Post 2 - Due by 9/28
During the presidential election many issues of public policy will be discussed. One issue that has surfaced so far is immigration. To better prepare you to evaluate the candidate's proposal please answer the following prompt:
To what degree do you think immigration is an important public policy issue that should be a priority for the 2016 presidential campaign? Why? If you think it should be a priority in the campaign, what type of policy would you support and why? If not, what issue do you think should be more important and why?
Please cite your sources and use at least 2-3. If you have trouble finding research see me for help. This is due on Friday but you can have an extention until Monday, Sept 28th if you need more time.
Labels: immigration, public policy
posted by Ms. Aby @ 7:54 PM
22 Comments:
The theory of immigration is greatly talked about within next year’s coming election with a large range of policies between the possible candidates. From Donald Trump’s “Build a wall” theory to Hillary Clinton’s more accepting view stating that they are “ keeping the USA young and dynamic” (on Issues), I see immigration as an important aspect to the campaign itself. Especially since the issue has grabbed viewer’s attention as the candidates line up for battle in the debates.
Within the campaign itself I believe that it is important for every candidate to have a clearly defined perspective on the topic of immigration, due to the popularity of the subject. If the candidate does not believe in immigration’s importance, an acknowledgement of the topic itself should be presented. This idea of touching upon the subject is like a fishermen with essential fishing gear. If a fisherman is standing there with the complete ensemble and a pole one would think he knows what he is doing, or has a plan for later just like when a voter sees a politician mention immigration. A voter can then suspect they have an opinion, plan or can hope for that politician to develop one. If said fisherman instead has no gear and is blending in with a crowd of regular people, one would obviously not take him seriously as a fisherman. Not every candidate may be as radical as copying the ancient Chinese with a wall as trump is, but even a more neutral approach still needs a mentioning of Immigration. Carly Fiorina, when questioned has no set plan or policy and announces her thoughts on the subject by making immigration a topic on her website (Carly), even though her more moderate perspective is vague the mention alone allows a wider pool of voters to see her trying to reach out to them.
Personally I would support Jeb Bush’s policy; one that pushes for legalization, not deportation but still decreases the amount of Illegal citizens coming into america (Jeb). I agree that the legalization process is too hard to achieve, but also do not believe that we should welcome all immigrants. Securing america with stricter border patrol, while helping those already here is a win-win from my perspective. America has always been seen as a host country, which is how our economy survived during hard times; off immigrants. For those immigrants already here deportation seems inhumane and unfair, so helping them to get better education like the D.R.E.A.M. act (Dream) will only help america produce better workers and more educated people [something we seem to be lacking]. So overall immigration does strike importance in the campaign, and if we are to actually build a wall Mexico should paint it pink so it looks just as outrageous as trump makes it sound.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Immigration.htm *On issues*
https://carlyforpresident.com/meet-carly *Carly*
https://jeb2016.com/border-security/?lang=en *Jeb*
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/issues/DREAM-Act *Dream*
The topic of immigration is a highly contested issue in and between parties. Generally speaking, conservatives support stricter immigration policies while liberals support immigration friendly policies. In the few Republican presidential candidate debates that have occurred thus far, candidates have “squabbled over immigration reform”, proving that immigration is a public policy that is still widely contested and will continue to be throughout the presidential campaign (1). While I think that this issue will be a priority for many presidential candidates, I do not think that it is as important as other issues that we have in our country.
As a country, we spend a lot of time worrying about outsiders and how they affect us. I do not deny that it is necessary to have immigration policies, but I believe that more time and energy should be spent focused on the citizens of our country. The way to do this, is through strengthening our education system.
K-12 education needs to be talked about more by presidential candidates. As of the most current data available, per pupil spending across states varies from the low $6,000’s to upwards of $20,000 (3). I do not believe that the same level of education is applied when students in Idaho have $6,626 spent them and students from New York have $19,393 being spent on them (3). Presidential candidates should explore and talk about solutions to this issue.
