Book 1

Immigration

Tristan B. Book

26 March 2018

English 12: British Literature

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Introduction to Immigration

When one hears illegal they immediately think of something negative but, what if the

only way to fix the problem was to separate people from their families? According to the

Federation for American Immigration Reform, there are about 12.5 million illegal immigrants

currently in the U.S. Illegal immigration is controversial as different races have different

opinions. Additionally, most of the events that have occurred surrounding this topic have dealt

with highly disputed arguments about what they should do about the illegal immigrants in this

country. Moreover, they also have debated how this would effect not only the immigrants, but

the economy as well.

Argument for Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration is a problem in the U.S. today, especially when it comes to financial

gain. As immigrants from Mexico try to obtain employment, although in small jobs, they receive

money which they send home to their families as it is worth more. With this being said, Gordon

H. Hanson states, “Perspective migrants plan to support family members in Mexico, they may

evaluate U.S. earnings in terms of its purchasing power in Mexico, rather than in terms of its

purchasing power in the United States” (22 Nber.org). Furthermore, some immigrants have

“white-collar jobs” as well which pays more than some work they find, according to the Pew

Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project. These “white-collar jobs” include doctors,

management, business, and finance. The “white-collar jobs” they have obtained should only

fairly be given to legal American citizens.

Moreover, some of the illegal immigrants that have come into the country have been

terrorists. In this regard, stopping illegal immigration is of the utmost importance in the U.S., as

it opens itself to new threats unknowingly. Additionally, as stated in a speech given by James A.
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Lyons, “It is an acknowledged fact that since we have refused to secure our borders, we have

facilitated the transit and infiltration of al Qaeda affiliated terrorists and narco-terrorists who are

now living illegally in the United States” (Lyons). Also, not only are terrorist a threat for

terrorizing people, but they also smuggle illegal drugs across the boarder.

Counterargument for Illegal Immigration

Most immigrants who have lived in the U.S. but have come over illegally are concerned

they will be deported. Although illegally immigrating is unacceptable, the government can not

do so morally because of separation of people from their families. Also, according to the

American Jewish Committee, “There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants

currently residing in the United States. It is unrealistic and inhumane to deport these individuals

from their families and lives in the United States” (AJC). It would not only be a poor decision to

separate these people from their families because of how numerous they are. It would be a poor

decision to separate them from their families as in today’s day and age so many people come

from broken families that people do not anymore ways to break up families.

Additionally, the illegal immigrants that work in the U.S. take the jobs that most

Americans will not take because they do not pay very much. Plus, most of the jobs that

immigrants will take are on farms, and without them fresh produce would be slim to none. As

the Washington Post states, “If we lose the workers who are here illegally, it’s hard to see how

they’ll be replaced, because Americans are reluctant to take these jobs, particularly the ones

harvesting crops” (washingtonpost.com). These jobs could be easily taken by teenagers but, a lot

of them pay less than minimum wage.

The Catholic Church’s Stance on Illegal Immigration

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The Catholic Church does not like that there are illegal immigrants in the U.S. but, they

want to make it easier for immigrants to come into the U.S. They are attentive to the loss of life

of the immigrants who are trying to make the trek through the desert. The United States

Conference of Catholic Bishops says:

A worker program to permit foreign‐born workers to enter the country safely and legally
would help reduce illegal immigration and the loss of life in the American desert. Any
program should include workplace protections, living wage levels, safeguards against the
displacement of U.S. workers, and family unity. (usccb.org)
However, according to the Economist Newspaper, the Catholic Church is also concerned with

the U.S. workers being laid off because a foreigner will work for less in the same position.

The Catholic Church also references the Bible for this political issue. As it explains in

the Bible, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You

shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as

yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34).

In this passage, the Lord talks about the Israelites and how Moses lead the them out of the desert

and away from the Egyptians who had enslaved them.

