Post 5: 2/15 Immigration Reform
After the election many predicted that the next move would be immigration reform. Now that the president has started his new term people are debating what he has the political capital to get done and the political will to get done during his "honeymoon period." The president is currently campaigning for gun control AND for immigration reform and political scientists and the media are speculating about whether this will be possible for him to accomplish. What policy should President Obama pursue on immigration? What factors (political, economic, social) influence what direction the U.S. will go on immigration? What is your prediction? Will the U.S. Congress pass immigration reform this year? This post is due on Friday, February 15th but feel free to post early. Your post needs to include at least 4 sources. There is a lot of writing on this topic so there shouldn't be any trouble getting evidence to support your argument.
posted by maby-keirstead @ 1:56 PM
35 Comments:
During the November presidential election, 71% of Latinos voted for Barack Obama (1). He made a promise to them and all Americans that he would put immigration reform as one of the highest points in his agenda and priority. A few months ago, the Republicans have put forth sections of immigration reform legislation to appeal to Latinos (1). One of the bills would create a visa program for immigrants “with graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM),” while eliminating a previous visa program (1). This bill was passed in the House but was blocked in the Senate and was criticized by the Obama administration as too “narrowly tailored and out of step with Obama’s long-term objectives with respect to comprehensive immigration reform (1).” Now that immigration is one of his top priorities, Obama has a chance to leave his mark on this controversial topic.
There are a few policies Obama should pursue on immigration.
First, enforcing secure land borders is crucial despite them being more secure than ever (2). Legislation should include, “Operation Hold the Line,” which prevents illegal entry into the U.S. at the Border instead of apprehension afterwards (3). This is much more cost effective and will reduce the potential for violent confrontations (3). Within border protection, provisions should include, increased resources for protection such as additional staff and high end equipment like infrared sensors, increased training for border officials, and the formation of mobile, and rapid response teams “to improve Border Patrol anticipation of new smuggling sites and to augment their capacity at these locations (3).”
Next, Airport prevention should also be pursued (2). Obama must advocate for a combined facilitation and enforcement strategy that prevents entry of unauthorized aliens while facilitating legal admissions at U.S. airports (3). This includes the use of better technologies to expedite the inspection process as well as to improve the operations of law enforcement (3).
Third, there needs to be better coordination between the Customs Service and the INS at ports of entry. Implementation of initiatives to facilitate coordination is then needed (3).
Fourth, Obama should advocate for worksite enforcement (2). “The ineffectiveness of employer sanctions, prevalence of fraudulent documents, and continued high numbers of unauthorized workers, combined with confusion for employers and reported discrimination against employees, have challenged the credibility of current worksite enforcement efforts (3).” To solve this, there needs to be development and implementation of a more resistant system for verifying work authorization that essentially is more simple and reduces fraud (3). “Employers who deliberately hire and exploit undocumented workers must be held accountable. At the same time, we must give employers who want to play by the rules a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally (2).”
Furthermore, an immigration system that reflects our diverse needs is necessary. Immigration laws must reunify families and encourage individuals to develop new technologies here in America instead of abroad (2). Young people who were brought here illegally by their parents should not be punished and they should have a chance to stay if they pursue higher education or enroll in the military (2).
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There are many factors that affect what legislation will be passed regarding immigration reform and to what degree. It is clearly seen that public discourse regarding this matter is divided (4). Opponents of immigration state that undocumented immigrants are an economic drain on the economy, whereas others state that they are an economic boon and can make this nation’s economic status higher in the future by contributing skills to the workforce (4). Some people contend that immigrants take away jobs from American workers while others claim that undocumented workers do the work Americans do not want to do and therefore fill a niche in society (4). Expert opinion is also a consideration as experts state that legal immigration must be made more efficient “to deter illegal immigration and attract skilled foreign workers, but that the debate over illegal immigration enforcement has blocked progress on broader reform (4).” These are all factors and opinions from different groups of people in society that Congress must take into consideration when passing legislation and that the president must take into consideration when influencing Congress on its agenda.
Immigration reform which would combine legal immigration procedures and improvements to enforcement policies would offer legal status to many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S and has received some bipartisan support in the past (4). However, in the past few years, party polarization has lessened the chances for comprehensive reform (4). Despite this polarization, I still believe Congress will pass immigration reform this year. After Obama was reelected for a second term in 2012, lawmakers and government officials have made several notions and indications that they are willing to make a bipartisan agreement and push for immigration reform (4). In 2012, Senator Marco Rubio set forth (NYT) immigration proposal that included a means to offer legal status, a nationwide exit system that allowed checks of overstayed visas, and an employment verification program (4). President Obama said in his inaugural speech that, "Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity--until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country (4)." With all the advocacy for immigration reform, Congress must take action to please its constituents.
1.http://www.policymic.com/articles/21399/immigration-reform-obama-to-make-major-push-in-2013
2.http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
3. http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/uscir/exesum94.html
4. http://www.cfr.org/immigration/us-immigration-debate/p11149
There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States (1). We have forever been a nation of immigrants, and the moment we forget that we abandon history. The pre-womping-of-2012 GOP forgot that, and Latinos favored President Obama nearly 3:1 (2). The GOP prided itself in southern state legislatures and within the party’s presidential race on being harsh on illegal immigrants. Now, the GOP has changed. Firebrand Rick Perry did not mention even legal immigration in his State of the State address of 2013 (2). The GOP has realized it cannot alienate (double-meaning intended) a key constituency. That being said, Republicans have doubled-down their rhetoric and doubled-up their chutzpa on reform. Reform will happen and this year, too. It is not only Obama’s capital being used and at stake with the current domestic legislative docket; many factors – including Sandy Hook and the 2012 Latino vote – have catapulted both issues into the fray, and both issues will see legislation. Several bills were introduced by House Republicans concerning visas and education (1). The president and the Senate politely declined their ideas hoping for wider and deeper actions (1). The president isn’t in this for small game; he wants comprehensive omnibus-ness, and he will want a solid pathway to citizenship, increased security, and a means by which to deter future illegal immigration by hampering down on the reasons illegality persists when crossing the border. He wants to be tender with current Latinos (since they’re partly the reason he’s still in office) and harsh on the idea that honest and skilled foreigners ought to be barred or deported from entering the nation. Obama is influenced by the Latino vote and campaign funds of 2012 and will make comprehensive legislation is not too harmful (3). Obama and Congress are also influenced economically. The tech sector relies on many foreign workers of which often cannot make it into or stay in the United States (4). In addition, policymakers will be influenced by corporations who employ many workers subject to immigration laws and unions who do not want low-wage earners entering the country (1). These social and economic lobbies will prove highly influential in the oncoming debate. I predict that the president will succeed in his reforms concerning a pathway to citizenship, border security, and future policies. Congressional Republicans have proven rather pliant concerning this issue now and will ensure a diligent process but moderate to slightly liberal reforms.
1. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/05/house-republicans-immigration-changes/
2. http://www.startribune.com/nation/190529281.html
3. http://www.policymic.com/articles/21399/immigration-reform-obama-to-make-major-push-in-2013
4. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/tech-sector-is-in-the-game-on-immigration-reform-87436.html
Immigration is a hot topic right now in Washington as the push for immigration reform is getting stronger. Right now there is an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States (1). With President Obama pushing for gun control and immigration reform his political capital might be enough right now to get both things accomplished. However out of the two I think that Obama will have more leverage on the topic of immigration, because Republicans have seen how influential the Latino electorate can be. THe White House is pursuing new immigration reform that would secure the borders and make them stronger than they are right now (2). They also want to hold businesses who hire illegal immigrants willingly accountable for the actions they have taken, while pursuing a system where education is highly promoted and keeping families together is an important stance. The state of our economy has a very big impact on the way immigration reform is going to be shaped. If some sort of immigration reform is pursued, immigrants who were previously illegal may now raise the wage floor up instead of pushing it down because of their legal status (3). Education will also have to be a part of the immigration reform that is proposed because 17.9% of those foreign born that are living in the US are living in poverty (4). Meaning that to improve the social standing of immigrants, education is an important part to make immigrants a productive new group and to maximize their potential in the US. I do believe that some sort of immigration reform will pass and I do believe that it will be this year. However, the sequester and gun control policies might be enacted first, but immigration reform will be enacted primarily because Republicans might not want to see a repeat of the presidential election happen to them in the midterm elections.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/13/3231608/11-million-illegal-immigrants.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/2012/1/cj32n1-12.pdf
http://www.internationalsnps.org/about-us/immigration-and-education.html
Immigration is one of the president’s main focuses in the next few months. He will sign an immigration reform bill “right away.” The current system leaves millions of people outside the protections of the law while denying businesses the workers they need to experience growth. This is unproductive and needs to be addressed (1). With people being denied opportunities, I believe the president should support aggressive overhaul. He should encourage Congress to support and draft legislation that will allow for an easier pathway to citizenship for the millions of Americans who have been living here, contributing to our economy and society, but yet do not receive the benefits of being American citizens. This not only harms their own chances for success, but the current system prevents businesses from hiring more workers that may be illegal immigrants, which, in turn, decreases the potential output and success of the economy (2). In addition, it is not logical that 11 million illegal immigrants could be deported. This would cost more than reform. I support the president’s position on earned citizenship. I believe that encouraging illegal immigrants to come out of the shadows and pursue citizenship is the best method, given the circumstances. They have to pass National Security background checks and pay a little in fines. Then, they can be granted citizenship, which will aid businesses and the government, because now all these immigrants will be required to pay taxes and “follow the rules” (2). I also support changing the current position that punishes children for being brought here illegally (it wasn’t like they had a say in the matter). They have been in the public school system for years, and deserve to be treated equally (2).
In order to meet his immigration reform policies, the president has to face many distinct factors. For example, there will be social pressures from Americans who still harbor nativist feelings or fear that “all immigrants are dangerous.” However, a recent CNN poll shows that 56% of Americans support policy allowing the immigrants to stay and then helping them become legal citizens (3). The public’s will is the number one priority of politicians, so I believe that reform will be met. However, there are economic ramifications. One is that businesses that currently employ illegal aliens will be upset because their input costs will rise, as the immigrants wages will increase. In addition, there will be some labor unions that will be upset if the aliens become citizens because there will be an increase in the supply of labor, lowering the average wages of the typical employee unless the minimum wage changes (further infuriating businesses). However, the political implications will win out. If these immigrants become citizens, then there will be an increase in the voter base, specifically the Latino community. Both parties need to appeal to this base, as it is becoming the fastest growing minority ethnicity. Because of this factor in specific, I believe that immigration reform will be passed. The root of the legislation will allow for existing immigrants to have a faster track to citizenship. The Republicans cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and reject this issue, especially if they want to avoid becoming a minority party. Evidence of this is that some leaders in the party, such as Representative Eric Cantor, support reform (4).
1. http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/12/how-america-can-fix-immigration/?iref=allsearch
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/obama-immigration-reform-speech_n_2575572.html
3. http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/pollingcenter/polls/3215
4.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/10/eric-cantor-immigration-_n_2657794.html?utm_hp_ref=immigration-reform
(1) According to the Census Bureau's 2010 American Community Survey (ACS), the US immigrant population stood at almost 40 million, or 13 percent of the total US population of 309.3 million. Mexican-born immigrants accounted for approximately 29 percent of the nearly 40 million foreign born residing in the United States, making them the largest immigrant group in the country.China (including Hong Kong but not Taiwan) accounted for 5 percent of all foreign born, followed by India and the Philippines. These 4 countries account for the majority of immigrants that come to our country every year. Of the 22.9 million immigrant employees in 2010, 29 percent worked in management related occupations; 25 percent worked in service occupations; 18 percent worked in sales and office occupations; 16 percent worked in production, transportation, and material moving occupations; and 13 percent worked in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations.
(2) The president has made immigration reform one of the key items on his agenda in this his second term of office. His plan has several steps that congress will no doubt fight over. But because it is fairly unanimous that immigration needs reform; hopefully our representatives will at least look at the plan before throwing it out. It includes but is not limited to:securing our borders, holding accountable businesses that break the law by undermining American workers and exploiting undocumented workers, and strengthening our economic competitiveness by creating a legal immigration system that reflects our values and diverse needs. Lofty goals to be sure and most people agree that these are the key steps that need to be taken. Most of the argument comes over how these steps will be accomplished.
(3) There are many political, economic, and social factors that will play into the immigration decision. President Obama received 71% of the vote from the latino community and they expect him to help them and their families prosper in the U.S. But many conservatives and even moderate democrats oppose loosening immigration standards and this makes immigration reform very risky for the president. Also, while many business benefit economically from having cheap labor in the form of illegal immigrants, others argue that immigrants will take jobs from American citizen.Americans are generally very welcoming of immigrants, regardless of their country of origin. However, in recent years, some liberals have been upset over perceived prejudice against arabs in the wake of 9/11.
(4) I feel like congress will pass some sort of immigration reform this session. Following the president's State of the Union address, several key republicans (such as Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.))and others publicly supported immigratioMarco Rubio n reform. The president, while he is in his honeymoon period has enough political capital to pass imigration reform. But, he must do so soon because honeymoons don’t last forever and the sooner this passes, the sooner he can move on to other things.
http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=886#1
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2009/07/immigration-mann-west
http://www.policymic.com/articles/26507/immigration-reform-2013-a-closed-doors-plan-from-congress-is-coming-soon
Along with gun control, immigration is currently one of the hottest topics amongst politicians in Washington. According to the Department of Homeland Security, our system of immigration is “broken” and “hurting our country” (1). Numerous plans for have been suggested, but now is the time for enacting reform (1). President Obama has made his aim to obtain “real border security” (2). His plan to reach this goal includes passing a background check, paying taxes with a meaningful penalty, learning English, and pushing illegal candidates behind those that are fully qualified for entrance into the U.S. (2). These directives show Obama’s willingness to compromise with Republicans, as these reforms are not stereotypically liberal (2). I personally agree with each of these suggested reforms. As our population continues to increase, problems can arise for those who are legal and law-abiding. Therefore, it is important to check the flow of people entering the country. The reforms proposed by President Obama in his State of the Union address would effectively slow the steady stream of people crossing our borders illegally (2).
Whether or not these actions are taken is another point worth discussing. Nancy Pelosi, a minority leader in Congress, has stated that she will only support immigration bills that deal with the big picture and are of significant size (3). Although she is no longer in control of the legislation that hits the floor of the House, her influence can shoot down minor movements as well as encourage the passage of large ones (3). Additionally, Republicans seem to be somewhat sympathetic with Obama’s objectives (4). Due to his passive stance, no one has become excessively angry...yet (4). I personally predict that all or most of Obama’s plan will pass due to the present state of Congress and the political parties.
1) http://www.voanews.com/content/senate-focuses-on-immigration-reform/1602926.html
2) http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/13/obama-s-2013-state-of-the-union-and-the-immigration-reform-moment.html
3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/nancy-pelosis-immigration-reform-gun-control_n_2680559.html?utm_hp_ref=immigration-reform
4) http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2013/0213/Immigration-reform-Why-many-GOP-lawmakers-applauded-Obama-speech
Immigration reform is more necessary than ever before, as the growing proportion and number of immigrants in the United States, especially Latinos, should have an easy path to full inclusion in our society, and we can no longer afford to disenfranchise such a large part of our society. The Democrats and Obama have begun to focus on immigration even this early in their term, and to many Democrats it is the most important part of their current agenda (1). The aggressive nature of Obama’s unwillingness to compromise and the bundling of reform as one bill makes me believe that he is willing to expend much of his political capital in order to get some immigration reform passed (2). Republicans also can no longer continue to ignore such a large part of the population if they wish to continue having a chance at electing a national office holder, and many of the party leaders realize this and so are urging the party to move towards more accepting immigration stances (3). This, as a result, is a great opportunity to pass immigration legislation. I believe that our country needs to make it very easy for those illegal aliens who are already integrated into their communities to become citizens. In the globalized world of the present, no one benefits from nationalistic or ethnocentric mindsets, and once the world is viewed through the lens of a truly global community then there should be no boundaries to citizenship. This is obviously too idealist, but the idea remains, and steps towards this goal should be taken. General sentiment is also pushing towards more liberal immigration reforms, as people are worried less about border security and more about inclusion (4), so i think that Congress will almost definitely pass something related to immigration this year.
(1)http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/us/politics/obama-plans-to-push-congress-on-immigration-overhaul.html?_r=0
(2)http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/obama-pushes-tax-changes-to-help-small-businesses-but-doesnt-budge-on-immigration/2013/02/13/5bd300ee-7551-11e2-95e4-6148e45d7adb_story.html
(3)http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/analysis-republicans-immigration-reform-solve-hispanic-problem/story?id=18355729
(4)http://news.yahoo.com/border-security-no-barrier-immigration-reform-napolitano-says-190322243--abc-news-politics.html
Currently, Obama’s proposed plan for immigration reform is quite simple. It relies on 4 main points:
Secure the borders.
Hold unscrupulous employers accountable for taking advantage of illegal immigrants
Encourage national values through immigration reform- reuniting families, encouraging students to learn at our institutions, encouraging the development of technology here and providing farmers with foreign workers when US workers are unavailable
Require undocumented immigrants to take responsibility for their illegal actions by paying fines and taxes before becoming citizens (1)
Obama’s plan, though it does not lay out specifics, provides perfect goals for Congress. Notably, Obama’s reform takes the emphasis off of border control- an expensive issue with negligible benefits. Republicans often argue that immigration reform can and should not move forward without increased border control. This, however, seems to be more of an excuse for inaction than an actual argument. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano agrees- our borders are more secure now than they have been in 40 years and the amount of money spent on border patrol is at its highest levels in recent decades (2).
Though border control and amnesty are the most talked about parts of immigration reform, there’s no doubt that the primary issue at hand is the Latino vote. Immigration is a unique issue in that it combines domestic, social and foreign policy. Aside from the War on Drugs, our relations with Mexico are not particularly strained or troubled, meaning that foreign relations are not a primary concern to Congress. American voters placed immigration reform in the 17th spot on their list of presidential and congressional priorities, showing wide support for reforms (3). Ultimately, the debate will come down to the political capital of Latino voters. No matter what, Congress will have to act.
Obama is going about immigration reform perfectly- the Republicans know that they need to appeal to the Latino vote (which will make up 1/3 of the electorate by 2050 (4)) and Obama is using that information to get as much support out of theira party as possible. The bipartisan commission on immigration reform is a win-win. Both parties should be able to compromise and find a plan that they’re happy with, Latino voters will be happy, Congressional approval ratings will probably go up if this bipartisan effort is successful and Obama will have gained a massive political victory (5). I think that it’s very, very likely that a bill will pass if it is introduced by the bipartisan commission with both parties’ blessings.
1.http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
2.http://news.yahoo.com/border-security-no-barrier-immigration-reform-napolitano-says-190322243--abc-news-politics.html
3.http://www.pewresearch.org/2013/02/06/immigration-tip-sheet-on-u-s-public-opinion/
4.http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/10/01/latinos-in-the-2012-election-florida-2/
5.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/us/politics/senate-panel-tackles-immigration.html?_r=0
Immigration is among one of the most talked about and controversial topics in America along with gun control and abortion. It is something that has always been a problem with illegal immigrants coming into the United States and knowing where to draw the line. President Obama should pursue a strong immigration system and path to citizenship like he has so stated in his State of the Union speech (1). There should be stronger border security measures, background checks on immigrants, paying taxes and paying penalties for illegally coming into the U.S., and learning English (1). I believe President Obama should pursue all of these measures in a gigantic reform package for immigration. However this is no easy task to simply pass immigration reform in America because it will be hard to come to any agreement or solution. There are several factors that will influence which way the U.S. will go with immigration. There are political pressures to not pass reform. President Obama stated that there are “50 or so House radicals almost certainly will oppose comprehensive immigration reform when it comes to a vote” (1). This shows that there are already opposing parties to this plan to reform immigration. Republican Lamar Smith also warned that Republicans should not vote for or partake in any of this reform that Democrats are proposing (4). He states that going along with the Democrats with allowing citizenship to illegal immigrants will only make them look better and give them more immigrant votes (4). He fears that this could really hurt the Republican Party by allowing the Democrats to secure 11 million of new legal votes from new immigrants (4). Other factors that may influence the passage of this new reform is that the public and other Congress members believe that this may only increase border crossings leading to more trouble and lost money (3). This is a social issue that many fear will only get worse if given the chance for citizenship.
Homeland Security also has been accused of not enforcing the border law rules enough. Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that this claim that there needs to be more immigration reform is just an “excuse” for inaction (2). She claims that border security have never been stronger saying that 400,000 immigrants were removed last year as compared to only 25,000 in 1980 (2). She says these claims that reform is needed are unnecessary and that border patrol has been better even though more immigrants are trying to enter the United States.
I predict that immigration reform will be passed but that it will be different than how President Obama has proposed it to be. I believe that the immigration reform will change into stronger background checks, stronger borders, requirement to learn English, and applying for citizenship in order to enter. I do not believe this reform will be able to pass with the inclusion of allowing over 11 million illegal immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenships and jobs because they entered illegally and I do not believe many will think they should be rewarded for this. I believe that there is too much opposition to this reform for Congress and President Obama to pass immigration immediately this year but I believe they could pass it within the end of 2013 and beginning of 2014. I believe it is a big enough issue where they will eventually come to some sort of compromise because it cannot be ignored any longer with the increasing number of immigrants.
1) http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/13/obama-s-2013-state-of-the-union-and-the-immigration-reform-moment.html
2) http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/13/senate-opens-immigration-hearings-with-republicans-grilling-napolitano-on/
3) http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/282675-immigration-reform-critics-fear-rush-to-cross-us-border
4) http://thinkprogress.org/special/2013/02/14/1593201/gop-rep-republicans-should-oppose-immigration-reform-because-it-could-give-democrats-millions-of-votes/?mobile=nc
President Obama gave his first State of the Union address since his reelection in November. He addressed immigration as one of the key things to get the economy back on track. Obama advocates for making a plan to get immigrants into the United States legally, efficiently and simply. He wants to have mandatory employment background checks, have them learn English, and have illegal immigrants go behind legal immigrants in the line to get citizenship (1). He is also wanting to make border security more efficient and secure (2). Democrats and Republicans are coming together on this issue because everyone understands something needs to be done (2). One reason the Republicans are on board with the issue is because Democrats overwhelmingly get the Latino vote. In the 2012 election, Obama won 71 percent of Latino’s votes (3). Republicans realize that they need to seem more sympathetic to Latinos or that group will be lost to them forever. Obama should pursue the legal background checks and let the immigrants who are applying legally go before illegal immigrants. Learning English is a good thing for an American citizen but should not be legally enforced. The fact that English will be surrounding them as the language of the country will be enough.
Economically, embracing immigrants is great for the improvement of American innovations (4). New immigrants means new ideas and new ways of thinking. This could get America back on track to being one of the most innovative countries in the world. Politically, Republicans need to support immigration reform if they don’t want to alienate Latino voters and cause them to not support Republican candidates. Socially, immigration reform is popular because people want legal immigration so job opportunities are not taken away from them. Illegal immigration has decreased since Congress addressed the issue in 2007 but many believe this is because of the economic troubles the US has seen in the past years (4).
I think gun reform is the most popular with the people of the US. The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary is still fresh in many people’s minds. No current immigration event has really happened and I would argue that the media has made is so that immigration is not on the policy agenda because they have not covered it. On the other hand, NBC Nightly News has a special segment called, “Flashpoint: Guns in America” that they do a story on every night (5). However, Republicans are much less likely to support gun control than they are to support immigration reform. In this sense immigration, i think, is much more likely to be passed because it has bipartisan support even though it is not as popular with the people or the media.
1)http://www.latinospost.com/articles/12021/20130213/immigration-reform-2013-undocumented-immigrants-civic-groups.htm
2)http://www.latinospost.com/articles/12021/20130213/immigration-reform-2013-undocumented-immigrants-civic-groups.htm
3)http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/assessing-how-pivotal-the-hispanic-vote-was-to-obamas-victory/
4)http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/13/us-obama-speech-immigration-idUSBRE91C0A920130213
5)http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3032619/#50802682
In my opinion, Obama can go big on gun violence or illegal immigration. That is to say, with the increased political capital that he has enjoyed since his reelection, he can only afford to spend it on so many things. His two 'big ticket items', so to speak are accompanied by many lesser public policy issues. These two titans of gun control and immigration reform were moved to the forefront of the policy agenda after many complex events. The Sandy Hook shooting and frustration over the lack of compromise on comprehensive immigration have contributed to this.
Obama's newest plans for immigration involve four areas to reform (1). Border security, guest worker programs, work site enforcement and the naturalization/immigration process are all part of Obama's plan (1). Like any comprehensive reform plan, this plan has pills of varying size for Congress to swallow. Increasing border security and streamlining guest worker programs is relatively noncontroversial but the overhaul of the naturalization process and work site enforcement laws have proven to be more contentious(2).
I think that Obama has got himself into a sticky situation. If he can appease Latino voters, who have thrown their support overwhelmingly behind him in the last election, as well as gun control advocates, then he will have pulled of a herculean feat (3). I think that it is safe to say that the only way that immigration reform will pass is if both sides compromise. However this poses the problem of making neither side happy. A competent legislator should regulate hard the noncontroversial issues and then hammer out a logical solution to the controversial parts of immigration reform. We saw with the DREAM act that the path to citizenship is a very contentious issue (4). Now that the Hispanic minority group is becoming a more important part of the electorate it is important to be able to make decisions on this issue now (3). I think that Congress will pass many of Obama's proposals in the coming months.
1) http://www.usaimmigrationreform.org/
2) http://www.ice.gov/worksite/
3) http://www.policymic.com/articles/21399/immigration-reform-obama-to-make-major-push-in-2013
4) http://dreamact.info/
Immigration reform always has been and, given the diverse nature of the American people, always will be a controversial topic. President Obama, however, appears to be ready to tackle this divisive issue during his second term. When he does so, President Obama should, as is prudent and reasonable, help enact legislation which would change the porous nature of the Mexican-American border, provide illegal immigrants with a work-visa program, and secure the loyalty of the Latino electorate. The lax security on the Mexican-American border is a national security disaster waiting to happen, and needs to be addressed before a cross-border terrorist attack occurs (1). Reducing the illegal traffic across the border will help address enforcement problems, as well as make it more difficult to smuggle large quantities of drugs into the United States. Furthermore, allowing Mexican immigrants to work under a work-visa program will address both the needs of employers for cheap labor and the societal pressure for currently illegal immigrants to pay taxes (3). This program will have the additional benefits of reducing workers-rights violations, decreasing border traffic, and purchasing the loyalty of the Latino electorate (3).
This push for push for reform, however, is not coming just from the left side of the aisle. After a drubbing in the Latino electorate in the 2012 election, the Republican Party came to an epiphany: win more of the Latino vote or cease to exist as a nationally potent party (2). It is this push, alongside a Democratic desire to capitalize on their advantage among Latino voters, which is driving the push for immigration reform. Further, sweeping demographic changes across the United States due to the swelling Latino population are providing a social impetus for change, as Latinos integrate into the United States electorates, and, like every immigrant before them, win legitimacy through the vote. Further aiding the reformers is the rampant job outsourcing which has occurred over the past decade (4), which has had the side effect of eliminating many of the jobs conservatives were worried that immigrants would take, reducing the level of anti-immigrant hysteria and making the political environment more conducive to immigration reform.
Because of the mounting socio-political pressure on the Republican Party to reform its anachronistic platform and the desire of the Democrats to exploit their electoral advantage with Latinos, I believe that Congress will find a way to pass immigration “reform” this year. Like the majority of things Congress passes, however, I believe that the reform will be tepid and ineffective, so concerned with angering as few people as possible and appealing to so many disparate groups that it fails to address the real causes of the issues and acknowledge reality. It will also have a decidedly conservative taste to it, as Republicans in the House have proven that they know how to have their way with the hopelessly idealistic, undisciplined Democrats in the Senate and the White House.
1. http://naturalresources.house.gov/info/borderoverview.htm#Threats
2. http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/politics/why-romney-lost
3. http://www.wwicsgroup.com/usa/work_permits/benefits.html
4. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/04/19/159555/us-corporations-outsourced-americans/?mobile=nc
There is no doubt that immigration is a highly sensitive political topic. There are many different views on the subject. There are currently about 11.1 million illegal immigrants in the US, many of Hispanic origin (1). I believe there is a solution to the illegal immigration problem. First, we need to acknowledge that we are not required to let everyone who wants to come into our country in. As a nation, we have the power to regulate immigration. We are well within our rights to look into the backgrounds of prospective immigrants. If they have any criminal convictions at all, they should be immediately refused entry. We are also not required to take people with debilitating medical problems. At the same time, there are many illegals already in our country, and we will have to deal with them. In a recent poll, CBS news found that 74% of Americans favor providing a path to citizenship, as long as they don’t have a criminal record and obtain either two years of college or military service (2). I would be in favor of such a plan. This could help solve the problem while not being unreasonable in our demands. Economists have said that illegal immigrants have both positive and negative effects on the economy. They improve the economy because employers often don’t have to hire more highly trained workers to do unskilled labor jobs at a higher rate. They have a negative effect because of the use of social services. Economists have also concluded that undocumented workers have lowered the wages of US adults without a high-school diploma (there are 25 million of them) by as much as 7.5% (3). There are many factors that influence this issue with politicians. In recent elections, more than 70% of Hispanics have voted the Democratic ticket (4). This is going to cause a lot of interest in illegal immigration by politicians who will now compete for the Hispanic vote. Many people suspect that the Republicans will make aggressive moves to try to win over Hispanic voters. I believe that the US Congress will pass immigration reform this year. It has come to the attention of many voters. In addition, I believe it is unlikely that the Democrats will be able to pass much in the way of gun reform, so they will move on to immigration, in an attempt to say that they got something done in Washington.
