The Issue of Illegal Migration - Report Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Proposal to solve a problem Introduction Illegal migration has caused many challenges to the United States of America. There are many controversial debates revolving around the issue of illegal immigrants and what ought to be done to address the problem. This study provides workable solutions that need to be implemented in order to deal with the challenge of illegal immigrants. The problem is stated clearly and a justification is given for the possible solution. Every American is in agreement that illegal immigration precipitates real challenges to American especially in terms of national security. Drug trafficking, terrorism, and other crimes are imminent and on increase due to the porous United States’ borders. This study examines what can be done to solve the problem. Background to the problem The current day illegal immigration dates back during the war years of the 1940s. Shortages of labor compelled the federal government to come up with a program that imported Mexican workers to work on temporary basis in agriculture, particularly in the Southwest region. The program was referred to as Bracero. Foreign workers were imported during the agricultural harvest time and then encouraged to go back to their home land. Despite the end of the program, illegal immigrants from allover the world continued to find their way into United States of America. Illegal immigration is a problem that is currently alarming in the US. The political, social, and economic aspects of immigration have caused controversy in regard to economic benefits, ethnicity, settlement patterns, as well as jobs for non-immigrants, voting behavior, crime, and impact on social mobility. Undocumented and illegal immigrants to the United States are causing imminent challenges to the country. The status of America as a ‘Nation of Immigrants’ is being threatened by globalization which makes both terrorism and migration easier. The challenge of immigration cannot be wished away, it has to be dealt with. Description of the problem Immigration has been both a curse and a blessing to the United States. Whereas the country has witnessed its rich civilization and culture being shaped out by ambitious, hard-working, and talented people from around the globe, disruptive and illegal elements have put the national security in jeopardy especially after the September 9/11 attacks. The porous borders have made it easy for terrorists and criminals to enter the United States. Illegal immigration is the migration of people across borders and into the United States against the nationality and immigration law. Illegal immigration poses a threat to national security that surpasses the much hyped economic problems in terms of urgency of seeking a permanent solution. Of course problems caused by illegal immigration cannot be ignored. There are more than ten million undocumented aliens who are currently residing in the United States (Alden 119). The population growth rate is around 700,000 people per year. Hatton and Jeffrey (1998) argue that a bigger crisis is looming if a workable solution is not found urgently. The Presence of a huge number of undocumented and illegal immigrants distracts resources, distorts laws, and creates cover for criminals and terrorists. Efforts to curb the economic influx of migrants make the security dilemma worse by forcing many migrant workers underground, and therefore enhancing the illegality culture. When all challenges posed by illegal immigrants are factored in, there is the need of curbing illegal immigration from escalating further. Security, social, and economical challenges posed by illegal immigrants are making the lives of native and legal citizens to be very hard. The illegal immigrants have to be hunted down and registered under guest worker program or encouraged to go back. The federal and state governments have to look for viable solutions to the problem before it escalates further. Solution to the problem The employers who hire illegal immigrants have to meet the full wrath of the law. This approach will seek to address the motive of many poor individuals who are willing to risk their lives across the Arizona desert, climbing or digging their way under or over a 30 foot wall, and paying thousands of dollars to coyotes to get to America. The opportunities for illegal immigrants in terms of job opportunities have to be limited in order to keep off illegal immigrants especially those from Mexico. Many of the illegal immigrants come to the United States to seek jobs. Employers who hire illegal immigrants have to be punished with colossal amount of fines and possible imprisonment or both. This will discourage employers from hiring illegal immigrants with the aim of using cheap labor. The productivity of uneducated people is less as compared to those who have a formal schooling (Bean, Edmonston & Jeffrey 11-13). Many of the illegal immigrants have no high school certificate. Offering a guest worker program which is less attractive to immigrants is another option. Many of illegal immigrants do not want to stay permanently in the United States. They can come to work during the pick of agricultural harvest and go back to their families in the off peak seasons. Many Mexicans who cross the border to look for employment in the United States will be comfortable with this program. Illegal immigrant workers have to be encouraged to register with the guest worker program. Providing a temporary permit for working will help solve the problem of illegal migrant going underground and engaging in illicit acts that are against the law. Rounding up the illegal immigrants and deporting them will not be economically since a large amount of money will be needed to execute the program. Deportation is costly, but making working opportunities scarce will force out aliens who will troop back to their home country. Taylor (2001) explain that