Immigration Policy in the United States Essay

America has, is, and will always be a nation of immigrants: the great melting pot. In the years that have passed since Emma Lazarus' poem was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty "the golden door" Americans have seen times when the door was open wide and times when it was close shut to most immigrants (Sure 4). Many people look at the present immigration problems as a purely modern dilemma. The truth is America has always struggled with the issue of immigration, both legal and illegal. Changing times, however, makes it imperative that our government reexamines and adjusts today's immigration laws to today's standards. Those standards, however, are not easily defined. Too often the issue of

As time goes on, more and more immigrants venture to live in the United States. Throughout all of this, as a nation, we maintain a generally warm and welcoming stance towards immigrants. Unfortunately, lawful entry has become a massive multifaceted issue, resulting in a massive influx of illegal immigrants. Coerced by politics, the government allows illegal immigrants to enter, resulting in severe damage to the United States economy. Eventually, as the United States government fails to properly implement existing laws, illegal immigration is accelerated, creating more issues in the structure of the government that loom over the health of the country and its citizens.

This paper explores the United States, Immigration Policy from an historical, fair and factual perspective. The Immigration Act of 1990 States limited “unskilled workers to 10,000 a year. Skilled labor requirements and immediate family reunification were major goals. The Act continued to promote the nuclear family model, foreign-born in the US was 7%”. This paper will also explore the demographics and diversity, of immigrants, throughout the U.S. This paper includes an article form the website of the Washington, D.C., Immigration Policy Center, and American Immigration Council. This paper will examines significant research data from the Pew Research web site on Hispanic trends and immigration, around the United States. This paper will also cover numbers, facts and trends which shape the immigration policy. This paper will also include five different books written by authors concerning the immigration policy and public issues which most concern Americans. This paper will cover topics of history of social problems and the policies that address immigration, special interest groups advocacy groups, political party and supporters, social justice and ethical issues, policy outcomes of illegal immigrants and how other countries compare to the United States when dealing with immigration.

Immigration has become a very relevant topic in the past few years and has sparked various arguments between Americans. No agreement has been reached regarding immigration reform, possibly because many people view it as an immediate amnesty rather than a possibility of legalization for hard-working immigrants. Despite of the negative meaning associated with it, an immigration reform would be beneficial to the U.S. in social aspects, such as having undivided families, and by stimulating economic growth.

The dilemma of immigration reform is a problematic issue in the United States because it involves the lives of more than 11 million illegal immigrants and the economy of the United States. Immigration reform is a commonly debated issue in politics in the United States. The problem with illegal immigration is the incapacity of Congress to pass reforms addressing border security issues and the dilemmas of the 11.6 million illegal immigrants in the country. It is time for the congress to develop a proper immigration reform policy that would address the following: 1. Reinforce the country’s border security 2.Stricter workplace enforcement verification process and punishment for those hiring illegal aliens 3. Create a path for illegal immigrations to become U.S citizens and 4. Reorganize the legal immigration system. In 2013 a group of senators known as the “gang of eight” wrote the first draft of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity (S. 744) and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 also known as the “immigration bill.”” The House of Representatives has not acted on this bill after it passed the Senate with a 68-32-vote margin. (Wolgin,

Immigration has become a very relevant topic in the past few years and has sparked various arguments between Americans. No agreement has been reached regarding an immigration reform. Possibly because many people view it as an immediate amnesty rather than a possibility of legalization for hard-working immigrants. Despite of the negative meaning associated with it, an immigration reform would be beneficial to the U.S. in both social and economic aspects.

Since the early 1990’s, the immigrant population in America has doubled to over 40 million. The population could be higher factoring in illegal immigrants with the number estimated to be over 11 million. Majority of these immigrants both legal and illegal are mainly from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Uncontrolled immigration has been blamed on loss of jobs, higher crime rates and housing problems in the US. While these immigrants play a unique role in the economy, the executive and the legislature have found it necessary to control the inflow of these immigrants for various reasons. A number of laws and immigration policies have been enacted to create order in this issue. How these laws are perceived by immigrants and the general American population has varied and has been a major topic for debate.

