Issue Of The Week XIII: Immigration Reform

Illegal immigration has been a highly discussed topic for many years. Every year one of the major priorities of the Congress is to establish a stronger border control unit to help assess in preventing illegal immigration, but more and more add on every year. Much of the public is highly involved in this as well, which makes the issue a little more dramatic, because the American citizens are the ones that have to support and pay tax dollars to pay for the cost of having a strong border patrol. It is not to say that illegal immigrants from Latin America are bad people and that they should be punished for that, but they are criminals in which they have disregarded the law by avoiding the immigration process and entering our nation illegally. If the illegal immigrants are to be penalized it should be based solely on that fact. Other than that there is no real reason to penalize them. With that said, the illegal immigrants who would be willing to voluntarily come forth and come to terms that they are not legal citizens of the nation should definitely be granted amnesty along with completing the immigration process and suffering a penalty. Many of the illegal immigrants of our nation work for cheap labor which helps keep more money in the hands of its employer. This is nothing illegal to all the other people working in the same field as the illegal immigrants, it is strictly pure competition which sees no reason for them to be penalized upon. However, as stated earlier, citizens of America must pay for border patrol and to accept having illegal immigrants in the country can reasonably bother some people because it looks as if their money is being put to waste. A big argument that many people will make is that the illegal immigrants deserve not to be penalized because they are only coming to America to better their life, and that everyone should be granted that opportunity. This is an invalid argument because there are so many people that have to wait to be accepted or rejected and wait the immigration process. Other people in other parts of the world such as: the Middle East, Europe, Asia, etc. must all wait to be granted a Visa to live in the United States. They cannot run or drive by the border so easily like many of the Latin American immigrants which makes it impossible for them to enter the country illegally. The other legal immigrants may look at the illegal ones and think they are not being treated fairly because they are allowed to live in the country while others had to undergo the long, grueling immigration process. All in all, I agree to giving amnesty to illegal immigrants who would come forth about their legal status. This shows that they are willing to do what is right and that they are not truly bad people.

Illegal immigration is a largely debated subject within our country at the moment. I would support the giving of amnesty to current illigal immigrants if they were to come forward to receive amnesty and pay a fine for committing an illigal act on U.S. soil. I would also support the deportation of other illigal immigrants who do not voluntarily come forward. However, I wonder if many would come forward, because even though they would no longer have to live in fear of being deported, they would have to pay a fine which would most likely be substantial. I support this because it is probably cheaper to grant legal status and collect taxes on future income than it would be to find and deport all twelve million illigal immigrants. However, my question would be, would this encourage further illegal immigration and how do we deter such illegal acts in the future?

I believe the idea of giving amnesty after completion of proper paperwork and paid dues is a noble idea but is unrealistic. Many of the jobs that these people occupy do not give them the capability to pay all the money they owe. If amnesty could be attained, what would prevent more illegal aliens from coming to the United States and claiming that they had been here the whole time and were unable to pay the dues until now? If a fail proof plan could be executed that prevented more illegal aliens from ever coming in then I would completely agree with granting amnesty to all the illegal aliens here. Without a fail proof plan of keeping more illegals out I think granting amnesty to the illegals here is just an invite for more to cross the border. With more illegals, the more our citizens will be paying to educate their children, pay their hospital bills, etc.

I think that immigration will always be an issue. Since America is a country that is about being better. The poor from other countries are going to want to come here. The illegal's that are her should get amnesty since they are here only if they are holding jobs. Our country should do a better job of keeping the borders secure. I can see both sides to this issue. If someone from another country wants to come here to live they should. We are the land of the free. We go out our way to help other countries that are in need so why not let them in also. As long as they get legal and pay for the process to get amnesty. Lots of immigrants from other countries are actually hard workers and would appreciate a honest living. This is a hard debate because then we take chance of letting criminals into the country. Since im a Christian I feel that this is Gods land and we are all going to die in it.

Illegal immigration is a hot button issue that like any other has the nation divided. Both sides present valid arguments and concerns as to why they feel illegal immigrants either should or should not be allowed to remain in the United States and potentially become legal immigrants. I believe that illegal immigrants who have given back to this nation in a positive way have as much of a right if not more so than I to live a peaceful and successful life in the United States as a legal immigrant. Not only that but I believe that illegal immigrants who have lived here for more than 5 years and who have families here should be given citizenship as well as their families. I also believe that these immigrants should have to pay an agreed upon amount to the government to make up for the taxes that they did not pay while illegally living in the United States.

Illegal immigration is a hot button issue that like any other has the nation divided. Both sides present valid arguments and concerns as to why they feel illegal immigrants either should or should not be allowed to remain in the United States and potentially become legal immigrants. I believe that illegal immigrants who have given back to this nation in a positive way have as much of a right if not more so than I to live a peaceful and successful life in the United States as a legal immigrant. Not only that but I believe that illegal immigrants who have lived here for more than 5 years and who have families here should be given citizenship as well as their families. I also believe that these immigrants should have to pay an agreed upon amount to the government to make up for the taxes that they did not pay while illegally living in the United States.