Guest worker program will allow immigrants to stay and work when there is work and go back to their home country without eluding the authorities in order to stay permanently in the U.S. Acts of law that encourage illegal immigration have to be changed. Lack of jobs and not being entitled to social services will force illegal immigrants out of the country or compel them to follow the rightful channels before acquiring citizenship. When illegal immigrants know that it is hard to obtain work in the country, they will stop coming and the ones present will go back to their countries. The federal government should make sure that the issue of anchor babies is addressed. Anchor babies are babies who are born to illegal alien mothers. Automatic citizenship to children born to aliens has to be abolished. Following the immigration Act of 1965, the anchor baby pulls the illegal alien mother and other relatives to permanent residency in the United States. A child born in the United States automatically becomes a US citizen. There is a staggering cost for anchor babies. The children qualify for state, local, and welfare benefit programs. The child can sponsor other relatives to come to the United States when he attains the age of twenty one. Many people have decried the move by Obama to give reprieve to young illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States (Dinah 3). It is absurd for a new born baby to attain automatic citizenship while his parents cannot. There have been cases of expectant mothers chartering planes to the U.S. to deliver so that their children acquire US citizenship. Pregnant women are flown to Los Angeles, booked in hotel rooms and hospitals in order for their unborn baby to gain direct US citizenship once they are born. This is a direct abuse of birthright citizenship. When these babies are old enough for college, they can attend universities in the United States while paying lower rates as other U.S. citizens. Mexicans use this route to gain entry to the US. A child who has US citizenship can help his family gain entry when he reaches the age of 21. Justification of the solution Looking forward to illegal immigrants to contribute to insurance, health care and other essential service through taxes is futile exercise. Some states depend more on income taxes than sales taxes in offering basic social services to citizens. The avoidance of illegal immigrants to pay taxes especially income taxes overburden legal citizens and weaken the provision of health care, education, security and other basic services. Illegal immigrants who are employed as underpaid workers cause a real problem when they need emergency services in case of an accident and legal citizens have to pay for these services. Expecting illegal immigrants to pay taxes in form of sales tax when they pay for goods is not enough (Durand, Malone & Massey, 123-5). Paying taxes will not stop illegal immigrants from coming. The viable opportunities for employment have to be removed through punishing employees who employ them. Legal citizens also buy goods and pay sales tax as well as income tax. Cracking down on employers who use illegal immigrants will discourage them from employing undocumented or illegal immigrants. With diminished opportunities in terms of jobs, illegal immigrants will have no motivation of risking their lives coming to the United States. Education and health care are seriously hurt by the presence of illegal immigrants in the United States. The quality and standards of education are compromised who to increased students population against few resources and manpower. If the illegal immigrants due not find attractive jobs in the United States, they will go back to their home countries. Arresting and deporting illegal immigrants is not a viable solution since a colossal amount of money has to be spent on the program. So long as immigrants still find jobs in America attractive, they continue to find their way into the country. The automatic citizenship being granted to children aromatically born on American soil has to be abashed. This right is being abused and applied as a channel of aliens to gain entry into America. Making conditions unattractive for illegal immigrants will force them out eventually and they will stop coming. Conclusion The challenge resulting from a surging number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is very crucial. The issue of illegal immigrants has precipitated emotional debates that have left many people confused. How should the problem of increasing number of illegal immigrants tackled? Attractive opportunities encourage illegal immigrants to find their way to America. Diminishing these opportunities through compelling employees to only employ legal citizens and encouraging aliens to register on the guest program will force many illegal immigrants out. The issue of birthright citizenship is being abused and children to aliens should not be given automatic citizenship. Forcing aliens to pay taxes will not stop them from coming so long as they can gain meaningful employment. Work cited Alden Edward, “Immigration and border control” Cato Journal, 32: (2012)1, 107-124. Bean Dawson Frank, Edmonston, Barry and Jeffrey Passel S, “Undocumented Migration to the United States: Irca and the Experience of the 1980s”, The Urban Institute, 1990, pgs 11-19 Dinah Stephen, “Obama grants legal status to young illegal immigrants”, The Washington Times, LLC, 2012. Retrieved on November 13 from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/15/obama-grants-legal-status-young-illegal-immigrants/?page=all Durand, J, Malone, N and Massey, D. Beyond smoke and mirrors: Mexican Immigration in an Era of Economic Integration, New York: Russell Sage, 2003. Hatton, Timothy J., and Jeffrey G. Williamson. The Age of Mass Migration: Causes and Economic Impact. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Taylor, Philip. The Distant Magnet. New York: Harper & Row, 2001. Read More