1. www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_165-57557470/illegal-immigration-to-u.s-drops-after-rising-for-deade/
2. http://www.pollingreport.com/immigration.htm
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/magazine/do-illegal-immigrants-actually-hurt-the-us-economy.html?_r=0
4. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/undocumented-immigrants-voted-2012/story?id=18357147
President Obama has put forth a vague yet workable plan for immigration reform. It sets 4 simple goals for immigration. The first is border security. The White House website points out that the borders are more secure than they ever have been. I would like to see a little more commitment to border security before the rest of the goals are considered. Second is holding businesses accountable for knowingly hiring illegals. No qualms here. The next one is a bit cloudy, "Strengthening our economic competitiveness by creating a legal immigration system that reflects our values and diverse needs" (competitiveness is misspelled on the WH website!). This category is broadly applied to allowing anchor children the right to higher education, getting farmers legal ways to hire workers, and the like. I would like to see more specifics here, but I guess that's what the legislation is for. Finally, the plan calls for responsibility for those living here illegally. It would subject them to taxes and a penalty fine, before requiring them to learn English before allowing them citizenship. I have mixed feelings on this, but I mostly agree with the idea.
Senator Rubio is also championing immigration reform. His plan aims more at the children of illegal immigrants, focusing on making their status legal. Notably, it does not include stricter border enforcement, because the Senator claims that his plan will deter more illegal immigrants because it makes legal immigration easier. I am very skeptical of this plan, but am interested at the same time to see how it pans out. I am also wondering how Rubio and Obama's plans will coincide, and if aspects of each will be used in a legislative compromise.
Yes, I do believe that immigration reform will be passed this year. Although a large percentage of voters prefer stricter enforcement of already existing laws, I think public opinion won't have that great of an effect on this issue. My reasoning: The Democrats want more Hispanic voters because Hispanics traditionally vote Democrat. The Republicans desperately need to win over the Latino vote if they wish to continue existing as a party.
The issue I have with immigration reform is the cost. Just like the proposed voter ID amendment, we have no clue how much these reforms will cost until we actually see the legislation that will put them into place. The proposed 2007 immigration reform would have cost $43 billion dollars over 10 years. With a 16.5 trillion (and rising) national debt, I'm somewhat worried that poorly executed or rushed immigration reform could become another waste of taxpayer money. So, here's hoping that politicians on both sides of the isle think this one through, and we get a better America as a result.
Immigration has always been a heated topic and the border between the United States and Mexico is the biggest talking point on immigration. Personally I believe that children illegally brought over the boarder should become citizens and they should not be punished because obviously they can’t control where they are born. Most immigrants coming to America are coming for a better life and I believe America should be that safe haven that immigrants can come to. Jobs are one of the main issues, employers would rather pay illegal immigrants barley anything off the book than pay a United States citizen at least minimum wage. Obama has a hard road ahead on reforming immigration laws. Obama has recently announced he will introduce his own immigration bill if Congress doesn’t act on immigration soon (1). After 71% of Latinos voting in the 2012 election voted for Obama he promised to make immigration a major priority after the fiscal cliff negotiations finished (2). Obama wants to create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. On Obama’s campaign website he lists the four main points to fixing our “broken immigration system,”: continue to strengthen border security, crack down on companies that hire undocumented workers, path to citizenship, streamline our legal immigration system (3). Obama wants to reduce the “shadow” of deportation on hardworking young people and encourage them to become citizens instead of coming illegally. Also one of the main concerns is trying to help families stay together instead of tearing families apart because of deportation. I think Obama should pursue his main goals on immigration and concentrate on helping families and young workers get citizenship easier. Economic factors are the biggest influence because the unemployment rate is a big concern and with illegal immigrants working for small wages its harder for citizens to get jobs for reasonable wages. I think politically Obama has a good chance of passing immigration reform if he does it quickly instead of pushing it back, if the topic is not discussed soon in Congress I doubt anything will be passed. The publics opinions on immigration have changed and 49% approve of Obama’s goals with 43% disagreeing (4). I’m confident reforms will be passed only if Congress starts discussing the matter soon.
http://www.rttnews.com/2057587/obama-ready-to-introduce-immigration-bill-if-congress-fails-to-act.aspx
http://www.policymic.com/articles/21399/immigration-reform-obama-to-make-major-push-in-2013
http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/fixing-our-broken-immigration-system
http://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-reform-poll-obama-washington-post-abc-citizenship-2013-2
The problem of immigration is widely debated and is often contentious. However, I believe that the problem has three roots, in order of importance: unfair and restrictive immigration policies for potential immigrants, weak border security and enforcement and lack of solutions to deal with current illegal immigrants. President Obama should seek to solve these issues in these ways: first, we need to drastically open up our channels of immigration. We still use a quota system that unfairly treat immigrants. Even high-skilled workers often cannot obtain a visa to the US if they are from a populous country. Furthermore, the difficulty of entry only increases the pressure of illegal immigrants, making border security more difficult. (2) Second, we have weak border security. I largely attribute this to the massive power of the cartels, who can afford to traffic drugs across the border as long as the potential profits are large. The real problem with illegal immigration is not the people it brings over, they would and could be integrated into society, but the fact that we don’t know what, or who, else they’re bringing. We need to eliminate the risks of drug power by legalizing and regulating many currently banned substances, and change the drug war to eliminate the demand for drugs, not the supply. As counterintuitive as it may be, when we only punish suppliers it only drives the price up, which induces more risky and dangerous suppliers to enter the market. By addressing the demand for drugs with longer sentences, stronger mandatory rehabilitation programs and other incentives, we can lower the price to the point where drug producers imply stop producing because of low profits. This would decrease drug trafficking across the border and make border security much easier and safer. Then, we need to look for innovative ways to utilize technology, in an efficient and cost-effective way, to decrease illegal immigration. (1) Finally, we need to create a path to citizenship for those who are already in the country and could be productive members of society. It’s a known fact that lack of formal rights doesn’t just hurt the individual, it also hurts the community and the economy. We need to create a process that gives amnesty or citizenship to illegal immigrants currently in our country but is not attractive enough to induce further illegal immigration (considering that we’ve now eliminated quotas and opened up the channels for new immigrants, and have raised the cost of illegal immigration). (3) Political factors, such as the repeated mention of immigration in the presidential election and the recent rise in the importance of immigration in the public’s mind will affect immigration reform. Economically, how the average American feels they’re doing will also impact it (if they feel like they’re well off, they’ll be more likely to support more liberal immigration). Finally, you have the social undercurrent of those who favor a more open and free society that allows immigrants in to a more traditional and conservative society that prefers the opposite. I think that Congress and Obama will pass immigration reform. I believe that it will happen largely because Obama has shown clear priority toward this issue and appears to be willing to spend a lot of his political capital on it, and also because Obama rode to victory largely on a mandate from young, Hispanic and female voters, making this issue integral to his constituency. (4)
1. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/06/a-new-strategy-for-real-immigration-reform
2. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1iIKsMQ60FORW1OS3V4OFRUZkU/edit?usp=sharing
3. http://www.c-span.org/uploadedFiles/Content/Documents/Bipartisan-Framework-For-Immigration-Reform.pdf
4. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/does-barack-obama-have-a-mandate/obama-will-have-a-mandate-to-pass-immigration-reform
Immigrate: (v.) to come to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence (1). By the nature of the US, we are a nation of immigrants. Very few can trace their ancestry back to a line hailing originally from here; it’s why in the 1800s the US gained the moniker “the great American melting pot.”But now, there is a stigma around immigration; specifically of the illegal variety. You can’t, as a lawmaker, say you support illegal immigration; after all, it is illegal for a reason, or that you support open borders; there are too many risks. But you can’t say you want to deport everyone; that would alienate a critical number of people, whether they can legally vote or not.
