Preview

Immigration Reform Research Paper

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
663 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Immigration Reform Research Paper
Every year nearly a million people immigrate to the United States. Over 41 million legal and undocumented immigrants live in the country today. That’s 13% of the population. How the United States deals with the flow of immigrants directly affects the country’s security and economy. Why is immigration reform so controversial?

First, Immigration policy aims to enable the flow of visitors and migrants, while stopping terrorism, contraband and unauthorized people. The United States spends $18 Billion dollars a year on imagination enforcement. However, there are still security gaps resulting in illegal entries, primarily through the U.S. and Mexico boarder. The debate center on which enforcements method is most effective i.e. patrols, aerial
…show more content…
Some were brought to the country as children and many have U.S. born children. However, theses 11.5 million people have no legal status creating economic and social complications such as gaps in tax collections and the amount of public services. The big question should there be a path to legal status or citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

Trends indicate that unauthorized migration made up of more and more refugees fleeing violence in Central America and much less of job seekers from Mexico. The rise in asylum seekers has strained an already overwhelmed U.S. immigration system. The debate continues on how to handle the flow of refugees and how to address the additional needs of refuges from the Middle East.

American employees can hire a limited number of foreign workers with advanced education or work experience. These high skilled immigrants make significant contributions to the economy. However, there is disagreement over whether these immigrants are replacing American workers at lower wages. Should higher skilled people be allowed to
…show more content…
Presidential candidates debate their plans, however, only Congress can rewrite the nations immigration laws. The president can use executive power to veto bills and set policy on how strict the law is enforced. The president has significant power with the help of congress to shape immigration policy.

In terms of the stages of the policy making process the first step is to identify a problem. Opponents of reform say illegal immigrants are overwhelming jobs, hospitals and schools. Furthermore, security is an issue, protecting the boarder from criminals attempting to commit violent crimes is a matter of national security. Because numerous problems exist solutions are impossible until identified by policy makers.

The second step is policy formulation, this occurs through meetings and public debates. An example of a policy formulation would be allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. if they have jobs and pay back past income taxes. Additionally fourteen bills were considered in nine states addressing topics such as law enforcement, employment and proof of lawful status to receive public

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Once the ideas that are chosen are finalized the policy can be adopted and a law can be passed. The law must be sign by the president or can happen when the Supreme Court makes a ruling on case.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this paper we will discuss the final stages of how a topic becomes a policy. The paper will discuss formulation, implementation, and the legislation stage. These stages must be done in this order to ensure the policy is being formed the correct way and not scattered around. This paper will also consist of the evaluation stage, analysis stage, and revision stage and describe the purpose and methodologies process for evaluating and revising a public policy.…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Immigration is controversial due to a number of reasons. The video "Immigration and Assimilation" demonstrated that in the early years of immigration those coming to America were eager to learn American customs and language. They were pushed to "...become Americanized and adopt American values." Ironically, those ethnic groups that became more Americanized than remained within their ancestral customs are some of those individuals who judge today's immigrants the most.…

    • 4246 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Johnson's Policy Cycle

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Johnson also stated that the policy cycle goes through three early stages that are agenda setting, problem definition and statement objectives. During agenda setting policymakers list down the top problem that the public wants the answers to. Then the government ranks the problem according to issue that need to be addressed first before anything else. Then comes the second step, where the government needs to describe the problem of the issue and then finds the aims how to address the issue. Followed by measuring changes, choosing replacements, executing the policy and finally observing and elevating…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States reinforced their border patrols against illegal immigrants, terrorists and contraband coming into the United States. One of the major problems the United States has been facing for the past years regarding immigration reform has caused the country to collapse with conflicts, political convenience and presidential elections against immigrants. Border Patrol has caused many changes not just to the country, but most to the U.S.-Mexico border. Immigration laws should be fixed to help keep illegal immigrants in this country who have all the necessary requirements.…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is estimated that 8 million aliens are residing in the United States with more than a million arriving each year. These indicates that there is a loophole that could be exploited by terror organization to ensure there operatives enter the country. Some of these illegal immigrants enter the country with the intentions getting meaningful employment. However, others have the intention of passing through the border undetected so that they can later carry out terror activities against the American people. The current influx of illegal immigrants and individuals overstaying their visas has exacerbated the situation for border and interior enforcement agencies capacity to specifically focus on organized crime, violent felons, as well as terrorist groups because they use the anonymity that the current system offers them (Johnson, 2014; Stewart,…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Com/220 Final Project