College costs are constantly on the rise, and as a senior who is about to face years of debt to a school, college affordability is more important to me than immigration policies and I believe that it should be talked about more. I am in full agreement with Hillary Clinton’s proposed ‘College Compact’ which would allow students to attend community college for free and public 4-year universities for free after appropriate family contributions (4).
Presidential candidates have been putting a large focus on their immigration policies in their respective campaigns, such as Trump’s plan to build a wall along the Mexican border (2). However, I believe that many young voters such as myself put a higher priority on education. Americans need access to quality education services to properly train them for the competitive job market that we have today, so to make that possible, presidential candidates must spend more time talking about the issue.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/17/politics/republican-debate-takeaways-trump-fiorina-bush/ (1)
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform (2)
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education (3)
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/college/ (4)
I often argue that studying History is important to the current generation because it allows us to learn from the mistakes we’ve made in the past and not repeat them. I believe that the current call for laws on Immigration is a case where we can learn from past mistakes and not repeat them, because we are on course to do exactly that. The History of the United States is something many of us can find shame in, in the systematic racism or electoral college, we’ve made some mistakes. One thing I find personally shameful is the way we treated new Immigrants in the 1800s-1900s (Were New Immigrants Discriminated Against in Late 1800s & Early 1900s?). Although in the twenty-first century we’re claiming that Mexican immigrants are ruining the sanctitude of the United States, in that day and age we claimed the same against Jews, Easter Europeans, Catholics, and Chinese. If you don’t find our rejection of the Jews in their diaspora fleeing for their lives against the horrors of Western Europe despicable, then you probably are controlled by the prejudice that controlled legislation in that era. The fear of Chinese became so extreme that it gave Congress the means to pass the Chinese Exclusion act of 1882 (Were New Immigrants Discriminated Against in Late 1800s & Early 1900s?). Rather than repeating the socially prejudiced mistakes of the past in our current presidential platforms, we could focus on a more pressing issue.왳
Similar to the gag rule that held the tongues in Congress in the pre-civil era when it came to slavery, it seems that nobody wants to talk about the environment seriously. Instead of talking about how we should reduce pollution, because it seems to be a political taboo, I think we should talk about the actual acts we’re going to have to take because of global warming. We have to start raising the foundations of coastal homes due to sea caps melting and the rising sea levels (Global Warming Impacts). Because of the intense growth in wildfire, the prospective President should use the issue in his platform. He/she will have to promote pouring more funding into the payrolls of firefighters, because California residents are on edge about their safety. Global warming is causing more extreme weather fluctuations, and thus the prospective President will have to address aid to the public in these situations (Global Warming Impacts). Instead of letting homeless people freeze to death in an another incident such as the Polar Vortex, the candidate should address emergency public aid to respond to these situations. Although the Immigration debate is catchy and appealing to the public, I believe the Executive Branch should focus its power on the future environmental disaster approaching.
http://classroom.synonym.com/were-new-immigrants-discriminated-against-late-1800s-early-1900s-14075.html
http://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/global-warming/science-and-impacts/global-warming-impacts#.Vgf9i1UViko
Fighting illegal immigration is and always will be an issue in the U.S. so, I don’t believe that it is as important as fighting climate change or paying off the national debt. Climate change will be the silent killer of humanity and most life on Earth if we don’t acknowledge that is exists and implement policy that fights it. Also the national debt needs to be dealt with. It is simply a matter of principle to not spend more money than we have. It is morally wrong. But illegal immigration is also an important secondary issue. As long as America exists as a free state with benefits to the people that live here, there will always be people that are going to illegally steal those public goods. Why should we grant citizenship to people that don’t respect the laws of this great country? Illegal immigrants that are living in the U.S. should be deported. Not only do illegal immigrants disrespect the U.S. and its citizens, but also every other immigrant that is trying to become a citizen, the right way. Why should people that enter the country illegally, take our taxpayers money illegally, and spit on our laws be given citizenship? They shouldn’t. Every nation on Earth has an obligation to uphold the laws that have been created.
I believe that out of the candidates running in the 2016 election Ben Carson has the best immigration stance. He believes that we should model our immigration system after the Canadian system. Immigrants can apply for guest worker status from outside of the country. He also stated that he would like to see harsher penalties for those who employ illegal immigrants (On the Issues). I believe that Carson presents humane yet practical solutions to the problems that illegal immigrants present. With 11.4 million illegal immigrants in the U.S we need a practical solution, I believe that Carson has the right ideas to solve this dilemma (migration policy).
Another path to citizenship I would like to see created is citizenship through military service. If an immigrant is dedicated to the highest code of honor in our country like most service members, I believe that they should have a right to be a citizen of the U.S.
http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Ben_Carson_Immigration.htm
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states#Unauthorized Immigration
In almost all of the political platforms of those campaigning in this day and age, illegal immigration is one of the foremost issues. Everyone, from firebrand Donald Trump to socialist Bernie Sanders, has their two cents to put in about immigration. Politicians often bring up immigration because it is one of those issues that the public constantly voices its opinion about, even when citizens don’t really know what they’re talking about. While it may be constantly talked about in the media and campaigns, I do not believe that immigration should be an issue at the forefront of political discussion in 2016.
For one thing, while conservatives claim that illegal immigrants cost the federal government and the average taxpayers, it is actually very hard to come up with hard statistics on this. The immigrants in question are, after all, undocumented. This makes it easy to exaggerate rough estimates and scare the public, which is one reason that politicians reference immigration so often (Immigration Lies). I also believe that while many Americans, specifically conservatives, claim that illegal immigrants are hurting our economy, they do not realize the impact a lack of immigrant workers would have. This was demonstrated by Georgia in 2011-2012, after it passed an immigration enforcement law that allowed police officers to demand documentation after detaining a person suspected of something else. This policy is similar to those of Arizona and Alabama, and was pushed through by Republicans like Representative Matt Ramsey. This policy, instead of helping legal laborers and improving the economy, did the exact opposite. The economy suffered such a large labor shortage that the officials had to resort to dispatching prisoners to work in the fields during the harvest of fruits and vegetables (Reform Backfires). Be careful what you wish for Mr. Ramsey.
Instead of constantly badgering each other about immigration, I think that candidates should be talking about education. This is a much more relevant issue to the average American citizen, legal or not. Higher education in particular is especially important to me because next year I and most of my fellow seniors will start college. We will then begin our four years of accumulating thousands of dollars of student, which can follow people around for the rest of their lives. In 1971, the annual cost of tuition at Harvard was $2,600. Today, it is just over $45,000 a year to attend the prestigious institution (and that doesn’t include room and board, fees, etc). Since 1982, when my dad started his freshman year, college tuition has increased by over 100% at private institutions and by over 200% at public institutions (College Costs). This is a problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, especially because many students are now deciding not to go to college due to the insane costs. Addressing the problems of higher education would also help America get back in the running in the international competition for skilled jobs. Republicans often talk about the great days of our nation, referring to the post-WWII boom in the United States. This boom was due in part to the large supply of highly skilled individuals coming out of college who then went on to fill the economic demands of the 20th century (Education: Economy). Now, with colleges and universities charging exorbitant tuition rates, there has been a drop off in attendance at these institutions and America has fallen behind many other developed countries.
(Education: Economy) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-merisotis/why-rebooting-higher-educ_b_7849690.html
(Reform Backfires) http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/05/17/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-georgias-immigration-law-backfires/
(Immigration Lies) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/immigration-lies_n_5875282.html
(College Costs) http://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/16/why-college-costs-are-so-high-and-rising.html
While the issue of immigration has become a hot topic and the main issue being discussed across the board between all candidates seeking either the republican or democratic nomination, I don’t believe that immigration should be the main focus of public policy discussions during the debates. Certainly it plays an integral role to the upcoming election and should be talked about, I think the attention that it is currently getting is disproportionate to the severity of the matter. A huge issue that is currently facing the country as a whole is the issue of a diminishing water supply for the United States, yet it isn’t being actively discussed by the candidates during debates.
The issue of the decrease in the water supply has been an issue since at least 2013, if not earlier, especially in regions like the southwest and California in particular who have been suffering from one of the worst droughts in recorded history. A study from Columbia University in 2013 indicated that since 1950 that population had increased by 99%, with water usage having increased by 127% (1). Farmers especially have felt the strain from the drought, with the High Plains Aquifer, a vital lifeline to farmers in the states of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas (1). In order to deal with the issue of a diminishing water supply, improvements to the national water infrastructure would have to be made in order to increase the storage capacity for water. It was estimated back in 2013 that the water infrastructure of the nation required $1.5 trillion for the following 20 years in order to make repairs and replacements critical to the integrity of the system, and yet no investments had been made since the Reagan administration (1).
In January of 2015, the EPA was searching for ways to recycle wastewater, cleaning and purifying it so that it could be used once again (2). On the Department of State’s website, they are predicting by 2025 that almost ⅔ of the world’s population could be living under “water-stressed conditions where water becomes an impediment to health, peace, and socio-economic development” (3). While the Department of State is engaged in global affairs as it pertains to water, it still hasn’t been actively discussed in the two Republican debates.
And while the drought and the implications of a diminished water supply have been affecting California and other western states for over four years, the rest of the nation will soon feel the effects of life without ready access to water (4). The fact that there has been less snowfall over the past few years hasn’t helped this situation either. Without the annual snow melt in states like California and Montana, the reservoirs have no chance to replenish themselves (4). Rising sea levels in coastal states have resulted in tainted water supplies, leaving the brackish water undrinkable except through costly desalination treatments (4). On top of that all, America continues to use almost 27,400 million gallons of water per day just around the house (4). This is not a sustainable practice and demands immediate attention.
So while the conversation over immigration has merit, the issue of whether the United States can afford to continue along the same projected path of improper water use deserves a more critical look. Unless the next president wants to deal with crises like the one in Detroit in 2014 (2), with people defaulting on their water bills because they have grown too expensive, and as a result being forced to go without a basic human need, the issue of the diminished water supply should be on the forefront of all the candidates minds.
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-drought-water-scarcity-2013-5 (1)
http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-issues-to-watch-2015.html (2)
http://www.state.gov/e/oes/water/ (3)
http://www.businessinsider.com/americas-about-to-hit-a-water-crisis-2015-4 (4)
I find that immigration is one of the most important issues that America is currently facing and it should definitely be a top priority in the 2016 presidential campaign. Voters across the country are also expressing that immigration is among the top problems in the United States (Gallup). Considering the fact that there are currently around 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States (Pew Research Center), immigration is an issue that affects so many things from people’s individual lives to the economy; in fact, unauthorized immigrants account for 5.1% of the workforce in the US (Pew Research Center).
I really hate how there is an image of undocumented immigrants in the United States being criminals who are ‘stealing’ from this country. They are people who live in fear everyday that they might be taken away from their families and often away from their children who were born in the United States and are too young to take care of themselves. Undocumented immigrants are regularly exploited by business that hire them to get away with paying workers less and having them work in unsafe conditions (Workplace Fairness). I think that the most humane and efficient way to deal with the current immigration problem is with the plan for Comprehensive Immigration Reform that President Barack Obama and many of the Democrats have envisioned (Obama). For example, this plan calls for creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. I think that these immigrants should be allowed to get in line for citizenship behind others who have been patiently waiting after undertaking the legal process, so that they aren't treated like second-class citizens anymore. I understand that this might seem to undermine the efforts of individuals and families trying to get into America legally, however I don’t think it’s right to deport families and destroy their lives by sending them back to the countries they left because they just don’t have the opportunities that people born in America are lucky to have. What’s done has been done, so we should be looking for a way to move forward humanely. This pathway to legal citizenship should be offered in tandem with strengthening borders and certain laws as well as making immigration into the country easier and more efficient. Greater border security, deportation of felons (with crimes unrelated to crossing the border illegally), and stronger enforcement of the consequences of overstaying a visa or hiring undocumented workers would decreases illegal immigration to the United States (Center for Immigration Studies and Bloomberg Review), as people would think twice about trying to stay in this country without going through the proper procedures. In addition, if it were easier and faster to immigrate to the United States legally, we would see a decrease in the number that try to do it illegally.
