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Immigration Reform The Journey Continues Introduction My mother was seven months pregnant with my older sister when she first immigrated into the United States, tucked in the trunk of a car, along with 5 other people. She along with her cousin traveled this dangerous journey together into what Reyna Grande called in her book, The Distance Between us, El Otro Lado. Few years before, my father had also immigrated into the United States in search for better opportunities for him and the rest of our family. Thanks to the Immigration Reform and Control Act granted in 1986, both my parents along with millions of other immigrants were able to become legal residents of the United States and a few years later, citizens. The broken immigration system has been a constant debate for centuries and continues to be an issue today. While some fight for equal rights for all including those who have come into this country illegally, others use the same force to repel against the possibility of allowing foreigners to be legalized in the United States and share their same rights. It is important for society to become educated on the topic and realize how an Immigration Reform can benefit our economy today, can utilize history of previous attempts to analyze future benefits in other areas and can have an understanding of the struggles immigrant people face today. There is a lot to be learned that even experts have yet to understand. We can only hope that people take in consideration these important factors when deciding which side they will support and make a decision based on facts.

Barajas 2 Methods The Immigration Reform research that I conducted was mostly done using helpful online sources. I began my research by identifying the definition of what an Immigration reform entails and finding as many sources that related to the subject. After gathering the information, I went through it highlighted anything that would be helpful to support my topics main idea. A source that I found very helpful was the Immigration Policy Center website; it provided various articles of information on previous studies that have been conducted which have gathered numbers on Immigration statistics. The statistics included tax revenue that would arise from the legalization of the illegal immigrants, the number of jobs that would open up in the US and statistics on how much it would cost the United States to remove all immigrants from the country. ProCon.org provided me with feedback on what people have to say on both sides of the debate. It listed various immigration related topics and broke down the pros and cons side by side giving a clear understanding of peoples view on the subject. Once I had gathered the information, I focused on the main idea of my paper and applied the appropriate information to each section. Another helpful source was my very own experience being the daughter of immigrant parents. It allowed me to see on a personal level the experiences that immigrant people have faced and the advantages that an Immigration Reform can give to those people who have come into the United States in search for a better future. It is also important to list both the negative and positive sides of a debate to give the reader an understanding of why it is a controversial topic. Facts and Discussion In 2012, a release posted by Pewhispanic.org stated that an estimated 11.7 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States. People who have been kept in the shadows

Barajas 3 because of their fear to be deported back to their countries and being separated from their families. As the legislative debate continues, the question whether or not an Immigration Reform will happen in the near future is yet to be determined. Those who disapprove of the Immigration Reform argue that the immigrant population has become an economic burden to America. The opposing side insists that by allowing foreigners to come into the United States and be allowed to stay permanently will take away jobs from those who are natives and will continue to cost the country millions of dollars in lost tax revenue along with taking away education and health benefits from those who are citizens. This widespread belief has kept many Americans from helping the bill pass through. The immigrant communities along with others who are in favor of the Reform continue to educate others about the importance of immigrants in the United States. A January 2010 study by Dr. Ral Hinojosa-Ojeda, conducted for the Immigration Policy Center and the Center for American Progress, estimates that immigration reform which includes legalization of unauthorized immigrants and the creation of more flexible channels for legal immigration in the future would add at least $1.5 trillion in cumulative U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over 10 years, this way contributing to the growth of the economy. An economy with more people does not mean lower wages and higher unemployment; it is simply a bigger economy. Once Immigrants are granted the opportunity to become legal residents of the United States they will be able to earn higher paying jobs, contribute tax revenue and generate consumer spending. A study conducted by Hinojosa-Ojeda also estimates that just in the first 3 years following the legislation, the higher earning power of newly legalized workers translates into an increase in net personal income of $30-$36 billion, which would generate $4.5-$5.4 billion in additional net

Barajas 4 tax revenue, generate consumer spending sufficient to support 750,000-900,000 jobs. The unrealistic idea of becoming an immigrant free country invades the minds of those who consider the Immigration Reform a slap on the face to Americans. As we look back on the history of the immigration system, we see the benefits that can result from providing unauthorized immigrants the opportunity to become a legal part of this country. Although those not in favor of the reform in 1986 had similar thoughts to those in opposition today, facts show that the outcome turned out to be a positive one for the United States. Studies have found that immigrants who received legal status under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) acquired more education, earned higher wages, moved out of poverty, bought homes, and generally invested in themselves and their communities. For example, a November 2009 study by Rob Paral & Associates for the Immigration Policy Center found that while 34% of IRCA immigrants age 35-44 years owned homes in 1990, 68% owned homes in 2006. Other attempts to legalize immigrants, who live in the United States, werent as lucky. Offering legal status to millions of illegal immigrants while trying to secure the nations borders, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 that was proposed by President Bush was denied. Breaking the hearts of many whom eagerly waited for the final verdict. Twenty-eight years later, America continues to be divided, divided by different believes, cultures and borders. While those in opposition of legalizing foreigners in this country celebrate their triumph of shooting down policies that have been developed over the years, immigrant people continue to live in the shadows away from anything that can shine a spotlight on them. Till this day, it is the only way to survive in the place where you are the enemy. States such as Arizona have developed and tried to implement laws that allowed law enforcement officials to

