Running Head: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Illegal Immigration: The impacts, current solutions, and possible changes made in response. Clara I. Martinez University of Texas at El Paso

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Abstract This paper explores multiple articles regarding illegal immigration in the U.S., immigrants that come all over the world. However, they all differ in content about illegal immigration which

includes different point of views. Ill mention DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) and DACA (Deferred Actions by Childhood Arrival). This paper examines the impact, current solutions, and what should the government do pertaining to illegal immigration.

Illegal Immigration: The impacts, current solutions, and possible changes made in response Considering the articles I gathered, illegal immigration has been present in America for a long period, this essay will show how the US government, the legal citizens of the US, as well as the illegal immigrants have different ideas when it comes to the impact, currents solutions, and what should be done and what is being done with illegal immigration. Some might argue that having immigrants harms the US, while others might say it doesnt really hurt them at all. The border fence, the DREAM Act etc... are some solutions the government tried to create to help ease illegal immigration. The US has struggled to come to some sort of agreement to fix the broken system, but no solution really has been successful. Now the American citizens and the illegal immigrants are really just waiting on something to be done on behalf of the government. It started since the English settlers arrived in America, ever since then people all over the world and along our borders have come to the US. This issue is one of the most talked about

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topics in the US; there are approximately 11 million illegal immigrants (adults/children) living in the US (Marco Werman, 2013). Illegal immigrants come to America because of different reasons such as, by force because of their parents, for a better opportunity, or to get away from the violence of their country. Nevertheless, an illegal immigrant is anyone that resides in a country that isnt their birthplace without the consent or document to live in that place. First of all I will emphasize the positive/negative impact that is created by illegal immigration, such as on income, healthcare, jobs and how they lead to higher crime rates. Hanson (2012) says that overall, immigration creates income for the US economy. They achieve this by allowing US residents to utilize domestic resources more efficiently, by the public spending of lower income large families, because of the immigration surplus increasing the supply of labor raises productivity of resources and makes a positive net tax contribution (Hanson, 2012). Supporters of illegal immigration say that the illegals are supposedly doing the jobs the Americans wont do (Confer, 2012). Anderson (2012) says that it is a lie that the illegals lead to high crime rates, this is due to perception vs. statistics, which I will refer to later. But not all might agree that immigration is something positive for the income of the US: If immigrants pay less in taxes than they receive in government benefits, then immigration generates a net fiscal burden on native taxpayersnative households would be making an income transfer to immigrant households. Paying for this fiscal transfer would require tax increases on natives, reductions in government benefits to natives, or increased borrowing from future generations (by issuing government debt). If immigrants are a net fiscal drain, the total impact of immigration on the United States would be positive only if the immigration surplus exceeded the fiscal transfer made to immigrants.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION For low-skilled immigration, whether legal or illegal, this does not appear to be the case. (Hanson, 2012). Another negative impact on the US is that the illegal immigrants drain the healthcare resources. The reason behind is that hospitals and clinics dont ask about you legal status,

therefore they get 20-40% of free medical services (Lee,2012).According to Bob Confer (2012), high unemployment is not only a result of stressed market factors, but it has also been createdand prolonged-by our illegal immigration problem. Not only that, but Americans cant find a job because companies are employing the illegals (Confer, 2012). The worst one of all is that illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates. Martin (2012) tell us that data show a clear pattern both nationwide and in the states with the largest estimated illegal alien populations of a higher rate of incarceration of aliens Based on these impacts the government has tried to solve the broken system of illegal immigration by creating a variety of solutions. The government has created and has in place a variety of solutions to fix this problem, theyve tried laws (DACA), physical boundaries (Border Fence), and special programs (Attrition Strategy, 287(g) Program), or the solution regarding the illegal immigrant children/young adults, but even then nothing really has stopped them. According to the Congressional Budget Office et al. (2012) the attrition strategy is a state and local enforcement or effort to deny jobs to illegals, and still bases on Confer (2012) companies do hire people with an illegal status. Another popular effort is the 287(g) program where the local law enforcement are trained to become immigration agent which their priority is to keep up the immigration enforcement, unfortunately the law enforcement tend to abuse the power and uses it in the wrong way (Congressional Budget Office et al., 2012). A border fence went up to prevent them from crossing the border, but all it was is waste of billions of dollars because still that hasnt stopped them (Correa-Cabrera., Rojas-