President Obama has laid out his plan; as he has said, “We are not going to ship back 12 million people…that’s not what America is about…We’re going to make them pay a fine…learn English…go to the back of the line…but they will have a pathway to citizenship over the course of 10 years (2).” His plan includes this: increased border security, worksite reinforcements, improvement of guest worker programs, improvement of the current system, and streamlining of the naturalization process (2). Senator John McCain, one of 8 Senators in a nonpartisan group which recently unveiled this comprehensive plan, said that those living here deserve the chance to live in the United States legally and become citizens (3). With this, I certainly agree, and I feel the plan they’ve drawn up looks at multiple facets of the issue: the border would be made more secure, the path to naturalization and citizenship itself made more meaningful, and the whole immigration system would be cleaned up and made more airtight (4). It solves multiple problems. To address the third question, the economic, political, and social atmosphere all contribute to the issue at hand. In harder economic times, such as now, people are more likely to blame those here illegally; in prosperity, people will focus on that fact less severely. The Democratic and Republican parties have definitely differing outlooks: Democrats have a more liberal stance on immigration, while Republicans have stood by a more stringent, stricter plan. And lawmakers will listen to the views of their constituents—and when those issues are social and controversial, those voters are more likely to voice them.
Personally, I think immigration reform will pass in some form this year: it is an issue that has been festering and fermenting in the minds of millions across the nation for several years now, since the 2007 bill essentially died with a 53-46 vote, and according to a Gallup poll, 66% believe immigration to be a good thing (5, 6). And we all know lawmakers like to listen to their constituents.
1. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/immigrate?qsrc=2446
2. http://www.usaimmigrationreform.org/
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/us/politics/senators-unveil-bipartisan-immigration-principles.html
4. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/us/politics/senate-panel-tackles-immigration.html?_r=0
5. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062800963.html
6. http://www.gallup.com/poll/1660/immigration.aspx
Immigration reform is a tough issue to tackle. It has been a source of contention for hundreds of years in this country, really since the very beginning. I do not think our policy should be to stop immigration, but I do think that we should limit it. Part of the issue is not political but just whether our systems can support the huge influx of immigrants. Some people complain that illegal or legal immigrants do not get adequate social services. Of course they don’t they travel to already over populated cities and take low level jobs, many times accepting cash to avoid taxes. The government gets no revenue off of some of them which just drags the whole system down further. It is unavoidable that once they get here they will be using our schools, water, and other basic services. A better system would be to grant citizenship to them and start collecting taxes so they can start contributing to supporting the cities infrastructure and services that they use. I don’t care for the political side of it. The side I am concerned with is can we support them? There is no doubt that immigrants serve a positive purpose in this country and have for as long as they have been coming, we just need to be sure that we can support them so we don’t turn our cities into dirty, crime riddled areas. The same thing has happened in Sweden where many Somali immigrants are becoming dependents of the state and driving up crime rates because they don’t have jobs and are uncomfortable in their surroundings. I do not think anything that we actually need will pass. Politicians are too embroiled in their politics to realize what is actually happening in the country. They might get some look good legislation through but I highly doubt it will make the sweeping reforms that we need from an economic and social standpoint to make the system monetarily feasible.
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21570836-immigration-and-growing-inequality-are-making-nordics-less-homogeneous-ins-and
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21567106-election-drubbing-changes-minds-time-its-different?zid=302&ah=601e2c69a87aadc0cc0ca4f3fbc1d354
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/us/politics/senate-panel-tackles-immigration.html?_r=0
Admittedly, I have next to no opinion on the immigration debate. It's not that I think it's an unimportant issue, it's just I don't know enough about the subject to have a relevant opinion. However, I do have some advice for President Obama: focus on gun control. The further away we get from Newtown, the harder it will be for gun reform to be enacted. More to come later
The biggest things pushing the US towards immigration reform is the last turnout of Latino voters for Obama (1). Additionally, many groups have risen up to speak about how they are the decedents of illegal immigrants, but did not illegally immigrate themselves (2). What Obama should do is push for reform in the ease of becoming a citizen. In this way, families will not be arbitrarily broken up and we're not allowing more people into our nation (5). We are just helping them become a more effective part of the economy and also pay taxes. Additionally, this would mean that we don't have to deport some of the greatest workers in the economy (3). Of course, those with criminal records should be nearly unable to get citizenship, only those that work hard and strive for the best in life, their only problem being that they couldn't get here the legal way. Border control should be tighten, even though it gives conflicting messages, if only so that Obama's opposition will be happy (4). Tighter borders will also encourage immigrants to seek entry the proper way. Congress will be more likely to pass a bill that contains more border control and reducing crossings. We don't want a cycle of granting amnesty and then allowing more people to come in until we have another "jailbreak." Congress is also interested in making certain immigrants legal so that they can be proper contributors to society. I believe that sometime this year a reform will come forth from congress (4).
(1) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cesar-vargas/obama-legacy-broken-famil_b_2686697.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics
(2) Some WCCO video I saw on tv, but the website was down
(3)http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_22597624/chertoff-reform-obama-immigration-plan
(4)http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a4c50e92-e80c-4e88-b588-64e7fb9b2ca2
(5)http://www.voxxi.com/chamber-commerce-immigration-reform/
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President Obama is in a position of power. He can basically pass what ever legislation is he chooses with no repercussions to himself. The immigration policy that President Obama should be striving for is one that does not necessarily promote illegal immigrants but rather makes it easier for immigrants to enter the country legally. Our borders are already the most secure they have ever been (1). This wouldn't be necessary if immigrants could enter our country more easily. The factors driving this decision are much deeper than simple political constituencies, although more than 70% of the nation wide Latino vote went to President Obama (2), many families that travel to our country illegally bring their children and families. These children should not be denied the right of education that every child in the world deserves, no matter their citizenship. Educating these children would not only promote general knowledge but also possibly sway the minds of these potential workers to stay in our country and become legal citizens so that they may work and aid our economy instead of taking their knowledge else where (3). Currently, many business exploit illegal immigrants for their inexpensive labor and abundance (4). This needs to change, with education these immigrants will learn to stay in school and advance themselves in society and live the American dream.
My prediction is that Congress will not pass immigration reform this year. And if they do happen to, it will be only because this year is NOT an election year and it will be riddled with Republican ideals and values. Although President Obama can choose to be firm with his values, he may concede slightly just actually help his would be citizens as soon as possible (think back fiscal cliff).
1. http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/latino-voters-election-2012_n_2085922.html
3. http://www.nationaljournal.com/thenextamerica/perspectives/immigration-reform-3-points-from-the-view-of-a-child-of-immigrants-20130207
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hot-bread-kitchen/how-obamas-new-immigration_b_2689104.html
Along with gun control, Obama is aiming to get immigration reform passed. He is still in the honeymoon phase of his new term. It is debateable whether he has enough political capital to get both issues passed. Right now I feel that gun control has more public support behind it, but immigration may have more bipartisan support. Which could mean an easier time getting through Congress.”I thought that was pretty productive.” (2) This was said by Paul Ryan about Obama said during his state of the union address regarding immigration. I believe that Obama should focus on making the track to citizenship more efficient. There is too much boarder to secure completely. So far it seems that the economy is driving where the immigration reform is headed.”The U.S. economy is “stifled” by an inefficient immigration system and that a consensus is forming in Congress that may lead to a rewritten law in the next few months” (3). Both parties agree that something needs to be done about reforming immigration. Disagreement within the Republican party shows a “sign of how seriously many establishment Republicans are pursuing an immigration overhaul in the wake of last year’s elections, in which the GOP lost Hispanic voters by an overwhelming margin to President Obama” (4). Since both sides are taking this seriously there is a group of Democrats that will “ huddle with President Obama on Wednesday to brief him on the group’s progress” (1). This makes me hopeful that something can get passed this year regarding immigration
1.http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/02/12/senate-democrats-to-huddle-with-obama-on-immigration/
2.http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/paul-ryan-credits-obama-on-immigration-87568.html?hp=r3
3.http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-14/obama-says-economy-stifled-by-outdated-immigration-law.html
4.http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/effort-to-change-immigration-law-sparks-internal-battle-within-gop/2013/02/13/2916d164-740a-11e2-aa12-e6cf1d31106b_story.html
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1.http://www.usaimmigrationreform.org/
2. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/13/senate-opens-immigration-hearings-with-republicans-grilling-napolitano-on/
3. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/13/obama-s-2013-state-of-the-union-and-the-immigration-reform-moment.html
4. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2013/0214/Immigration-reform-how-Republicans-may-gain-more-than-Democrats-after-all
"We are not going to ship back 12 million people, we're not going to do it as a practical matter. We would have to take all our law enforcement that we have available and we would have to use it and put people on buses, and rip families apart, and that's not who we are, that's not what America is about. So what I've proposed... is you say we're going to bring these folks out of the shadows. We're going to make them pay a fine, they are going to have to learn English, they are going to have to go to the back of the line...but they will have a pathway to citizenship over the course of 10 years.” This is what President Obama said on the topic of immigration reform. The proposed immigration reform plan will include reform in several related areas. These areas include increasing protect on the border. There are fewer attempted border crossings than in the past and security has improved in the past forty years. The number of illegal immigrants caught and removed in 1980 was 25,000. Last year it was 400,000. The number of criminals deported has increased seventy percent and arrests have increased. The increase on border control would include; adding 350 miles of fencing between the United States and Mexico, 290 miles more of vehicle barriers, implementing the US-VISIT exit requirements, and installed a biometric system for temporary workers.