There have been a variety of suggestions made to deal with immigration policy in recent years and the 2016 presidential campaign, and the matter is continuously becoming a more and more popular topic and concern for Americans. I very strongly hope that the next president of the United States opts to address this issue with both compassion and firmness.
Sources:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/185504/government-economy-immigration-seen-top-problems.aspx (Gallup)
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/24/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/ (Pew Research Center)
http://www.workplacefairness.org/sc/undocumentedworkers.php (Workplace Fairness)
https://www.barackobama.com/immigration-reform/ (Obama)
http://cis.org/seminara/new-pew-report-confirms-visa-overstays-are-driving-increased-illegal-immigration (Center for Immigration Studies)
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-03-12/the-only-way-to-stop-illegal-immigration (Bloomberg Review)
I don’t understand why immigration is considered the hot topic. We have and always will deal with immigration issues. With such a big country and so much border, there won’t ever be an easy way to “fix” immigration. I think the candidates should focus on more important things like higher education.
As someone about to start the journey that is college, I hate how much debt I will have as soon as I graduate. Hillary Clinton said “We need to make a quality education affordable and available to everyone willing to work for it, without saddling them with decades of debt.” (1) I would love to see candidates fighting as hard for affordable education as they do for immigration laws. I went Trump’s website and he doesn’t even have a plan for education. (2) His only issues are guns and immigration. As a prospective voter, I want someone who thinks more about the future leaders of the country.
Christie talks about how students should be able to see cost itemization for tuition, so they can know what they’re really paying for. He also says we should be able to unbundle them – allowing students, to just pay for the education and not all the add-ons. (3) This proposition would create a more affordable education and it would also allow students to customize their education to fit their specific needs.
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/college/ (1)
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions (2)
https://www.chrischristie.com/issues#education (3)
The United States is known as the “great melting pot.” This is because people from all over the world come here to find a better life and better opportunities. Immigration is and has been one of the key factors in the growth of the country. The majority of Americans had ancestors that were immigrants; they may have come a decade ago, a century ago, or even longer. No matter what the case is, immigration is an important policy, but it should not be considered the most important issue in this presidential campaign. Reform is necessary, but there are so many different ideas about how it should be fixed that there is no clear-cut answer. Even inside the party's, presidential candidates cannot agree on how to reform immigration (On the Issues). Especially in the Republican party, where Trump wants to build a wall, Bush is open to immigration with a secured border, and where Huckabee is contrasting his former pro-immigration views with new, harsh, anti-immigration remarks (America’s Voice). While immigration is an important issue, it has always been an issue and will continue to be an issue unless someone comes up with a plan that can be agreed on.
There are plenty of other issues that deserve attention in this presidential race. One issue that should be more of a priority is education. Being a high school student that will be attending college next year, reform on education has more prevalence than immigration does. Seniors in high school and college students will all have the ability to vote in the next presidential election, and if one issue should be the deciding factor in who they vote for, it should be on education. Young voters know that education is expensive. They are the ones experiencing student debt, especially if they attend a private college or are going to graduate school. As a high school senior considering both of those situations, it can be difficult to decide where to go because of how much debt there will be in ten years. Democratic candidates like Hillary Clinton want college to be affordable to everyone. Through her New College Compact, Clinton proposes that no students would need to take out student loans but instead would be able to have money taken out of their paychecks to pay off their debt (NASFAA). On the other hand, Ben Carson believes that if community college is completely tuition free, someone else is still paying for it through taxes (NASFAA). Another issue that goes along with education reform is standardized testing. The Common Core curriculum was introduced a few years ago in almost all of the states, but now states want to draw back on it due to federal grants and states wanting education to not be under federal power (Governing). Even though it was developed by state officials, states felt that there was too much involvement on a national level.
http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-issues-to-watch-2015.html (Governing)
http://www.ontheissues.org/Immigration.htm (On the Issues)
http://americasvoice.org/research/meet-2016-gop-candidates-president-positions-immigration/ (America’s Voice)
http://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/5223/2016_Presidential_Candidates_Scattered_on_Higher_Ed_Student_Aid_Views (NASFAA)
Considering the fact that there are millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, I do believe that immigration is an important issue that should be ONE of the many priorities of the 2016 presidential campaign.