    • 1950 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The overflow of undocumented immigrants is cause for concern for many reasons. There are too many underpaid unskilled workers hired over native citizens. According to Opposing Viewpoints (2012), “wage and salary differences demonstrate how illegal and unskilled immigrants place downward pressure on wages by providing an incentive for employers to choose them over natives”. Immigrants are known to work jobs that most American’s shy away from such as agriculture work, factories, food preparation and cleaning services (Opposing Viewpoints, (2012). Employers rather hire unskilled workers because they can pay low wages, increase productivity, and work long hours and in poor conditions. This affects citizens because it denies them of the opportunity to find work and get paid well.…

    • 1950 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, I will explain the importance of equal rights for illegal immigrants. Then, I will discuss how serious this problem is by providing my argument with current information, statistics, and testimony. Next, I will satisfy my plan, by providing you with a solution to the problem. Lastly, I will describe its benefits to illegal immigrants, and becoming involved and signing petitions to make this law in…

    • 1909 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For as long as America can remember, throughout the years, hundreds of thousands illegal and legal immigrants from all over the world come to the United States. Of the thousands of immigrants that come into America, they each have many different reasons and stories. Immigrants come to the United States, some to better their life and to go after opportunity’s that they could not do in their home country. Others are refugees and have no other choice but to flee their home country due to the wars and persecution. Over all immigration has held a major role in shaping our country, it promotes cultural movement of people and positively keeps the economy running in ways like increased employment and student graduating rates.…

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No matter the political party, most can agree that America’s immigration system is broken. The steps toward fixing the entire immigration process include everything from border security and amnesty plans, to employment eligibility, and everything in between. While democrats are pushing for quick reforms, a compromise between the two parties is far from settled. With nearly 11 million immigrants predicted to be here illegally, efforts to fix immigration seem more than necessary.…

    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    More specifically, the notable policy trend in contemporary immigration legislation involves the heavy emphasis on border enforcement as the principal solution to the issue as a whole. The comprehensive processes that were once established through the legislative bills of the 1980’s and 90’s, such as the family reunification programs, legal amnesty clauses, and population ceilings, are now largely absent from the one-dimensional enforcement system utilized today. It is within the scope of this philosophical shift that has elicited the question of why the most recently implemented immigration policies have been limited to the expansion of border…

    • 2446 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Since 2009, more than 2.5 millions of illegal immigrants have been deported from the United States” (Tom Rigers). Before deporting them, have anyone thought about the fact that maybe some of this people actually pay taxes? According to recent studies, it was proven that undocumented immigrants paid more than eleven billions of dollars in taxes in 2013. Has anyone thought about the fact that the majority of this people go to college? They provide education for this nation and that is one of many essentials key to make America great again. The majority of these undocumented immigrants are as responsible as the American citizens are. Some people might say they should be deported because they have committed some kind of crime, but, are the whole 2.5 million criminals? Has every single undocumented immigrant committed a crime? They might be guilty of crossing the border, but they did it just for one reason. A better future. Wishing a better life is not crime, that is called the American Dream. So, why don’t undocumented immigrants get their criminal record checked before being deported? Many of those illegal immigrants are as responsible as the people that lives in this country legally. Even though they are not citizens, they take care of responsibilities as if they were. Undocumented immigrants should have the opportunity to a better…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States of America is not just a country, but it is a idea that millions have fought for throughout history, built on the back of many immigrant backgrounds, it is the melting pot of the Western world. Having the 3rd largest population in all of the world, there is going be debates on many controversial issues. The main debate in domestic terms is about either deporting an estimated 8-11 million undocumented illegal aliens,whose only premise is to seek a better life. Many will say deport them as they are breaking many laws on the way to the United States,instead having them do it the legal way.Unfortunately they are forced to come in illegally and become an integral part of the economy and country. There has to be immigration reform…

    • 1365 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Illegal Immigrants

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Since the founding of the United States of America over 55 million immigrants have settled here. So you could say we are a country of immigrants. So why is immigration such an issue? Should immigrants be granted citizenship and by law be required to pay for taxes after five year of residency in the United States? Some may say that this is America, “home of the free” but nothing is free here or is it and for whom? If immigrants where forced to nationalize and given a past tax waver and through their taxes much needed revenue would reduce our deficit, help fund our schools, stabilize decaying medical and wealth fair systems and reduce the financial bleed out of our country to other countries specifically Mexico. To understand this better we have to look at the history of immigration.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Immigration is a topic that is discussed in coffeehouses, at the break room water fountain, in the boardrooms, and at the highest level of government. Why, we ask is this, such a widely discussed topic? I believe the answer will vary from person to person. I believe the primary reason is centered on cost. There are those who argue, that the cost of supporting immigrants, is burdening our state budget. The cost of supporting their health care needs, public schooling, and public assistance needs, far out weigh the benefit of there being here. Then there are those who point to Ellis Island and a statue, at the base of that statue is inscribed, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". They believe that America was founded on the sweat and toil of immigrants.…

    • 601 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays