs or prostitution. The citizens having awareness on why there are undocumented people in the country may develop a better way of treating and handling them rather than discriminating on them. The way of handling the people found to be undocumented should be humane. Most are separated from their family and even deported without other members knowing about this. This should be handled in a decent way by informing the person and even the family why the separation or deportation is taking place. This will avoid psychological and sociological injustice to the person, family, and the society as a whole. Conclusion The issue of illegal immigration having been in existence from the early 1880’s until currently showing how it is an area of major concern. Almost all the presidents that have held the office since the 1880’s have been seen to address this issue. The congress has also come up with laws that will improve the situation of undocumented immigrants. From restricting their entrance, how they are to be handled and having access to the basic necessities, these laws have tried to cover it.Undocumented people cannot be done away with in a day. They are no lesser human beings than the citizens or the documented immigrants. This makes it important to find appropriate solutions to handle and restrict their immigration. References Rhodes, S. D., Mann, L., Simán, F. M., Eunyoung, S., Alonzo, J., Downs, M., & ... Hall, M. A. (2015). The Impact of Local Immigration Enforcement Policies on the Health of Immigrant Hispanics/Latinos in the United States.American Journal Of Public Health, 105(2), 329-337. Melo, G., Colson, G., & Ramirez, O. A. (2014).Hispanic American Opinions toward Immigration and Immigration Policy Reform Proposals.Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, 36(4), 604-622. Nadadur, R. (2010). Illegal Immigration: A Positive Economic Contribution to the United States. Journal Of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 35(6), 1037-1052. Obama, B. (2015). President Obamas Immigration Speech.Congressional Digest, 94(3), 3-4. Read More