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Arenoza., 2012). DACA was created for those undocumented students that want to continue with education and get a job. But DACA has its limitations; it temporarily removes the chance of being deported for two years and it gives you temporary job permit (Gonzalez, 2013). According to Gonzalez (2013) he mentions that students like Carla Chavarria are grateful that something like DACA appeared but that they need something bigger. Since all of this has happened the government realizes also that something bigger need to happen. The government has in plan an immigration reform bill and the so called DREAM Act for those undocumented students, but this two proposals faces roadblock in House and the Republicans. Obama said in the following statement of immigration reform Legislation: What has become increasingly clear is that we can no longer wait to fix our broken immigration system, which Democrats and Republicans alike agree doesn't work. It's unacceptable to have 11 million people in the United States who are living here illegally and outside of the system. I have repeatedly said that there are some essential components that must be in immigration legislation. It must call for stronger border security measures, tougher penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants, and clearer rules for controlling future immigration. And it must require those who are here illegally to get right with the law, pay penalties and taxes, learn English, pass criminal background checks, and admit responsibility before they are allowed to get in line and eventually earn citizenship. The outline presented today includes many of these elements. The next critical step is to iron out the details of a bill. We welcome that discussion, and my administration will play an active role in engaging partners on both sides of the aisle

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION to work toward a bipartisan solution that is based on the fundamental concept of accountability that the American people expect and deserve (Obama, 2010).

Yet, Obama and other that are for an amnesty this legislation is stuck in the House. Grant (2013) mentions that some conservatives dont like the idea of how the illegals will be allowed to be legalized before the bills many security measures are in place. In addition, Stein (2013), says that the house stated that we shouldnt reward people who broke the law, they must prioritize and instead devote its time to end the budget crisis. Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa says that he doesnt want to make the same mistake like when he signed the Immigration Reform Bill of 1986 that legalized 3 million illegal immigrants, he wants to make sure everything is correct (Grant, 2013). The government also faces and issue with the dreamers they dont want to leave them behind either, therefore they proposed the DREAM Act, but like the reform bill it is stuck in the House also (Gonzalez, 2013). The government knows that something must be done to fix the broken immigration system which both the Republicans and Democrats agree on (Obama, 2010). All is left really is to wait in the next months to see the results, but all of this information given to us is affected by perception the use of numbers and media spectacles. Information and the idea of how people view illegal immigration is said to be manipulated by the use of number and media spectacles or perception vs. statistics. CorreaCabrera and Rojas-Arenoza (2012) mention that, US mass media give ample play to a considerable amount of misinformation and reactionary discourse (p.299). Because of this the US immigration policy has been affected by the use of numbers and media spectacles which are often released by anti-immigrant groups (Cabrera and Rojas-Arenoza 2012). Arizona is another example of how perception is more important than numbers (Anderson, 2012). According to studies as the numbers of illegal immigrants were drawn by record, the rate of violent crimes in

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Phoenix and entire state fell, which was a steeper drop than in the overall US crime rate (Anderson, 2012). They both propose that the issue with immigrants have to be seen using the appropriate use of numbers and the necessary quantitative analyses needed (Cabrera and RojasArenoza 2012).

Conclusion Basically regarding illegal immigration one must consider all the part that come with it the economic, social impact etc Whether if people are for or against illegal immigration the government understands that they cant leave this broken system unsolved any further. Really all there is to do is wait to see what will happen with a possible change such as both the Immigration Reform Bill and DREAM Act.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION References

Congressional Budget Office, Krikorian, M., Vaughan, J.M., Edwards, J.R., Friedman, A., & Gonzales, R.G. (2012). Are current policies regarding illegal immigrants working?. In N. Merino (Ed.), Illegal immigration (pp. 96-129). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.

Correa-Cabrera, G., & Rojas-Arenaza, M. (2012). The mathematics of MexicoUS migration and US immigration policy. Policy Studies, 33(4), 297-312. doi:10.1080/01442872.2012.694187

Gonzalez, D. (2013, August 13). A year later, immigrants face DREAM Acts limits. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/13/a-year-later-immigrantsface-deferred-action-programs-limits/2651235/

Grant, D. (2013). Immigration reform bill clears Senate, but faces roadblock in House. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/search/advanced?sid=016c76b6-08d6-4496-8c587f5a60f32a2a%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=108

Hanson, G. H., Vliet, E.L., Martin, J., Confer, B., Anderson, S., & Schumacher-Matos, E. (2012). Does illegal immigration harm US citizens?. In N. Merino (Ed.), Illegal immigration (pp. 64-94). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.

Obama, B. H. (2010). Statement on Immigration Reform Legislation. Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/search/advanced?sid=016c76b6-08d6-4496-8c587f5a60f32a2a%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=108

Saad, L., Swartz, Z., DeMint, J., Wilkinson, W., & Stock, M. (2012). How should the government respond to illegal immigration?. In N. Merino (Ed.), Illegal immigration (pp. 131-157). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Sherman, R., & Ibarra, H. (2013). Being here, but not here. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(6), 39-41. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/search/advanced?sid=016c76b6-08d6-4496-8c587f5a60f32a2a%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=108 Stein, Dan., (2013). For House Democratic Leadership, Amnesty for Illegal Aliens Takes Precedence Over Restoring Government Operations. Retrieved from http://www.fairus.org/