September 19, 2011
Immigration Research Paper
Introduction
Do illegal immigrants harm America? That question is like asking if going outside is harmful to your body. Sure, you could swing your door open, take a few steps, and walk back inside, uninjured or you could live your life outside of that door, no worry about what will happen. Will that lead to harm? Possibly. Almost certainly. As undoubtedly as there are positive things that result from living outside of that door, there is also potential danger. Who determines whether you come across that danger? You have a role to prevent danger, but will it sneak up on you nonetheless? Often times it does.
Terrific! You’ve landed yourself in the middle of an ethical conundrum, all because of a simple analogy that managed to compare illegal immigration to a life: lived or closed. Now an issue that used to look so unimportant is thrust into a thought-provoking position. Is itre a l l y dangerous to open up to it? What are the potential dangers of illegal immigration? What, if any, positive could come of it? Itis illegal for a reason, is it not? There are plenty of reasons to examine the subject, from every point of view.
“The only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole of a sub- ject is by….studying all modes in which it can be looked at by every character of mind,” states John
Stuart Mill (Dudley 9). Mill explains the basis of motivation to delve into the topic. And so, looking ahead, it becomes quite obvious to realize that the query “does illegal immigration harm America?” only has two solid outcomes.
Just like stepping through that door, immigration, despite its legality, produces a number of bene- fits, and, on the flip side, it introduces danger and hurt, economically, politically, and socially.
Two opposing views on illegal immigration
VIEWPOINT ONE: Illegal Immigrants contribute to and build America
If only illegal immigrants, or perhaps