The Effects of Immigration Policies - Term Paper Example

How did the world of immigration start? Why would people choose to leave their native countries to struggle in an unfamiliar land? Many people believe illegal immigrants came to build a better life for themselves and their families. In most cases, immigrants already have family members living in the United States and to be closer to them, they move. The issue with immigration though is the way immigrants decide to move—the illegal way. The right to legally move to the United States is accompanied by a long process that most people do not have the patience for.

They think that if they are already in the country, immigration will be easily granted. That only causes a setback. Unlike many, some individuals are convinced these immigrants came to the United States to cause a huge amount of complication in the economic system. Policies are put in place to harbor immigrants and keep track of them. As these policies take place, some parents are being deported because of wrongdoing or having issues with the law. Their children are now left in the hands of United States custody.

This dilemma leads to more children in orphanages or homeless. Many of these children will not be granted the opportunity to see their parents until all documents prove they are legal immigrants. The parents usually have “anchor babies” as a form of security. These anchor babies are supposed to protect the parents from deportation. Chain migration was also a form of security immigrants used to get their citizenship. They relied on a family member who is a citizen to submit their application for permanent residency and/or citizenship.

Today, anchor babies and chain migration are carefully monitored to prevent conflict in the immigration system. In these modern days, immigrants that are coming into the United States are not here to hinder the economy, but to get away from persecution, to secure better economic opportunities, and move elsewhere from natural disasters in their environment.