Cost Of Immigration

Everyday immigrants from nations like Mexico escape their crime filled world by braking American laws and being labeled an illegal immigrant. While in search for a better life, they are deprived of rights, capabilities, and are constantly in danger of arrest. On the other hand, there are hundreds of thousands of immigrants coming from the same situations who are waiting through the legal method of entering our nation, and becoming a citizen. Two similar yet very different situations have pushed us to make a decision over their lives that many never wanted to have. What to do with illegal immigrants has been a moral battleground for decades, causing some to say we should integrate them into our society, while others believe that they should
A major reason for this is the cost to regulate the southern border. The border fence mostly built in 2005 runs for hundreds of miles, topping off at 18 feet tall at certain points. It has been developed over 2 decades, starting only 4,000 border patrol agents, and growing to have 18,500 total agents (“All About Immigration”) Supporters argue that the cost of building this border and pay for its ever growing agent population is not worth the cost, and that by granting a path to citizenship, the border would not be as necessary. Also the economic implications of banning them from the nation, and further hurting them within our nation are believed to be very large. Out of the 11 million illegal immigrants about 8 million are working within the US. They make up 5% of the labor force, and half of the nation’s farmworkers (“All About Immigration”). Along with these facts the supporters make up the majority of US citizens, because more than 60% of citizens believe that illegal immigrants should have a way to become citizens. The reason for this majority may be because most illegal immigrants do not enter through the border like the opposition states. In fact, most enter the nation legally via a visa, and never leave. Also illegal immigration isn’t as large a problem as it is made out to be, because as of now an estimated about 180
They predict that it would cost the government trillions over time to document them, and give them government benefits. A major concern of theirs is that allowing them a path to citizenship would encourage immigration into the nation legally, or illegally, taking more jobs, and costing the government more money over time. Proof of this was shown after a 1986 immigration law which granted amnesty to many undocumented immigrants, when immigration into the nation surged (“All About Immigration”). Some critics back up the need for a wall by showing a Department of Homeland Security report, which stated that 98% of visa holders leave the country on time (Markon). Lastly opponents argue that proposing a path to citizenship would be pardoning them for committing an initial crime. They argue that by doing this, the government would be discouraging those who actually waited through the legal process of entering our nation, and becoming a US