ENG 105 Blog #3

Blog #3: The Illegal Immigration Issue in the U.S.

Nearly all Americans can agree that illegal immigration is a costly and serious problem in the United States that needs to be addressed. Though many Americans resort to considering all illegal immigrants to be enemies, many of them are not illegal by choice. Rather than compromising core American values, the U.S. should work to pass legislation such as the Dream act, which is both socially just, and fiscally beneficial.

Arizona has addressed the immigration problem by making laws to increase the states power to identify illegal immigrants. Arizona moved forward in this policy because the current National Policies are ineffective, and the result of this ineffectiveness is a major financial burden falling upon states such as Arizona. The fear that Hispanic immigration endangers American ideals and institutions is a fear shared by many, but should not justify unconstitutional actions. As Joe Pace writes in Salon, this sentiment is the result of “xenophobia and partisan politics” (Pace).

            It is important to realize that the stringent new law giving Police free-reign to stop anyone suspected or appearing to be an illegal-immigrant subjects many legal citizens of the U.S. to frequent unreasonable searches. As a result of this, the Latino-American population, in particular, is gaining a distrust of policemen. This distrust was best predicted by President Obama, who predicted that the Arizona law would “undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe” (Archibold).

            Thankfully there is a different approach to the immigration issue, which the Democratic Party is attempting to discuss in Congress. The Development, Relief, and Education, for Alien Minors, or Dream act, would offer illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, an opportunity to earn their citizenship by going to college or joining the U.S. military. The U.S. has an estimated 2.1 million undocumented workers who were brought to the U.S. as children (Pace). Unless one honestly believes that these kids should “trek back from whence they came in order to bring themselves into compliance with our immigration laws,” it is unjust to condemn them as criminals (Pace).

            Not only is the Dream act more socially just, but also significantly more beneficial economically. This act would create higher wage earners, who will benefit the economy, and these workers would actually become taxpayers. Therefore, instead of having to pay to find and deport illegal immigrants, the government could “provide an opportunity for them to live up to their full potential as future doctors, nurses, teachers, and entrepreneurs and make greater contributions to the U.S. economy and society, and actually benefit from legal college-educated taxpayers” (Hing).

            People brought to the U.S. as children should not be considered criminals, but unfortunately they are by our current laws. They deserve an opportunity to become functioning members of society, and legal citizens. The Dream act offers a positive solution for immigrants, as well as the U.S. economy, making it a positive improvement for everyone and, by far, superior to alternative laws such as Arizona’s.

Works Cited

Archibold, Randal C.  “Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration.” The New 

          York Times. The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 1 Oct. 2010.

Hing, Bill O. “Economic Benefits of the DREAM Act.” ImmigrationProf Blog. 

          N.p. 20 Sept. 2010. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Pace, Joe. “When the Right Filibusters its Own Ideals to Death.” Salon.com. Salon 

          Media Group, 22 Sept. 2010. Web.  28 Sept. 2010.

Works Researched

Chen, Gregory. “Immigration program could lead to racial profiling.” Washington 
          Post. Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.

Davenport, Paul, Amanda Lee Myers. “Jan Brewer Admits She Was Wrong About 
          Beheadings.” The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post. N.p., 4 Sept. 2010. 
          Web. 29 Sept. 2010.

Kessler, Charles R. “The Crisis of American National Identity.” Claremont. The 
          Claremont Institute, 5 Dec. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

Price, Michelle. “Arizona lawmaker Russell Pearce takes aim at automatic           
          citizenship.” The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 
          15 Jun. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.

“Showdown in Arizona.” Editorial. The New York Times. New York Times, 28 Jul. 
          2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2010.