Dear Future President,

I write this letter to you today on the issue of undocumented immigrants to explain to you how their lives are affected by not having essential basic rights in the U.S. I strongly believe undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for a period of time should be able to have basic rights in the U.S. temporarily until they can get permanent citizenship. These rights would include the right to get a license, the right to get any kind of job, and the right to a house or apartment. This has become a rising problem in the United States.

I have had many personal experiences with some of my undocumented family members and their lack of rights in the U.S. When one of my undocumented family member’s health is at risk, they don't have healthcare to get the care they need. Most are scared to even go get help because of their fear something might happen to them or someone may say something about how they are undocumented, and it could result in deportation.

I believe that all people, regardless of how they got here deserve certain basic rights. All people should be treated the same no matter what race you are or where you come from. Undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. to work and earn money for their family not to purposely cost the system money or take money from the system.

Also, most know that if you don’t have health insurance, seeking healthcare is ridiculously expensive. I have a boyfriend of almost two years who is undocumented. He came here to make a better life for himself and to help with income for his family that is still in Mexico. My boyfriend has had trouble getting a job in the past due to him not being documented or able to speak English well. He has gone to job interviews and been immediately turned down because of his race and the assumption that he is “illegal”.

Some people think that immigrants come here to take our jobs when really they take the jobs that U.S. citizens would never take. Most undocumented immigrants hold jobs in manufacturing, and construction. It is also estimated that only 4% of illegal workers in the U.S. work in agriculture.

A car is very useful for anyone who needs to get from place to place. For undocumented immigrants like my boyfriend, they have to drive illegally, meaning without a license, to get from home to their work. My boyfriend has been pulled over for suspicious reasons and been profiled by police a handful of times and has had to pay absurd and expensive tickets because of the fact that he doesn’t have a license and is unable to get one. U.S citizens have the legal right to test for a driver's permit or license, so it’s easy for people from here to get around and have a license and car, but, for an undocumented immigrants it’s practically impossible.

Undocumented immigrants should have the basic rights that any U.S. citizen has because it is just the right thing to do.

Sincerely,

Keanna Reid-Becerra