A type of immigration policy I would support would be one that would allow the illegal immigrants to gain legal status without having to ship them out of the country. I would also support a policy that would help the kids of illegal immigrants because they are the ones who end up paying for the choices their parents made. For example, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors or DREAM act, is bipartisan legislation that I would support because it addresses the tragedy of young teenagers who spend their lives growing up in the United States and attending high school here, but then find their future to be limited because their status is derived from their parents. “The experiences of undocumented children belonging to the 1.5 generation represent dreams deferred. Many of them have been in this country almost their entire lives and attended most of their K-12 education here. They are honor roll students, athletes, class presidents, valedictorians, and aspiring teachers, engineers, and doctors. Yet, because of their immigration status, their day-to-day lives are severely restricted” (Gonzalez) . For many young kids if their parents are undocumented immigrants the kids themselves do not get a chance to gain legal status , however, the DREAM act would change this.
The DREAM act “offers an opportunity to undocumented students a chance to give back to the US by putting good use to their education and talents” (ImmigrationPolicy). Introduced on May 11th, 2011, the DREAM act would allow for immigrant students residing in the United States to permanent residential status if the student has been present in the US for at least five years and arrived in the US when they were 15 years old or younger. In the long run, if these students become legal residents and get legal jobs they will be able to pay taxes which will in turn help the US economy. I think that kids of illegal immigrants should not be punished or have their futures limited because of choices their parents made, and this is why I think dealing with immigration should be ONE of the several important issues of the presidential election.
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-act ( Gonzalez)
http://www.immigrationdirect.com/dream-act.jsp (ImmigrationPolicy)
Is immigration an important issue? With it being discussed by everyone from President Obama to Pope Francis, it’s no surprise that it is polled to be the third most important political issue behind only the economy and political dissatisfaction (Gallup). Why wouldn’t it? Immigration has historically been a prime source of labor, economic growth, and fear. Although distrusting immigrants and general mistreatment of those who are different is not new to American thought, these anxieties are especially prevalent in a post-911 political atmosphere. Hatred of immigrants for xenophobic reasons is, unfortunately, all too common in the current election. A candidate's political strength being heightened by accusing a majority of illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals speaks very loudly on how Americans feel about the issue.
If there's any issue regarding illegal immigration, it is definitely economic. Illegal immigration has decreased the average wage of American workers without a highschool diploma as well as benefiting from public programs like healthcare and education despite not formally paying taxes (NYTimes). The proposal to deport these illegal immigrants and increase border security, however, only serves to make the issue even more economically harmful. Nothing less than 100% situational awareness and upwards of 30 billion dollars in fences alone could hope to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs that flow from the border (Economist). Instead, the country should focus on ensuring that those who wish to live and work in the nation to pay their “fair share” to curb their negative economic presence. Immigration reform is critical to making their presence in this country sustainable. Creating a positive environment for legal immigration would benefit everyone except the employers who take advantage of illegal labor by paying completely unfair and unchecked wages (Forbes). The fact is that our needs capital labor, and creating a path to citizenship to these laborers is sound long term economic and social policy
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/magazine/do-illegal-immigrants-actually-hurt-the-us-economy.html?_r=0
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/06/immigration-reform-0?zid=302&ah=601e2c69a87aadc0cc0ca4f3fbc1d354
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/09/04/the-unsung-economics-of-immig
I think that Immigration is one of the most important issues in the 2016 campaign. I wish that education and climate change were of more importance, but I digress. Immigration, specifically Illegal immigration is a problem, that I think has can be solved with simply making the process of becoming a US citizen easier and quicker. Many people wonder why all immigrants don't apply for citizenship and become citizens the legal way (AIC). Right now the process is long and arduous, and most people don’t think that it is worth the time or effort (USCIS). Regardless of a plan to become a citizen or not, people still migrate (Griswold). I think that the restrictions on immigration are not going to stop most people, especially if these people are living in an unsafe environment or a place without economic promise, as most are. Additionally more than half of US immigrants enter legally, they just never leave (Hawkins). So building a wall or guarding the border more closely will hardly impact Immigration. I would support a policy that encouraged legal immigration, one that made it easier and took a more reasonable amount of time.
