Immigration_in_the_Us

Merriam Webster defines immigration as, “to come into a country of which one is not a native for permanent residence.” The United States has had an immigration policy in effect that dates as far back as its birth. Originally established in 1875, the first federal immigration law prohibited the admission of criminals and prostitutes. Over the years, the number of immigrants grew and in 1891 the Immigration Service was established. 1891 was also the year that the United States government agreed to take full responsibility for immigration policy and enforcement. Modifications and quantitative changes have continued to change the United States immigration policy to meet the needs of the influx of immigrants. In 1986 the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed. It covered topics such as the government disciplining employers who knowingly employed aliens. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 followed in an effort to maintain the borders of the United States. Border control measurements were introduced, and there was a significant increase in border patrol agents (GAO, 2005). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) further defines immigration as having four goals that seek to fulfill the United States immigration policy (CBO, 2006). The first goal is to reunite families, referred to as the Family Based Preference. Immediate relatives of United States citizens are exempt. The Family Based Preference category has the largest share of immigrant admission from North America and Asia. The second goal is to admit specialized workers who can fill labor shortages of specific occupations. The third goal is to provide sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers who may be under persecution from their own country due to race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. Refugees can apply for a permanent visa after one year in the United States. The fourth and final goal is to promote and celebrate the diversity of the United States culture. Known as The Diversity Program, there are a limited number of visas issued every year. Africa and Europe account for the most immigrants admitted under The Diversity Program. It is important to also mention another way one may be granted legal admission into the United States. Each year the State Department randomly selects 110,000 lottery applicants and if their requirements are fulfilled they may be granted permanent residency. There are two distinct categories for aliens seeking admission into the United States. Depending on each person’s intent, they may be granted temporary or permanent admission. Permanent admission is reserved for people who intend to work in the United States and apply for naturalization, earning a green card. In contrast, visas are issued to non-immigrants who only seek temporary admission into the United States. Some reasons for temporary visas include but are not limited to, health, criminal history, terrorism concern, or previous removal from the United States. Visas are good for several years and issued non-immigrants may re-enter the United States multiple times. Keep in mind, however, that no-immigrants with an issued visa may not apply for naturalization. They must apply for permanent residency by applying for a green card, or they can apply for a permanent visa after spending one year in the United States. In addition to the authorized immigrants and non-immigrants, the United States has a policy regarding unauthorized aliens. According to the United States Census Bureau (2001), the Amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration Act of 1990 have all contributed to the increased amount of international migration Aliens are not citizens of the United States, and consistent with The Census Bureau and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, about 7 million unauthorized aliens were in the United States in the year 2000. This emerging number was estimated at approximately 10 million in 2004, and 11.8 million in 2009. In 2008, a rare decline occurred, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security, and the number of aliens dropped to 8 million. This is the largest decline in 30 years and was reported to be due to lack of job opportunity. If caught residing in the United States, aliens are offered a choice to either leave voluntarily or face a formal process that could mean fines, imprisonment, and prohibition against future entry. The government has been involved with immigration policy since the founding of the United States. It’s appropriate that the government has control and responsibility over the immigration policy. The law was written very clear, precise, and yet meant to be difficult for all who dare take the challenge. Many have fought hard and long, following the book to becoming an American citizen. One of them was my mother, an immigrant from the Philippines. She never once took it for granted and she cherished every moment of the transition. Like her, those who were granted citizenship came out proud, strong, and ready to stand up for the United States. I believe this was the goal of our founding fathers; to build citizens by showing them that freedom isn’t free. Somewhere along the way the government has taken a step back and has failed to remain in control and accountable for a policy that should have zero tolerance. The government has become inconsistent and illegal aliens have taken advantage of this by becoming arrogant. Illegal Aliens are flying flags from their home country over the American flag and telling reporters they have a “right” to be in the United States. Now the President wants to sign an amnesty law allowing illegal aliens already in the United States to automatically become citizens. But they haven’t earned this right, and it goes against every principle of what the United States was built on. So it is reasonable to assume that if the government fails to follow its’ own immigration policy, border states will step up and attempt to enforce what the government is refusing to. Case in point, Arizona is currently under scrutiny for taking matters into their own hands. With Arizona showing the least amount of border patrol and the highest ratio of illegal immigrants to population, in April of 2010 Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, signed a Bill that will crack down on illegal immigration. “The bill is considered to be among the toughest immigration measures in the nation. Supporters say the measure is needed to fill a void left by the federal government’s failure to enforce its immigration laws (CNN, 2010).” A short time later the most contested provisions of the bill were blocked by US District Judge Susan R. Bolton. The Bill will be appealed but it will take years to pan out in court. By this time, for the illegal immigration problems at hand, it will be too late. The solution is for the United States government to stand up strong and proud, and simply realize that ignoring or not enforcing the law does not make illegal immigration any less illegal. References Baker, B. C., Hoefer, M., & Rytina, N. (2008). Estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population residing in the United States: January 2007. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/ois_ill_pe_2007.pdf Census Bureau. (2001). Profile of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-206.pdf CNN. (2010). Arizona Governor Signs Immigration Bill. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/politics/04/23/obama.immigration/index.html Congressional Budget Office. (2006, February). Immigration Policy in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/70xx/doc7051/02-28-Immigration.pdf Government Accountability Office. (2005, August). Immigration Enforcement: Weaknesses Hinder Employment Verification and Working Enforcement Efforts. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05813.pdf Immigration and Naturalization Service. (2003, January). Estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population residing in the United States: 1990-2000. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/Ill_Report_1211.pdf