Immigration Pros And Cons
While the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 restricts people without legal status the right to work or live in the United States and subjects them to removal, current estimates of the total of undocumented immigrant range from 11.4 to 11.7 million.1,5 The strategy of this administration had been to deport criminal undocumented immigrants and leave alone the law-abiding majority.1 In 2014, President Obama issued an executive action to expand his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative to grant legal status to around five million undocumented immigrants.2,5 A month ago, the Supreme Court decided to take on a Texas case on the President’s executive action which will decide the legality of his presidential powers on
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immigration.2,5
The “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” commonly known as the “Gang of 8” bill, passed in the Senate in 2013 and has remained in the House of Representatives due to political posturing, despite President Obama’s support of the bill.6 Many Americans support such a bill yet, as the presidential election nears, the Republican party has shifted to opposing any form of immigration reform and entertaining costly deportation or enforcement measures.3
II.
Stakes:
Economic: Any increases in border security or in building a wall or fence border will likely cost tens of millions while mass deportation could cost over 90 billion dollars.1 We can use these funds on more fruitful measures, such as the fight against ISIL or domestic programs, during this economic recovery. Undocumented immigrants also provide a great economic output.7,8
Political: 77% of Hispanics and 70% of African-Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.3 The two demographics rise as some of the fastest growing and garnering that support in the presidential election can benefit the successor to win and continue many of the policies you have put forth. Half of Republicans also agree with this reform, which displays its consensus bipartisan support.3 The perception of our character around the globe and our relationship with Mexico, if we choose to deport 11-12 million people, could …show more content…
falter.
Military: An increase in border security could need military forces deployed to the border.1,4 The deployment of military forces could incite an opposite response from our below the border. As we fight ISIL through the air and continue to deploy special operations forces in Iraq, our military targets and appropriations are limited.
III. Options:
Option 1: Continue with Status Quo: The question of the president’s executive authority has ascended to the Supreme Court’s docket.5 If allowed, it will provide clemency to around 5 million undocumented workers.5 If rejected, we can continue our previous strategy of deporting immigrants who commit other crimes and choose not to increase border patrol or build an expensive barrier at the border. In the event that the executive action fails, staying the course will keep the controversial, decades long issue ongoing for the foreseeable future.
Option 2: Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: The 2013 “Gang of 8” bill that brought four senators from each party to sponsor a comprehensive bill offering a pathway to citizenship to law-abiding immigrants on conditions that they pay back taxes, pass a civics test, learn English and that an increased enforcement on border security occurs.6 This bill passed the Senate yet has not been put up for a vote in the House of Representatives as many politicians on the other side have held it from a vote.
It seems unlikely, with the rise of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s poll numbers predicated on his mass deportation platform, that the issue will arise again, despite bipartisan
support.
Option 3: Mass Deportation and Increased Border Security: The enforcement of our current laws would require deportations of the reported almost 12 million undocumented immigrants.1 In order to limit or effectively root out this issue post-deportation, we would need to build a barrier at the border and deploy additional border and military agents through the creation of the wall. The cost will be near a hundred billion and possibly wound our stature and perception of character in the world.1
IV: Recommendation:
Option 2 - Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Despite its limbo status, we must push to pass the “Gang of 8” bill or an alternative, similar piece of legislation. This option competently addresses the decades long problem of illegal immigration on all three levels: Economic, political, and military. This type of bill would benefit the budget deficit and increase revenues while outputting a relatively small cost in increasing border security and technology. On the political realm, comprehensive immigration reform bolsters the chances of a Democratic successor to the president with the strong solidarity between both parties while reinforcing our global lead on character issues. The option limits uses of funds on military deployment and allows us to utilize military appropriations on more imminent dangers.
immigration.2,5
The “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” commonly known as the “Gang of 8” bill, passed in the Senate in 2013 and has remained in the House of Representatives due to political posturing, despite President Obama’s support of the bill.6 Many Americans support such a bill yet, as the presidential election nears, the Republican party has shifted to opposing any form of immigration reform and entertaining costly deportation or enforcement measures.3
II.
Stakes:
Economic: Any increases in border security or in building a wall or fence border will likely cost tens of millions while mass deportation could cost over 90 billion dollars.1 We can use these funds on more fruitful measures, such as the fight against ISIL or domestic programs, during this economic recovery. Undocumented immigrants also provide a great economic output.7,8
Political: 77% of Hispanics and 70% of African-Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.3 The two demographics rise as some of the fastest growing and garnering that support in the presidential election can benefit the successor to win and continue many of the policies you have put forth. Half of Republicans also agree with this reform, which displays its consensus bipartisan support.3 The perception of our character around the globe and our relationship with Mexico, if we choose to deport 11-12 million people, could …show more content…
falter.
Military: An increase in border security could need military forces deployed to the border.1,4 The deployment of military forces could incite an opposite response from our below the border. As we fight ISIL through the air and continue to deploy special operations forces in Iraq, our military targets and appropriations are limited.
III. Options:
Option 1: Continue with Status Quo: The question of the president’s executive authority has ascended to the Supreme Court’s docket.5 If allowed, it will provide clemency to around 5 million undocumented workers.5 If rejected, we can continue our previous strategy of deporting immigrants who commit other crimes and choose not to increase border patrol or build an expensive barrier at the border. In the event that the executive action fails, staying the course will keep the controversial, decades long issue ongoing for the foreseeable future.
Option 2: Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: The 2013 “Gang of 8” bill that brought four senators from each party to sponsor a comprehensive bill offering a pathway to citizenship to law-abiding immigrants on conditions that they pay back taxes, pass a civics test, learn English and that an increased enforcement on border security occurs.6 This bill passed the Senate yet has not been put up for a vote in the House of Representatives as many politicians on the other side have held it from a vote.
It seems unlikely, with the rise of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s poll numbers predicated on his mass deportation platform, that the issue will arise again, despite bipartisan
support.
Option 3: Mass Deportation and Increased Border Security: The enforcement of our current laws would require deportations of the reported almost 12 million undocumented immigrants.1 In order to limit or effectively root out this issue post-deportation, we would need to build a barrier at the border and deploy additional border and military agents through the creation of the wall. The cost will be near a hundred billion and possibly wound our stature and perception of character in the world.1
IV: Recommendation:
Option 2 - Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Despite its limbo status, we must push to pass the “Gang of 8” bill or an alternative, similar piece of legislation. This option competently addresses the decades long problem of illegal immigration on all three levels: Economic, political, and military. This type of bill would benefit the budget deficit and increase revenues while outputting a relatively small cost in increasing border security and technology. On the political realm, comprehensive immigration reform bolsters the chances of a Democratic successor to the president with the strong solidarity between both parties while reinforcing our global lead on character issues. The option limits uses of funds on military deployment and allows us to utilize military appropriations on more imminent dangers.