Shannon pg.

Ryan Shannon

English 1201

Professor Barnes

January 20, 2019

How is the United States’ current immigration policy affecting the nation?

I feel that this is a question that resonates with the entire United States population, at this

current time especially. We are inundated with information regarding illegal immigration and

how it negatively affects the U.S. We listen and read about aggressive debates on Capital Hill,

arguing whether we need to disallow individuals of certain faiths entrance into the country. We

are currently in a government shut down due to the ongoing fight about building a wall on our

Southern border to dissuade illegal immigration. There is already a difficult process for anyone

wanting to become a citizen. These disagreements have now caused a government shutdown,

furloughing thousands of government employees, my step-mother being one of them.

My father’s new wife has also been working towards attaining her citizenship. She is a

citizen of Thailand and because of the history of women from that part of the world, they have a

more difficult time being granted citizenship. I also have a co-worker who came to the U.S. from

Peru who has shared her experiences with me. The steps and cost to become a citizen are in my

opinion, extreme.

How do I feel about this topic? I feel that this is a topic with far reaching effects. These

policies will help determine where our nation stands going forward; deciding what we do with

our borders and what we do with those already here illegally. What do I think about this topic
 Shannon pg. 2

before doing research? I think that this will be a difficult topic to research as there are many

different paths I can take. It is a topic that can be argued from many different angles. What do I

believe about this topic? I believe that immigration can definitely be simplified. While the U.S. is

absolutely trying to protect it’s people, we are a nation founded by immigrants. It goes against

our founding principals to disallow immigration completely. What do I already know about this

topic? My knowledge on this topic comes from what I have seen in the news and what I have

been told by my friend who came here from Peru. I will be using her as a resource to obtain a

first-person perspective.

There is still much to learn about this topic. I hope to learn, in detail, the current steps to

becoming a U.S. citizen. I also want to learn how other countries deal with immigration and what

affects it has on their nations comparing it to how effective our methods are. I know I will need

to start with current U.S. immigration laws and will need to research immigration laws for other

countries. I will also spend time with my friend, finding out what her family had to go through to

come to America. Two questions I will need to ask: What hardships do immigrants face in

becoming citizens? What current policies are in place to promote becoming a citizen legally

without using punishments as a deterrent?