Should Illegal Immigrants Be Naturalized

Human beings of all ages flee their countries from abuse, each and every person deserves the chance to start a new. It’s not fair for us to deny the rights of an individual to begin again. Men and women should have the opportunity to achieve citizenship. Without reform, 11 million continue to live in uncertainty and fear. Illegal immigrants should have the right to be naturalized due to them benefiting the economy, playing a critical role in our nation, and it’s just the morally right decision.
Immigrants come from all over the world with the determination to fulfill their wants and necessary needs to live. The United States of America offers great job opportunities and a healthy environment to live. “A vast majority of these immigrants want to get right by law, but there is no achievable pathway for them to do so” (Scholastic Upfront). Everyday, these individuals face hardship and criticism from Americans that claim they “do not want aliens in their country.” Immigrants are people too! With these harsh remarks being constantly thrown at them and having no pathway to start their legal
status, many undocumented workers feel the need to earn their citizenship; but have no chance to start. Various government workers force this group out of the states too fast or never offer the opportunity to begin the legal citizenship process. “For comprehensive immigration reform to work, there must be a way to access citizenship” (Should Illegal Immigrants become U.S Citizens?). The process is long term goal, but simple. “It includes a background check, taxes, paying a penalty, and learning english to ensure that an individual is suitable for citizenship” (Should Illegal Immigrants become U.S Citizens?). People who have immigrated and spent years building lives in this country deserve naturalization. They were also keenly aware that making new immigrants wait a long time for citizenship had “denied them the very rights that Americans had fought for themselves in the past” (Cohen).
Contrary to popular belief, U.S citizens may believe that allowing these illegal men and women to be in our country will boost our unemployment rate or “steal our jobs”. Amnesty will not depress wages or undermine the race of law, but immigration may be the best way to restore law and order (Thornburg). Our immigration system is badly broken, we turn away far too many people who want to legally enter our country (Scholastic Upfront). These people who can invent new technologies, create jobs, and boost our economy. With more workers, this could stimulate the economy by increasing consumption of goods and services, and tax revenue. If these workers pay taxes and earn their legal status, we can offer to help immigrants regularize their social position to strengthen our country with these benefits. Not only will this stimulate the economy, but it will enhance the United States’ diverse culture. With this being said, it is not economically practical to deport over 11 million people, and the enforcement alone will not work.
Many people have a sense of fear that naturalizing undocumented workers, keep in mind who have lived here for years, “will also trivialize our immigration laws” (Cohen).
We live in a robust democracy, not a young republic. Yet why are citizens afraid of letting an individual get a new chance? Do these individuals know that most of their food source come from a farm harvest by an immigrant? Do they know that most undocumented workers process our foods? Food production would very much decline if we do decide to deport or not grant citizenship.
Immigrants play a critical role in our nation, boost our economy, and know that citizenship is morally right decision. People of all ages have been continuously fleeing their countries from war, persecution, and poverty. Immigrants have been willing, immigrants have been hardworking, and immigrants deserve the right to become a U.S
citizen.