If there is an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States, that is potentially 12 million Americans who are currently unemployed. We do not live in a country where we have so many unfulfilled jobs that we need workers from other countries to fill the void. I am not saying to stop letting all immigrants into the US, but we have to help out the people that legally live in this country before we attempt to hire illegal immigrants to do work for us.

If there is an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States, that is potentially 12 million Americans who are currently unemployed. We do not live in a country where we have so many unfulfilled jobs that we need workers from other countries to fill the void. I am not saying to stop letting all immigrants into the US, but we have to help out the people that legally live in this country before we attempt to hire illegal immigrants to do work for us.

"... already living and working in America"

Which American country do you mean?
I know that there is an American continent but I've never seen a country named America on a map. Please clarify.
Thanks

I feel like this question is too broad and brings up so many more unanswered ideas. The idea that they can be given citizenship IF they come forward and IF they pay their penalty is a logical idea but I think it is far-fetched. Why would someone who already lives and works in America come forward to do the same thing and be punished by paying more for taxes and to become legal? There is a reason that they came in illegally in the first place. I do understand where this idea is coming from though. There are 12 million illegal immigrants working jobs here in America. With the way the economy is, we could really use 12 million jobs and 12 million people who pay taxes to help support our nation in this struggle. Some people argued that this question is suggesting the halt to immigration but I disagree. I think it is bringing it back to a positive light almost. It is the idea that if we give the illegal immigrants amnesty maybe we can start with a clean slate and do this the right way. In theory it sounds like a good idea however I do not know how realistic the idea is.

I am speaking from a perspective that has family and friends that are currently here working illegally. I feel that illegal immigrants that are already here should have the chance to complete an immigration process and if they had an assessed penalty to pay, i believe they would gladly pay it with no problems. Being here means so much to them, that any payment they needed to pay, they would work extra hard for to save their families. If we did let this happen, I believe that anybody after that is here illegally should be prosecuted. Since those other immigrants are already here, why not give them a chance and be more strict to the future immigrants who try to come here illegally. It would save so much hassle! And the U.S. could make some quick cash since there is 12 million immigrants living here already.

We all know that there are millions of illegal immigrants here working in the US, so what about the influx of immigrants that are still pouring in? I agree with the idea that those who are already in America that come forth and admit that they are illegal immigrants and pay the fines they owe etc. etc. might as well stay in America and become citizens. But at the same time what about the jobless Americans whose jobs are being taken by the constant inflow on new immigrants that are desperately trying to get to the "promised land"? I believe there should be a point where we draw the line to stop this influx, for i am not trying to sound heartless but how can we take care of the masses trying to get into America, are we not struggling to stay afloat as it is? If we can find a way to fix our problems first then I believe we can turn our attention to immigration.

Wow, this is a touchy subject. I personally do not believe granting amnesty to the immigrants that are already here would solve any problems. If America truly wants to gain more control over illegal immigrants, they must first secure the borders and have the ability to monitor more closely the people who are sneaking across. There comes a point where you have to make an example out of someone. In my opinion, granting amnesty would just send the message that if someone can just get across the border, they will eventually be awarded citizenship regardless of how they got here. Basically, I don’t think we should reward bad behavior. Please don't misunderstand, I know that these are people who all have their various reasons for wanting to come to America, but I also think that it is essential that we know who is here for the safety of this country.

For many, coming to America is a chance at getting a better life and some people come forward to admit that they are illegal and to pay the fine, but not all do. For our country to be secure and be able to give opportunities to the citizens it already has, there needs to be more monitoring of the borders and stricter rules against illegal immigrants. We shouldn’t grant amnesty to everyone who has managed to get in unnoticed because that is unfair to legal citizens who are in need of jobs and providing for their families. America will always have the issue of people wanting to come here for all of the opportunities available to them, but sometimes we need to focus on providing our citizens with the opportunities.

First and foremost, I do not see they benefit in not recognizing illegals who have already crossed the border and are living in America. Even if you are completely against allowing illegal immigrants to have jobs in the United States the truth, as we all know, is they are already here. If we don't recognize them they will continue to be here working under the table and living in poverty. If we as a nation grant amnesty towards any illegal alien already living in the United States we at least get the chance to help people who weren't going to leave anyway have a little better quality of life. Now whether or not we give amnesty to future illegal aliens is a completely separate issue, however it doesn't seem like their is a lot of choice here. We can either help them or forget them because they are not going anywhere. Furthermore, granting amnesty to illegal aliens does NOT hurt those who have crossed into our borders legally. Those who have made the trip legally are enjoying all the benefits and opportunities illegal immigrants cannot enjoy. It's not like people who have legally immigrated are searching for the same jobs as someone who has papers. This is simply not the case.