Barajas 5 use racial profiling to determine a persons legal status, penalized those who failed to provide proof of residency and affected those who employed immigrants under their businesses. Ann Morse from the National Conference of State Immigrations Information reported that before the law could go into effect, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit asking for an injunction against these laws arguing that they were unconstitutional. Making this one of the toughest antiimmigrant laws ever reported in the United States.

(Paral, figure 1) Families have been separated, people have died trying and everyday more and more children are being left behind in a country that insists on the idea that the immigrant population has become an economic burden and therefore should not be allowed to remain in the US. A survey conducted by American Community in 2010 (Paral, fig. 1) shows that in California alone 47% of citizen children have at least 1 immigrant parent. Perhaps the idea of getting rid of all immigrants who live in the United States today seems completely bizarre to analyst and experts but the reality is that the country is set on the idea that those who do not belong in the United States should be sent back to their country, with or without their families. Stephen Dinan from The Washington Times reported, 364,700 illegal immigrants were removed in fiscal 2013,

Barajas 6 according to internal numbers from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. Although the numbers have lowered from the previous fiscal years, those who still remain in the states continue to fight for their freedom. Included in this statistic are parents of young children who have lived in the US their whole lives, heads of households and students who are following the American dream of a better future.

(Nahmias, fig. 2) Immigrants have not only suffered by being forced to leave the country but also while living in the US. They have had no other options but to put up with unfair and unjust treatment from others. A January 2010 study from the University of Southern California estimates that unauthorized Latino immigrants in California missed out on approximately $2.2 billion in wages and salary income last year alone due solely to their legal status, and the state lost out on the multiplied impacts of that potential income and spending, suggesting a total potential gain of $3.25 billion annually from authorization. The legal status of the immigrant population has played a huge role in the personal development of themselves and of the country. People have missed out on the opportunity to provide more for their families sacrificing themselves under a hot summer sun because of the legal documentation that they do not have. Children who were brought into the US by their immigrant parents and have lived here most of their lives have also

Barajas 7 been denied the right to obtain a higher education regardless of the fact that they were brought when they were not able to make the decision on their own. It is important to keep in mind that rather than helping the country by removing the millions of immigrants that are currently living in the United States, we would unconsciously be damaging the economy. The Perryman Group estimated that the long-term negative effect of eliminating the unauthorized workforce would include roughly $245 billion in lost GDP and 2.8 million lost jobs. This could potentially become the next recession of the United States, one in which it would be very hard to get out of. Conclusion The possibility of an Immigration Reform has been a constant debate that has been tossed around for years. While many are in a favor of passing the bill others cant seem to adopt the idea of foreigners coming into the United States and having similar rights to those who are natives. Many have tried to implement this bill that would not only open up doors to the immigrant community but would also help our economy thrive to a higher level. The United States has a lot to gain and little to lose. Although little progress has been made, the journey continues for the millions of immigrants that patiently wait for a Reform that will not only change their lives but provide more opportunities to others in the future. The United States is known for its wide spread opportunities for all and a place where anything can happen. It is the diversity that exists in this country that makes it such a unique place that holds an abundance of culture. It is imperative for society to become educated on the topic and support a cause that is not only a humanitarian act but also an economic stimulus for America.

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Works Cited An Immigration Stimulus: The Economic Benefits of a Legalization Program. Immigration Policy. Immigration Policy Center. 9 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Dinan, Stephen. Report: Deportations plummet in 2013, lowest since 2007. Washington Times. Washington Times, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Grande, Reyna. The Distance Between Us. New York, NY. Washington Square Press. 2012. Print. Immigration Reform and Job Growth. Immigration Policy. Immigration Policy Center, April 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. Moorse, Ann. Arizonas Immigration Enforcement Laws. National Conference of State
Immigrations Informations. News. Standford. Edu. (2013). Web. 17 Mar 2014.

Nahmias, David. Changing The Conversation On Immigration Reform: Two Social Entrepreneurs' Roles In Today's Debate. Forbes.com. 18 Jul. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014 Paral, Rob. Immigration Impact. n,d. American Community Survey. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Passel, Jeffrey S, DVera Cohn and Ana Gonzalez-Barrera. Population Decline of Unauthorized Immigrants Stalls, May Have Reversed. Pewhispanic.org. Pew Research, 23 Sep. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.