Illegal Immigration: Claims Making Analysis
Andrew Greenberg
Dr. Sternheimer
SOCI-150
24 February 2011
Critical Analysis: Illegal Immigration in the United States I. Introduction and Background Illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States is a social problem that has caused a great deal of debate. There are several pros and cons to having illegal immigrants in the U.S., and many people have very strong opinions on the topic. From traditional news organizations to members of special interest groups, there have been a great deal of news articles published on this issue. I chose this topic because it has recently become a very popular social problem in California, which is where I currently reside. Particularly in my hometown of San Diego, illegal immigration from Mexico is very prevalent. I grew up seeing illegal immigrant workers outside of home depot, working in small taco shops by the beach, and doing various low paying jobs. Illegal immigration into the United States is a topic that is frequently discussed and covered by the media, and I thought it would be interesting to explore the different ways illegal immigration claims are covered and packaged by traditional news sources and members of special interest groups. Many individuals consider illegal immigration to be a social problem for various reasons. To start, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), it is believed that illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Money the government has received in the form of taxes is used to pay for illegal immigrants’ medical care, education in public schools, and imprisonment (FAIR, 2011). Also, illegal immigrants take jobs that could be occupied by unemployed American citizens. Due to the fact that these immigrants do not need to be paid minimum wage, employers are able to pay them much less than people living legally in the U.S. Another reason illegal immigration is considered to be a social problem is because it is often
Dr. Sternheimer
SOCI-150
24 February 2011
Critical Analysis: Illegal Immigration in the United States I. Introduction and Background Illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States is a social problem that has caused a great deal of debate. There are several pros and cons to having illegal immigrants in the U.S., and many people have very strong opinions on the topic. From traditional news organizations to members of special interest groups, there have been a great deal of news articles published on this issue. I chose this topic because it has recently become a very popular social problem in California, which is where I currently reside. Particularly in my hometown of San Diego, illegal immigration from Mexico is very prevalent. I grew up seeing illegal immigrant workers outside of home depot, working in small taco shops by the beach, and doing various low paying jobs. Illegal immigration into the United States is a topic that is frequently discussed and covered by the media, and I thought it would be interesting to explore the different ways illegal immigration claims are covered and packaged by traditional news sources and members of special interest groups. Many individuals consider illegal immigration to be a social problem for various reasons. To start, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), it is believed that illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Money the government has received in the form of taxes is used to pay for illegal immigrants’ medical care, education in public schools, and imprisonment (FAIR, 2011). Also, illegal immigrants take jobs that could be occupied by unemployed American citizens. Due to the fact that these immigrants do not need to be paid minimum wage, employers are able to pay them much less than people living legally in the U.S. Another reason illegal immigration is considered to be a social problem is because it is often