http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship (USCIS)
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/why-don%E2%80%99t-they-just-get-line (AIC)
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/real-reform-can-fix-immigration (Griswold)
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2011/09/20/how_to_fix_our_illegal_immigration_problem_in_5_steps/page/full (Hawkins)
Perhaps no topic is getting more coverage this campaign season than immigration. While I do think that immigration is an important issue, I see a lot of fear mongering from Republicans making it seem more crucial than it really is. Although we do have a fairly large number of illegal immigrants in the country, this number has topped off [1]. While many candidates would have us believe that illegals are pouring across our borders in massive numbers, the data shows that the number of illegal immigrants in the US has actually dropped from 12.2 million in 2007 to 11.3 million today [1]. I personally think that the best way to solve our immigration problem would be to provide a pathway to citizenship which would allow all illegal immigrants in the country and opportunity to earn their way into citizenship. The Center for American Progress recently conducted a study which concluded that if illegal immigrants were allowed to become citizens, American GDP would rise by $832 billion dollars in ten years [2]. This would be a huge economic boon for our country. Additionally, immigrants found businesses at a higher rate than native born citizens [3]. In order to take advantage of these resources, we need to allow people who are currently here illegally a chance to become citizens or at least legal residents.
Currently, the fears over illegal immigrants is being overblown by the right wing in this country. Many people just accept it as fact that illegal immigrants don’t pay taxes; this is wholly untrue. Illegal immigrants paid $11.8 billion in taxes to state and local governments in 2012 [4]. These taxes are paid in sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes, and social security taxes [4]. Another common myth is the idea that illegal immigrants are responsible for massive amounts of crime. This is also untrue. A 2012 Arizona State University study actually showed that illegal immigrants were less likely to commit crime than native born Americans [5]. The xenophobic rhetoric pumped out by figures such as Trump that ignore reality only serve to further divide our nation and unjustly vilify those wishing to come to this country.
[1]http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/24/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/
[2]https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2013/03/20/57351/the-economic-effects-of-granting-legal-status-and-citizenship-to-undocumented-immigrants/
[3]http://www.fastcompany.com/3015616/the-shocking-stats-about-whos-really-starting-companies-in-america
[4]http://www.itep.org/immigration/
[5]https://asunews.asu.edu/node/24489
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The issue of immigration and what to do about the increasing amount of illegal immigrants coming into the United States on a yearly basis has been an emphasis on this presidential campaign so far. The issue is basically split between liberals and conservatives. Liberals want to allow citizenships to immigrants and continue to allow more immigrants to come from all over, giving them the same rights as citizens (1). They believe that the government has (and should have) the power to do everything in their power to maintain that all people are equal. Conservatives, on the other hand, want to limit immigration and think that the solution to the problem of illegal immigration is securing the borders, and then figuring out what to do with the illegal immigrants in the country at that time (1).
While I do think that immigration is an important issue, I do believe there are more pressing issues, such as climate control, where we can make a meaningful change. Even if we do something now to change the status of immigration and deal with the problem, it will go on for years after, and no matter what legislation is passed, illegal immigration with ensue.
Climate change (some call it global warming), however, is a problem that must be dealt with immediately. Climate change is melting the land ice and ice caps at upwards of 13% a decade, and the global average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees (2). However, I would like to point out that it is not just the ice that is melting which urges politicians to make a change, it is also the increased amount of deforestation, up to 1.5 million square kilometers in just 12 years (2)! If that’s not worthy of change, then I don’t know what is. Additionally, pollution (which is a type of climate change) is increasing exponentially, especially in Asia and other large metropolitan areas. The amount of Carbon Dioxide parts per million has gone up (which causes smog and other gross air pollutants) (2). At this rate, our generation's’ grandchildren will no longer be able to breathe fresh air, look at the ice caps, or hike through forests (3). It is discouraging for me to see how the Environmental Protection Agency is trying to do so much to help the climate and stop damage, but has no public support (3). If just one of the presidential candidates made it known that it was one of the top issues on his agenda, I think it would help the nation to realize that this isn’t a hoax, it is a real issue that needs to be dealt with.
