Dear Future President,

I think that the president should focus on immigration reform, specifically creating an immigration system that is fair and accessible. The current systems in place make it very difficult to arrive to this country legally, work in the U.S legally, and difficult to gain citizenship. It is important to create a system that makes it possible to become a citizen here because whether Americans like it or not, people want to live here, and many people will do whatever it takes to get to this country. With better systems in place, this country can have fewer people living here illegally, and an equal opportunity for a good life for immigrants and Americans alike. I think that immigrants need a more fair path to citizenship.

According to whitehouse.gov, “America’s immigration system is broken. There are 11 million people living in the shadows. This is not good for the economy or the country.” 11 million people are living in fear in this country. 11 million. 11 million people who wake up everyday and pray that they won’t get deported. In this country there are many children who have immigrant parents, who can get deported anytime. A Migration Policy Institute report tell us that, “A half-million parents of roughly the same number of children who are citizens may have been deported.” In 2013, after being passed by the Senate, President Obama created the “path to citizenship.” Obama’s plan was to fix the broken immigration system; he wanted to streamline legal immigration and help people with illegal status gain citizenship. Unfortunately, as newweek.com states,“Shortly before the plan was to go into effect, a federal judge in Texas blocked it after the Republican-governed states filed a suit against the Democratic president’s executive action.” Which then led to the plan never being implemented. I think that Obama’s plan should be considered.

Worldwide, there are approximately 191 million immigrants. There are many reasons that one may have the need to leave one’s home country. Many people are not safe in their country, many people want a better life for themselves and their children, many people need a job, and many people are in horrible living conditions in their home country. Weforum.org points out that, “There are negative aspects people may think of immigration, Those negative aspects must be managed. But the management must come with the recognition that migration has always been one of the most important drivers of human progress and dynamism. Immigration is good.” America is the “Land of the free and home of the brave,” why can’t all people have an equal opportunity to better their life and move to this country?

Many citizens of this country believe that immigrants are intruding on their space and their life. Although both parties want immigration reform, Republicans want illegal immigrants currently here to have no chance for citizenship, versus Democrats that want a chance of citizenship for illegal immigrants. According to migrationpolicy.org, “Immigration to the U.S is often the subject of significant public debate with questions about the size of inflows, the role of immigrants in the workforce, enforcement and humanitarian admission policies, and benefits and costs.” Some people think that immigrants are just here to steal jobs, but they need to understand that immigrants are mostly coming to this country for a better life. My parents are immigrants from Italy, and they came to this country to create a better life for me and my brother. People are so focused on bashing immigrants that they don’t realize the struggle that immigrants go through. Imagine packing your bags and moving to a new country, where you don’t know anybody, you have no home, nothing.

I am simply asking, Future President, that you push for immigration reform, and consider the fact that immigrants are human beings just like citizens of this country. As a child of immigrants, I know that many immigrants move here for a better life for themselves and their children. Immigrants deserve to have an equal chance to gain citizenship. People move to this country because across the world it is seen as the land of opportunity, and political freedom, because they need a better life, because they are not safe. Immigrants are human beings, and they should be treated like human beings, not like intruders.

Sincerely,

Veronica Migotto