The United States of America, a country created by immigrants, is currently facing what some consider to be an immigration crisis. As of 2012, there is over eleven million undocumented illegal aliens living inside the United States. Both the American public and the lawmakers elected to represent us are divided on the issue. Some people view the influx of immigrants crossing over the border from Mexico to America as a good thing while others view it as a disaster waiting to happen. Regardless of ones view on immigrants coming over, most people are in agreement with the idea that we must change the way we are currently dealing with illegal aliens.

Today, tThe visible number of unauthorized immigrants today in the US points to the fact that US immigration laws are outdated and inadequate to meet the 21st century needs of the nation in the 21st century. In American politics, Iimmigration reform has largely remained as a “valence” issue in American politics. Often, Tthe issue of immigration reform has often been overshadowed by other events from foreign wars, and national security threats to and the Great Recession that trickled down the in the US economy. Moreover, the hostile environment of partisan politics further impeded impedes comprehensive reform in the “broken” US immigration system. In the primetime address, President Obama expressed the dire need of Comprehensive

There are few topics in America today that are more hotly debated than immigration. Because of our nation’s economy and current leadership, immigration seems to be a much more sensitive topic in today’s society than ever before. From the time our country was founded, people have immigrated to America for a better life. In an effort to escape religious persecution, war, or just to have better opportunities for their family, immigrants have tried to make their homes within the borders of the United States. Illegal immigration has reached epic proportion and everyone can agree that a solution is long overdue. Although many states

Every year, around one million people are immigrating into the United States both legally and illegally. As of now nearly 40 million immigrants live in the United States; 11.5 million of which came to the country illegally (CNN). That is nearly thirteen percent of the total United States population. The role the United States government plays in the handling of immigration from foreign countries both legal and illegal, plays a vital role in the security of the people of the United States and

The United States immigration system is widely believed to be extremely outdated and unable to adapt to the evolution of the United States economy and the needs of the nation. It is agreed that the system is in desperate need of change, however it appears to be next to impossible to reach an agreement amongst the American people and the government itself as to what the necessary change consists of. Today, there are limited opportunities for immigrants to legally obtain American citizenship due, in part, to the Immigration Naturalization Act, which limits the number of permanent immigrants permitted in the United States. Currently, there are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, however controversy exists, most notably between political parties, in regards to the manner in which this “problem” should be addressed. Until recently, it seems other issues such as economic recession and health care have overshadowed the topic of immigration, and though it has been discussed at length, minimal policy changes have taken place. Immigration enforcement, rather than reform, has been a large area of federal funding, however many believe that a focus on deportation only results in separated families and increased discrimination. The immigration debate in the United States is extremely complex and an understanding of the effects and powers of political parties, federalism, presidency, and congress is necessary to understand the debate occurring in America.

One of the most defining traits for the United States of America is that the nation is one made up of immigrants, it is a basic building block that can not be overlooked, nor should it. That being said, it is important to countless citizens to be open when it comes to immigration, while keeping the country hospitable to its citizens for generations to come. However, this attitude to immigration is a fairly recent phenomenon in American history, especially in regards to immigrants coming in from non-Western European countries. With the introduction of the Immigration Act of 1965 and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) came about the changes to immigration policy that would forever change the face of the nation and create the diversity that has become a point of pride. The sentiment is not felt nationwide, however, as the immigration patterns brought about with these two acts has brought hostility as well, especially from those who feel that immigration is a threat to the country as a whole, specifically illegal immigration. Immigration, and its illegal counterpart, is an issue that defines this period in American history, and while it did not necessary start off targeting Mexican and Latino immigrants, it has very much been immortalized within the communities and become the face of immigrants to the nation as a whole.

Today in the United States, Immigration should be placed as one of the highest priorities. Many immigrants struggle on daily bases hoping that one day there will be a solution to all their problems. Currently, we may hear suggestions or some ideas of ways to solve immigration problems, but we hope to expect changes soon. Within the United States, immigration has been thought as a plague that is rapidly spreading. Even with how immigration is now currently being addressed, new ways to help improve immigration, and how the political system can create alternatives for citizens and immigrants.

There is little question that these changing times in American immigration policy make it imperative that United States government re-examine and adjust current immigration laws to