My Stance on Illegal Immigration

I believe that illegal immigrants attempting to come across the boarder is concerning as it

is not worth it to risk their lives, instead of legal immigrating to America. Moreover it is stated

that:

Every year, a number of deaths – ranging in the hundreds – are reported along the US-
Mexico border, particularly with illegal immigrants. One of the factors cited as a cause is
exposure to the deserts of the Southwest United States during the summer season. Other
factors cited include heat stroke and dehydration. (connectusfund.org)
Therefore, not only is it against the law but it is also endangering the lives of these immigrants.

If the immigrants entered the U.S. legally the loss of life of immigrants would decrease

significantly, morally the lose of life of any human is wrong.

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Likewise, since the immigrants are undocumented they do not pay any taxes, therefore,

taking advantage of what we have to offer. In a similar fashion, because of the Emergency

Medical and Treatment Labor Act passed in 1986 hospitals can not deny a patient care in

emergencies just because they can not pay. The Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform

stated:

The economic and social consequences of illegal immigration... are staggering... Illegal
aliens have cost billions of taxpayer-funded dollars for medical services. Dozens of
hospitals in Texas, New Mexico Arizona, and California, have been forced to close or
face bankruptcy because of federally-mandated programs requiring free emergency room
services to illegal aliens. (CAIRCO)
The immigrants that are residing in the U.S. are not only hurting the economy. They are forcing

hospitals to close that are needed for the safety of the people who live in Texas, New Mexico,

Arizona, and California.

Conclusion to Illegal Immigration

In conclusion, the concept of illegal immigration is controversial as different races have

different opinions. Additionally, most of the events that have occurred surrounding this topic

have dealt with highly disputed arguments about what they should do about the illegal

immigrants in this country. Moreover, they also have debated how this would effect not only the

immigrants, but the economy as well.

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Works Cited

“AJC (Formerly American Jewish Committee) Biography.” What Are the Solutions to Illegal
Immigration in America?, 9 Feb. 2016,
immigration.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=013777.

“Catholic Church’s Position on Immigration Reform.” Catholic Church's Position on

Immigration Reform, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Aug. 2013,
www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and
dignity/immigration/churchteachingonimmigrationreform.cfm.

“Earthly Concerns.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 18 Aug. 2012,

www.economist.com/node/21560536.

“Economic Costs of Legal and Illegal Immigration .” CAIRCO - Colorado Alliance for
Immigration Reform, CAIRCO, 1995, www.cairco.org/issues/economic-costs-
immigration.

Hanson., Gordon H, and Antonio Spilimbergo. “Illegal Immigration, Boarder Enforcement, And
Relative Wages: Evidence From Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico Border.” May 1996,
pp. 1–41., www.nber.org/papers/w5592.pdf.

Haspel, Tamar. “Illegal Immigrants Help Fuel U.S. Farms. Does Affordable Produce Depend on
Them?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Mar. 2017,
www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/in-an-immigration-crackdown-who-will-pick-
our-produce/2017/03/17/cc1c6df4-0a5d-11e7-93dc-
00f9bdd74ed1_story.html?utm_term=.208fd9768131.

Lyons, James A. “LYONS: The National Security Component of Immigration Reform.” The
Washington Times, The Washington Times, 14 Aug. 2013,
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/14/lyons-the-national-security-component-
of-immigrati/.

Passel, Jeffrey S., and D’Vera Cohn. “Share of Unauthorized Immigrant Workers in Production,
Construction Jobs Falls Since 2007.” Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project, 26
Mar. 2015, www.pewhispanic.org/2015/03/26/share-of-unauthorized-immigrant-workers-
in-production-construction-jobs-falls-since-2007/.

Raley, Spencer. “How Many Illegal Immigrants Are in the US?” How Many Illegal Immigrants
Are in the US?, 23 Oct. 2017, fairus.org/issue/illegal-immigration/how-many-illegal-
immigrants-are-in-us.