The Immigration Reform legislation also will include improving the worksite regulations for seasonal workers and amending the naturalization test. On the worksite the government would be investing more time and effort into making sure that all workers are legal citizens. The Social Security Administration will be writing letters to business owners warning them of the increased fines for hiring workers who are not citizens. There would also be reforms made to the H-2A and H-2B for seasonal workers. This proposed reform would extend the TN worker visa to three years.
This legislation would also revise the citizenship test. It would switch the focus American democracy and the expectations of an American citizen today. It would also increase training for immigration coaches and increase web based learning opportunities for English language learning.
There is some debate on the issue of immigration reform, however, both parties know that it is time to get things done and this is an area of policy strength for President Obama. Republicans, in general, are saying that the border is not secure enough and that the influx of illegal immigrants must stop. There has been a shift in Republican views on this recently, many Republicans are leaning toward eventual citizenship. This change reflects the shift in the American public. This shift could be a response to the last election and an attempt to reach out to the Hispanic population. Some conservatives are opposed to immigration reform. This is because although it is a reach out to Hispanic voters more likely than not the Democrats would end up winning over a new pool of eligible left leaning voters.
I think that this legislation will be passed. There is support from both sides for this issue. The public is currently more concerned with gun control, however, there is a much clearer consensus on the issue of immigration reform according to one of my sources the “Democrats know they’ll win.” I think that due to the public support of gun control something will be passed but with how Congress is looking I think that immigration reform will be first.
A few months after his inauguration, President Obama is looking to advance his policies of immigration. Immigration is a significant threat to the security and not the economy as many believe. In fact, the inflow of immigrants into America has had a net positive effect on the economy. With the increase in illegal immigrants, the U.S. has collected a net of $88,000 per family and has gained a total of $463 billion in Social Security (3). The real threat that illegal immigration poses is to our national security. By allowing immigrants to freely enter the country, the government’s authority is subdued and the threat of terrorist attacking the country is increased (3). Therefore the way the government needs to attack this problem is by storing the physical characteristics of immigrant workers in a database available to employers (3). With this technology, employers can easily identify whether a worker is illegal or not by simply taking their fingerprints or scanning their retinas. In fact, when this program was implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, they found that it had a lot of potential in discouraging undocumented workers. Second, the government must make a law that businesses will support. In order to make immigration reform effective, the government needs to align the desires of corporations, who have the most to gain from illegal immigration, with its own desires. This can only be accomplished if there is strict enforcement of punishments (3). If the government can make it undesirable to hire illegal immigrants, then the threat that they pose to our national security will be subdued.
The main factor that will probably influence the result of immigration is the economy. In this recession, many Americans will view illegal immigrants as a drain on the economy. “The cost of education, criminal justice, and emergency medical care (for illegal immigrants) are significant” (2). In fact, California estimated that the net drain is about $3 billion (2). However, these numbers are just one side of the immigration equation. Although illegal immigrants do cause a drain on the system it has been found that when the increased consumption, decreased in the price of products, and contributions to Social Security and Medicare were totaled, illegal immigrants have actually contributed more to the U.S. economy than they have taken out (2).
Although immigration has been attempted before, it has never occurred in a period when Latino are the fastest growing minority group and in a period when Republicans fear the threat of being delegated to a minor party (4). By passing this bill, Republicans will hope to appeal to the Latinos in hopes that they will be rewarded with their vote in the future. Also, the public is already seeing Democrats and Republicans working together to establish a policy. In fact, Marco Rubio and 7 other Republicans and Democrats are working together to accomplish this exact purpose.
1. http://ezinearticles.com/?Illegal-Immigration-In-The-United-States&id=673178
2. http://immigration.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000788
3. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/03/the-real-problem-with-immigration-and-the-real-solution
4. http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2012/11/29/29456/chance-of-passing-a-broad-immigration-reform-bill-/
I think Obama should allow some illegal immigrant to complete their forms from in the US. What if a citizen in the US was married to an illegal immigrant? It would suck if they had to leave for a couple of years(1). One factor I think influences the direction of immigration reform is the economy. As Senator Marco Rubio said,"We can also help our economy grow if we have a legal immigration system that allows us to attract and assimilate the world’s best and brightest..."(2). I think that they will pass immigration reform this year because " both parties have recognized that now is the time to get it done"(2). I think that we also need something done to make the length of waiting for citizenship shorter, or have some sort of form, so you can live in the US while you wait(3). I think Congress will pass it. As three out of four of my sources have said now is the time if they are going to do, it has to be done now(2,3,4).
1)http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2013/0214/Immigration-reform-s-tough-call-illegal-immigrants-married-to-US-citizens
2)http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/13/obama-s-2013-state-of-the-union-and-the-immigration-reform-moment.html
3)http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gops-immigration-plan-is-no-plan/2013/02/06/ed6bffc2-707b-11e2-ac36-3d8d9dcaa2e2_story.html
4)http://www.npr.org/2013/02/13/171933434/senate-takes-first-formal-step-toward-immigration-reform
Currently President Obama is working on an immigration system that would include a path to citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. A bipartisan group of senators have agreed on a set of principles for this immigration system that would hinge on progress in securing the borders and ensuring that foreigners leave the country when their visas expire. The president has said that instead of proposing his own legislation he would indeed work together with congress. Personally I believe that the area in which the president should put a little more attention to is giving citizenship to many illegal immigrants that are currently in the United States than deporting the mass majority of them while at the same time increasing the security to insure less and less illegal immigrants will try to come to the U.S, while also making it easier for immigrants to legally come to the United States so there would be fewer reasons to come illegally. “The senators were able to reach a deal by incorporating the Democrats insistences on a single comprehensive bill that would not deny eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants”. (1). Economic factors come into consideration in terms of immigration because allowing illegal immigrant to attain citizenship more easily means that they would be able to get better jobs in which they wouldn’t be able to have otherwise thus allowing them to make more money thus allowing the country to make more money by having more people make more money. Allowing illegal immigrants to attain citizenship will eventually balance out the consumption of goods by American and those contributing to the economy. In the past the social mix of different types of people on the American social life was more of a concern but now it is less of a concern. America is home to the biggest diversity in the world and over time we have learned to be more accepting to different religions, different races, different beliefs (non religion), and making social conflict by immigration less of a problem in America today. I predict that the president and congress will come to a conclusion to the immigration question more easily than possible in the past because of the different ideas people in America have now than they did in the past. When a country’s ideology gradually changes so does the process of which their policy changes. It is possible for immigration reforms to be made this year but as we have seen before congress and the president aren’t the most efficient of people so I wouldn’t advice on holding ones breath.
1. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/immigration-and-emigration/index.html
2. http://www.barackobama.com/immigration/
3. http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
4. http://crfimmigrationed.org/index.php/menublurb
There are around 11 million undocumented workers in the united states right now [3.] These workers may not have all initially been in this country illegally, but they are here illegally now, and that is the focus of many intense debates in the political community right now. I do believe that something will be passed by the end of this year regarding immigration, the president has been very clear that he is very motivated in this regard.[4.] In the recent state of the union Address, Obama stated that illegal immigration is at an all time low [1.] In my opinion, Obama needs to continue imposing stricter penalties on undocumented and illegal aliens, as they can be rather detrimental to our economy. We need to decrease unemployment, so that people can be working again. Therefore, I disagree with the President with his current proposal that was unintentionally leaked. In the proposal there is increased security at the borders, however it emphasizes a fast pass to allowing current illegals to become legal. [2] Now I understand that some illegals are helping our economy, and that they are helping businesses[3.] But I also believe that we need to be helping our own people first and that that will have to take priority over those here illegally. There are going to be many hurdles in coming to an agreement on this issue. The recent leak has been very unpopular in congress. [4.] So many people are not happy with the way things are going, each faction has their own set of things they want and in the end it will be in the hands of congress to balance out all of the interests and come up with the best solution for the nation. Whatever that may be.
President Obama doubtless has a lot on his plate for his new term. With new issues involving the world economy and foreign policy popping up every day, it is a wonder he has time or political capital for any domestic issues. This isn't going to stop him from trying, though. One of these domestic issues that the President is facing is that of immigration reform. With over eleven million immigrants in the US illegally, it is time that the government got around to reforming the system (1). According to the President's website, Obama has four main points for accomplishing this goal: responsibility by the federal government to secure our borders, accountability for businesses that break the law by undermining American workers and exploiting undocumented workers, strengthening our economic competitiveness by creating a legal immigration system that reflects our values and diverse needs, and responsibility from people who are living in the United States illegally (2). These are all good ideas, the fourth one being the most shoddy (for real, who is going to admit they came illegally?). Political, social, and economic factors will all influence US policy on immigration reform. Politically, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have different ideas on how the reform should be handled (3). Social factors will also impact the debate. For the first time ever, Latino voters made up 10% of the electorate in 2012, helping to give Obama the win (4). If the reformed policy should become too difficult or cumbersome, this crucial voting bloc wouldn't have trouble giving the offending party a piece of their mind during the next major election. Last but certainly not least is the economic factor. With millions of illegal immigrants working in the southwest, any policy that would boot them from their jobs or keep them from working until becoming naturalized would put a dent in the economies of these states. Americans widely support immigration reform, so hopefully Congress will come to consensus on this issue in light of this (5). However, I don't think immigration reform will be a policy dealt with definitely in 2013. It will take more time for Congress to consider the options and come to a conclusion that solves the problems than just a year after a major election.
(1) http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/24/us-usa-immigration-idUSBRE82N09I20120324
(2) http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy
(3) http://thinkprogress.org/special/2013/02/19/1609401/marco-rubio-is-trying-to-have-it-both-ways-on-immigration-reform/
(4) http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/politics/latino-vote-key-election
(5) http://www.gallup.com/poll/160307/americans-widely-support-immigration-reform-proposals.aspx
The policy Obama should use on immigration is stop caring more about the borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Another solution should be to give no amnesty and attack their benefits. We need to stop giving people a reason to come here illegally. There are estimates that show at least 11 million people are here illegally, and that was just in 2010. It goes on to say they make up 5% of the workforce.
If we don't want to change the border patrol policy then we need to make drastic political changes. We would need to pursue the following: Give work visas to all that wish to come here to work for as long as they keep renewing them. This is on top of throwing out the Federal Income Tax, and replacing it with the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax is a flat rate regressive tax that sets a national sales tax on non necessities. The reason this system works is because people complain that illegal immigrants don't pay taxes. Well this system makes it so as long as they buy things, they pay into federal taxes. This solution was also embraced by the Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Johnson in the last elections.
America is a nation of immigrants, but the immigrants that came here back then wanted: Religious Freedom, to keep the fruits of their labor, and to live without a government telling them how to live. Until we go back to that system, we can't make the argument that anyone that wants to come here should be able to for no reason. In America today there is almost no reason to come here and work hard when you can get free stuff. There is a bumper sticker that goes around and it says "Freedom or Free stuff.
Chose carefully, you only get one."
The sticker is shockingly true.
We also make the claim that Government should help immigrants. Three things must be true for a government to actually be able to help someone. The government must be/have: Beneficent, Omnipotent, Omnipresent. These break down into the following. The government must actually goodness in mind which we can all agree isn't true. The government must be all powerful, no restrictions. The government must then know everything about everyone. What I have just described is a police state, because that is the only way government can actually give anyone "help." We also should not forget that Ancient Rome hired illegal immigrants to do the work the Romans didn't want to do (hard work and lowing paying farm jobs).
The congress will probably do something very minor and insignificant. I just love watching the media brainwash people into thinking the congress can't agree on anything. If they can't agree on anything than no money should be spent. The Democrats and the Republicans both believe in welfare warfare, and further stripping Americans of their Bill of Rights. They also both believe in the severely flawed theory of Keynesian Economics. We now consider illegal immigration as a national security risk. Well if that's true, then get some troops down there and stop it. I'm sick of seeing bills like the Patriot Act being extended. We also have in place the NDAA of 2013 which allows the government to detain anyone for anything until military trial. We as Americans should be out of our minds angry (maybe even on the Alex Jones level), that we take the hit for our incompetent leaders.
Part 2
What about Operation Fast and Furious? This happened just recently and is cited below at ABC. It was an operation where our government shipped firearms to the drug cartels. The next intent was that they would cross over the border into Texas and back into Mexico. They then would get into firefights killing people to which then our government would blame the Second Amendment. Oh and Mexico knew the whole time. The people they attacked where two Americans working at the US Embassy in Mexico. One died and the other was seriously wounded.
Our immigration policy is quickly becoming part of the DHS' job. The last thing we need is TSA on the roads sexually assaulting us because we might be an illegal immigrant and a terrorist.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/04/AR2010010403335_2.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/us/02immig.html?_r=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/things-operation-fast-furious/story?id=17362933
The Republicans are now going for the Latino vote that the Democrats had for a long time and that is going to affect how much Immigration Reform gets passed and what kind (1). Appeasing the latino vote that helped him get in office, Obama has reformed immigration form in a positive way, allowing those already here to stay. However no one in Washington disagrees that we need to do something about border control. The only question is how to do that without pissing off Latino voters. Of course, Obama doesn’t have to get reelected, which is why he’s bringing up immigration reform along with his battle against the NRA (In a similar fashion to President Bartlet’s reelection, which is a fascinating case of reality reflecting art). Obama wants to get stuff done and the republicans agree… tooooo an extant. While I have heard that Republican’s want the latino vote, they aren’t going to get it without easing up on immigration reform. Still, they insist on ripping apart Obama’s bills and that’s not going to help them (2). With the sequester and gun control on everyone’s minds, there’s no room for immigration reform and I’ll think it’ll keep getting pushed back until the president has time for it, which could be at the end of his term. By then midterms will have occurred and maybe, just maybe, he can get something passed then. Until then, even if the president removes every business requirement and citizenship policy (3), the Republicans will not vote for it, like they’ve done with almost everything Obama has proposed.
1. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/02/27/gop-seeks-latino-vote-to-reverse-decades-long-slide-in-california/
2. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/17/report-bill-would-set-8-year-path-to-residency/
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/us/politics/white-house-continues-work-on-its-own-immigration-bill.html?_r=0
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