First and foremost, I do not see they benefit in not recognizing illegals who have already crossed the border and are living in America. Even if you are completely against allowing illegal immigrants to have jobs in the United States the truth, as we all know, is they are already here. If we don't recognize them they will continue to be here working under the table and living in poverty. If we as a nation grant amnesty towards any illegal alien already living in the United States we at least get the chance to help people who weren't going to leave anyway have a little better quality of life. Now whether or not we give amnesty to future illegal aliens is a completely separate issue, however it doesn't seem like their is a lot of choice here. We can either help them or forget them because they are not going anywhere. Furthermore, granting amnesty to illegal aliens does NOT hurt those who have crossed into our borders legally. Those who have made the trip legally are enjoying all the benefits and opportunities illegal immigrants cannot enjoy. It's not like people who have legally immigrated are searching for the same jobs as someone who has papers. This is simply not the case.

To be honest if it was you seeking for a so call free land for a better life you would want the opportunity to live here. I understand its becoming a problem but we can come up with a solution, but kicking them out is not one. You have to think about the people that been here for years with a family making their children citizen. Do you really want them to be broking a part and no matter what you do its always gone be immigrants (they are not alien’s people)!!!

Before beginning the amnesty and restitution process, I believe that we must first solve the issue of unwarranted and uncontrolled immigration. If we go ahead and allow people who are currently residing in the country to become legalized residents, there is absolutely nothing stopping another influx of people filling the void they would leave behind as under-paid, under-reported, and abused workers. The idea of allowing those who have worked within the country without having paid taxes to be assed in the process seems to be a fair proposition however; immigrant workers tend to be among the poorest peoples that are found within the country. There needs to be checks and balances on the process because asking for money to be allowed to live somewhere gives an unfair advantage on only allowing those who have money to use the opportunity.

It seems eerily similar to literacy exams that were once used to discriminate against underprivileged Americans who could not read or write.

The whole reason that anyone wants to come to America is because you can be become anyone you want attitude. If these people really want to be here they will go through the rights steps to into this great country so they can stay. Some of those whom we now call aliens have not gone through the same process and therefore i feel do deserve some sort of punishment. Do i think they should be deported? Not necessarily, I feel that come forth in repentance and go through the same kind of tests and treatments to get in as any other immigrant then i think they can be forgiven. This is the land of opportunity after all, shouldn't they be given an opportunity to make right what they did wrong.

I'm half white and half filipino. Just by looking at me, one would think I'm just another white girl with very chinky eyes. I grew up listening to stories from my mother about why she came to America. Keeping this in mind, my viewpoint is as follows:
Every illegal immigrant in America has their own story and own reasons of why they came here. Some decided to take the oath of citizenship while others did not. That was clearly their choice. For the illegal immigrants that are still here and have made a life, I see no reason why they should be uprooted and deported back to their country. Yes, we have laws and yes, everyone should be made to follow them. However, the foundation of America was built on freeing the oppressed, liberating the weak, and using compassion when dealing with non-Americans. We have set these values as our standard, learned these all throughout our years of education. And, when we're faced with an enormous amount of illegal immigrants, the first thing we want to do is send them away. The question is posed in this short article that maybe we can let them stay and penalize them in some way. I completely agree with that. They've been here long enough that they've built a life for themselves, their children, and future generations. They've been in our schools and are required to learn our country's history. They're being taught our language and for anyone that has ever had to learn a second language, you must admit that is not an easy task to accomplish. The purpose of even deporting them would solely show that we want to teach them a lesson. But, how effective would that be? Surely, we have "repeat offenders"; deportees that keep coming back no matter how many times they get deported. So, what's the harm in changing the way we teach the lesson that if you want to live here, you must be a citizen? Grant amnesty to the ones that have been here for a long time and make them legal. Put them on the same pay scale as the rest of the Americans here and tax them in the same brackets. I don't see how that could possibly hurt us.

I think that if the present immigrants come forth and just tell the truth that they are allowed a pass. Not a full pass though maybe some type of plenty depending on what kind of work they have been doing here in the U.S. Now for those who have to be found and trailed they need to be deported to their native country because they are only causing us more money. We have to pay people to hunt them down then more money to have them deported out. But not all immigrants are bad most are very beneficial to our society. They take to low costs jobs that most Americans wouldn't, also they do a lot of skilled labor that pays very little to nothing. I think that they are just trying to live a better life for themselves and their families. Its not wrong to want better they just have to find away to do it the right way.

Is it the “migration” of a destitute people into this foreign land we call “America” the topic of such debate or the “assumption” that these “Illegals” will someday rise to take over “America” the real question. We as society will often fitfully display a “fight” mechanism when we feel threaten with the idea that such a minority group could rise to become a dominate member of society. We would rather seek to alienate and send back these “Illegals” rather than to accept them and accustom them into a more productive member of society. The idea to deracinate those that have been here for generations only goes to prove that we will “fight” that which we fear and gladly send those that we fear “fleeing” back to where they come from. We as a society will always portray a “fight” mechanism when we fear losing what rightfully does not belong to us in the first place.