14 November 2016

Dear Future President of the United States;

Illegal immigration has become a major problem facing the United States. Not only do illegal immigrants sneak into the U.S. illegally, they steal jobs, increase crime rates, and make us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks from other countries. While some Americans may not agree with taking such harsh actions against these illegal immigrants, I believe something must be done not only to protect the rights of the U.S. citizens but also to protect the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment gives us our rights as citizens of the United States. Ronald Reagan, the fortieth president of the United Sates, stated that “A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” This statement reigns true for today’s current situation. If something is not done to decrease the influx of illegal immigrants, the safety of our jobs and the state of this country are at risk.

Many illegal immigrants coming into the United States already have a criminal record. People believe illegal immigrants only come from Mexico, but this is not the case. While a majority of illegal immigrants are from Mexico, due to its close proximity to the border of the U.S., other countries with high illegal immigrants entering the United states are Asia and Central America. Along with crossing the border illegally, some have been charged with other odious crimes. Statistics show that an estimated 11.4 million illegal immigrants living in the United States account for 13.6 percent of the total crime rate in the country. Some of the convictions included kidnappings, sex offenses, homicides, and robberies. These statistics are alarming and should be concerning to all American citizens. But are they a concern to our federal government? No. With these recent spikes in the number of illegal immigrants, I am questioning where the government’s loyalty lies. Is it with the American people, or is it with these undocumented men and women? These illegal immigrants are bringing crime and drugs into our country and they must be stopped. With better border security the United States government will be able to control the flow of people coming in and out of the country, which will not only protect the safety of all Americans but protect those immigrants who have come into this country legally.

A major concern for U.S citizens is the loss of America jobs to illegal immigrants. Eight million out of the total undocumented immigrants are currently in the workforce, leaving many Americans without work. Some working illegal immigrants are living comfortable lives, while many people in the United States are living in poverty and wondering where their next meal will come from. This situation could have been prevented if the Immigration Reform and Control Act was taken seriously. President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act on November 6, 1986. This act made it illegal to knowingly hire undocumented aliens, along with many other things. If this Act was enforced from the beginning, Americans would not be in the state we are today.

I propose that all immigrants coming into this country should be put on a path to citizenship. Although this exist now, it is not strongly enforced. Immigrants from all countries could take a course learning about U.S. rights and the things that made our country as great as it is today. The immigrants would take basic courses on American history and learn about things like the constitution, declaration of independence, and our past presidents. They could have a life coach or counselor to help them get their feet on the ground when they first get their visa to stay in America. This plan would not only help educate the immigrants on the country they are about to live in, but give them a fresh and stable start for the rest of their lives.

Just because I promote immigration reform does not mean I am inhumane. It does not mean I want immigrants to suffer. It does not mean I am an unjust person. I do believe that immigrants, illegal or not, should be put on a path to citizenship. This path could help them earn their rights, not be handed them. Illegal immigration is unfair to those immigrants who have come into this great country legally. They worked hard to be at the place they are now and they have earned their rights as U.S. citizens. If nothing is done to stop these illegal immigrants from coming in, taking jobs, and increasing crime rate our great country will suffer.

Sincerely,

Emma Gremillion

Bibliography

Fitz, Marshall. "Illegal Immigrants Should Be Put on a Path to Earned Citizenship." 2013. Illegal Immigration, edited by Noël Merino, Illegal Immigration ed., Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010226416&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=. Accessed 10 Nov. 2016.

Hamilton, Keegan. "Law-Abiding Illegal Immigrants Do Not Need to Be Deported." Illegal Immigration, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010226412&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.

"Illegal Immigrants Pose a Safety Threat and Drain Resources." Illegal Immigration, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010226402&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.