Research Paper Illegal Immigration
Chynna Ellenburg
ENG 1101-B03
Professor North
January 10, 2015
Illegal Immigration In the United States, there are over 40 million immigrants, both legal and unauthorized (Auclair, Batalova, Nwosu 1). Of that 40 million, an estimated 11 million immigrants are not authorized to be in the country (Krogsadt, Passel 1). In recent news, there has been quite the debate over whether or not there should be amnesty or citizenship offered to some or all of the undocumented citizens in America. I have a personal attachment to the subject. I believe there should be a clear and easy pathway to citizenship for immigrants with some restrictions. I support this idea because they provide for older generations, younger generations, and fill jobs Americans will not take.
First, the term ‘illegal immigrant’ is politically inaccurate. As Garcia points out in his article, the term ‘illegal immigrant’ was first used by the British to describe Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s. As Garcia also quotes Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, “No human being is illegal.” Garcia shows in his article that Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote for the majority on a case about using the terms ‘illegal immigrant’, ‘illegal alien’, or ‘illegal’, was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and three other justices in this case. In the case SB 1070, a case regarding Arizona’s immigration reform and enforcement bill, the majority ruled that in general, a removable alien is not considered a criminal, which the term ‘illegal’ implies. They also stated that seeking out or engaging in unauthorized employment is not a crime (1). Going with this point, I will be referring to this group of people as unauthorized and undocumented immigrants or workers.
My family is about as American as they come. My grandfather is from Kentucky and my grandmother is from Ohio. My uncle is a retired Marine gunnery sergeant and his son is training in Texas as I type this to become an
ENG 1101-B03
Professor North
January 10, 2015
Illegal Immigration In the United States, there are over 40 million immigrants, both legal and unauthorized (Auclair, Batalova, Nwosu 1). Of that 40 million, an estimated 11 million immigrants are not authorized to be in the country (Krogsadt, Passel 1). In recent news, there has been quite the debate over whether or not there should be amnesty or citizenship offered to some or all of the undocumented citizens in America. I have a personal attachment to the subject. I believe there should be a clear and easy pathway to citizenship for immigrants with some restrictions. I support this idea because they provide for older generations, younger generations, and fill jobs Americans will not take.
First, the term ‘illegal immigrant’ is politically inaccurate. As Garcia points out in his article, the term ‘illegal immigrant’ was first used by the British to describe Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s. As Garcia also quotes Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, “No human being is illegal.” Garcia shows in his article that Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote for the majority on a case about using the terms ‘illegal immigrant’, ‘illegal alien’, or ‘illegal’, was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and three other justices in this case. In the case SB 1070, a case regarding Arizona’s immigration reform and enforcement bill, the majority ruled that in general, a removable alien is not considered a criminal, which the term ‘illegal’ implies. They also stated that seeking out or engaging in unauthorized employment is not a crime (1). Going with this point, I will be referring to this group of people as unauthorized and undocumented immigrants or workers.
My family is about as American as they come. My grandfather is from Kentucky and my grandmother is from Ohio. My uncle is a retired Marine gunnery sergeant and his son is training in Texas as I type this to become an
Cited: Auclair, Gregory, Jeanne Batalova, and Chiamaka Nwosu. "Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. Migration Policy Institute, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 06 Jan. 2015. Camarota, Steven A., and Karen Zeigler. "Jobs Americans Won 't Do? A Detailed Look at Immigrant Employment by Occupation." Center for Immigration Studies. Center for Immigration Studies, Aug. 2009. Web. 7 Jan. 2015. Davidson, Adam. "Do Illegal Immigrants Actually Hurt the U.S. Economy?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Feb. 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2015. Ehrenfreund, Max. "Your Complete Guide to Obama’s Immigration Executive Action." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 07 Jan. 2015. Garcia, Charles. “Why ‘Illegal Immigrant’ is a Slur.” Cable News Network. 6 Jul. 2012. Web. 29 Dec. 2014. Griswold, Daniel. "Immigration, Legal and Illegal, Improves the Lives of Americans." Illegal Immigration. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "As Immigrants Move In, Americans Move Up." Free Trade Bulletin (21 July 2009). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Jan. 2015. Jones, Lisa. Personal Interview. 6 Jan. 2015. Krogsadt, Jens Manuel, and Jeffrey S. Passel. "5 Facts about Illegal Immigration in the U.S." Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Jan. 2015. United States Government. "Social Security." Monthly Statistical Snapshot, November 2014. Social Security Administration, Dec. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. United States Government. "Social Security." Trust Fund Data. Social Security Administration, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2015.