Verified Document

Illegal Immigration The United States Term Paper

One potential resolution is a dual action step of tightening border control combined with reforming the process of becoming a citizen to allow easier access for immigrants to enter into the nation legally, rather than illegally. Tightening control of the nation's borders is crucial in the development of a more lenient immigrant processing solution. With "the major source of illegal immigration from illegal border crossings, and most of these immigrants are from Mexico," (Meese & Spaulding, 2006), the United States must curb this blatant illegal method of entering into the United States. With this risk minimized, it allows government officials to craft more available immigration procedures which would allow more immigrants to enter into the country legally. Leaving our borders wide open presents a dangerous threat to all citizens around the nation, "Secure borders, especially in a time of terrorist threat, are crucial to American national security," (Meese & Spaulding, 2004). Current potential legislation is looking to grant 9 to 10 million illegals amnesty, (CIRA, S. 2611). Since this mind set is already in planning, reforming the path to citizenship will encourage other potential immigrants to take the legal route to residing within the United States.

This evokes the other major problem, that of "the other source of illegal immigration from those individuals who stay in the United States after their non-immigrant visas expire," (Meese & Spaulding, 2004). Although providing a simpler and more reliable path to citizenship, current liberal legislation in planning stages could further drain the already strained economy. Federal reserves may also be strained with paying for this reform, as well as the accompanying...

Although this would create more available jobs, it would also prove a costly task on the behalf of the government. Previous experiences with granting amnesty also show a large percentage of residents who commit fraud in order to receive that amnesty. In 1986, with the passing of the Hagel-Martinez bill, came a reported 2.6 fraudulent cases, (Camarota, 2006).
References

Camarota, Steven a. (2006). Amnesty under Hagel-Martinez: an estimate of how many will legalize if S. 2611 becomes law. Center for Immigration Studies. 19 June 2008. http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/back606.html

FAIR. (2003). Illegal Immigration is a crime. Federation for American Immigration

Reform. 18 June 2008. http://www.americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE/isacrime.html

Kennedy, John F. (1964). A nation of immigrants. Row Publishers.

Meese, Edward III & Spaulding, Matthew. (2004) the principles of immigration. 19

October 2004. The Heritage Foundation. 20 June 2008. http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/bg1807.cfm

Meese, Edward III & Spaulding, Matthew. (2006). Permanent principles and temporary workers. 1 March 2006. The Heritage Foundation. 18 June 2008. http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/bg1911.cfm

Rector, Robert. (2006). Amnesty and continued low skill immigration will substantially raise welfare costs and poverty. 12 May 2006. The Heritage Foundation. 18 June 2008. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/bg1936.cfm

U.S. Immigration. (2006). Costs of incarceration of illegal immigrants. 18 June 2008. http://www.legal-immigration.com/costs-of-incarceration-of-illegal-immigrants.html

Sources used in this document:
References

Camarota, Steven a. (2006). Amnesty under Hagel-Martinez: an estimate of how many will legalize if S. 2611 becomes law. Center for Immigration Studies. 19 June 2008. http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/back606.html

FAIR. (2003). Illegal Immigration is a crime. Federation for American Immigration

Reform. 18 June 2008. http://www.americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE/isacrime.html

Kennedy, John F. (1964). A nation of immigrants. Row Publishers.
October 2004. The Heritage Foundation. 20 June 2008. http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/bg1807.cfm
Meese, Edward III & Spaulding, Matthew. (2006). Permanent principles and temporary workers. 1 March 2006. The Heritage Foundation. 18 June 2008. http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/bg1911.cfm
Rector, Robert. (2006). Amnesty and continued low skill immigration will substantially raise welfare costs and poverty. 12 May 2006. The Heritage Foundation. 18 June 2008. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/bg1936.cfm
U.S. Immigration. (2006). Costs of incarceration of illegal immigrants. 18 June 2008. http://www.legal-immigration.com/costs-of-incarceration-of-illegal-immigrants.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Illegal Immigration
Words: 4365 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Illegal Immigration Both the United States government and individual state governments as well are concerned about the high rate of illegal immigration into our country. There are several reasons for this. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the country recognizes great need to know exactly who is in the United States. In addition, many worry that illegal immigrants take jobs that would otherwise go to people who are legally

Illegal Immigration
Words: 1737 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Illegal Immigration According to NewsMax.com, "Almost no issue divides Republicans as deeply" as President Bush's new proposal to offer so-called "guest worker status" to otherwise illegal immigrants. The guest worker status proposal stands as one of the only proposed legislative compromises regarding the illegal immigration issue, which has become one of the most contentious issues being debated in the United States. On the one hand, earnings in nations like Mexico are

Immigration the United States Is
Words: 1929 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Advocacy groups, whether private or government-sponsored, ease transition from home to America but being uprooted poses severe psychological and sociological problems that are not easy to fix. The United States remains one of the only nations to openly welcome immigrants as a national policy; Canada is another. For centuries the United States has relied on immigrant labor to fuel industry and add nuance to the nation's cultural fabric. The United

Immigration the United States Is
Words: 1021 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Even European immigrants experienced discrimination in the 19th century. As Vellos (1997) points out, "American society did not accept the Irish Catholics and Germans, and movements to limit immigration began to form." The Chinese Exclusion Act established anti-Asian sentiments and was not repealed until as late as 1943. For the first time in American history, immigration was "seen as a threat to the United States economy, and Congress began

Immigration: Why the United States
Words: 1887 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Although Kirch points out that migrants could initially be protected from such non-communicable diseases, such an advantage could be short-lived. It is also important to note that most migrants (especially those seeking to escape harsh conditions back home) could be forced to do menial jobs to make ends meet. This is more so the case for those who do not possess a specific set of skills which could enhance

Illegal Immigration It Has Been
Words: 9456 Length: 36 Document Type: Term Paper

8% of U.S. households were headed by an immigrant and received 6.7% of all cash benefits; by 1990, 8.4% of households were headed by an immigrant and received 13.1% of all cash benefits (Borjas, 1995, pp. 44-46). Immigrants in different categories (both legal and illegal) have been eligible to receive certain welfare benefits. Legal immigrants are eligible after three to five years of residence, though asylum applicants and refugees are eligible

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now