http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/ (1)
http://climate.nasa.gov/ (2)
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ (3)
One of the looming issues for presidential candidates to debate appears to be immigration reform. With 11.3 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, politicians are putting fixing this issue at the front of their platforms, or making it their only platform, like Donald Trump (Krogstad). Immigration is an easy platform to latch to, but there is another important topic that the 2016 candidates should consider. Although immigration is a highly debated topic in this year’s presidential race, it is not our most important issue currently, and should not be treated that way. Politician thoughts should hone in on global warming, which is a potentially devastating, world-wide issue.
Immigration may be well-debated, but it is not as big a concern as we make it to be. The Presidential Candidates are debating what they would do about immigration policy, but in reality, the job of coming up with policy is left up to Congress (Fisher). The president can execute these powers, but the job of defining them is mostly out of the way. Illegal immigration has only become a large problem because it has been allowed to grow and prosper in America (Carson). Congress can fix the immigration issue with a law or an amendment regarding achieving citizenship in the US or support from the government if citizenship is not an option, and the different branches can enforce it, working together. The problem will decrease, if not almost disappear, within a matter of years (Carson). There are more pressing, long-term issues to deal with than this relatively easy fix.
A more important issue to deal with in this Presidential election is that of global warming. It is a global issue that many people can see: according to a Gallup poll, 89% of Democrats said that climate change would happen in their lifetime, and over a third of Republicans said the same (Yerman). Mandy of the candidates agree that the climate is changing extremely, like Marco Rubio, and some even believe it is an issue needing to be dealt with and created by humans, including Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina, as well as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders (Yerman). The carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere haven’t risen above 300 parts per million for 650,000 years, and last year, that number reached 400 ppm (NASA). The results of climate change are devastating and can already be seen: rising sea levels, longer heat waves and periods of drought, and more severe storms. If the Earth keeps warming as it is, it could wreak havoc on the economy and our way of life (NASA). Climate Change is not an easy fix like immigration, however, and it will require a lot of thinking and work. This is why we need to begin focusing on it now. If we can find a way to work together, bringing all that we know and working with other countries, we may be able to reverse the effects somehow.
Although immigration is certainly a hot topic for discussion, it is a quick-fix concern. Global Warming should be put nearer the front of politician’s thoughts, because it is a pressing, impending issue that requires that amount of thought beforehand. Some politicians are already putting climate change near the front of their platform, such as Bernie Sanders. Climate change needs to be dealt with soon, and if politicians begin to address it, permanent solutions can be created faster, and reversal of the damage humans have done may be possible.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2014/11/21/the-president-has-as-much-immigration-authority-as-congress-gives-him/3/ (Fisher)
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/24/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/ (Krogstad)
http://www.westernjournalism.com/common-sense-solution-immigration-reform/ (Carson)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/2016-presidential-election-the-candidates-on-climate-change_b_7301512.html (Yerman)
http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ (NASA)
We all knew we were in for an interesting year when Trump brought up his solution to immigration (FYI building a wall will not solve the problem!). Since then immigration has been the top public policy issue for presidential candidates to debate about, and in my opinion immigration is an issue that we need to discuss, however it is not the biggest problem facing us right now. Not only is it not a topic we should be focusing on, Immigration is an issue that everyone has different views on so coming to a decision in a presidency would be virtually impossible.(Roth) Issues more important are education, and the environment. These topics are important for our future, education is viewed in many different ways due to the states they live in and this is a problem for the jobs they wish for in the future. (Pace) The environment is becoming more polluted as the days go by and unfortunately not many candidates are making a hard stand on what they plan to do about it, the more we put it off the worse our future generations are going to have it.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trump-slams-rubio-very-weak-immigration
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/09/16/shifting-debate-strategies-gop-hopefuls-to-take-on-trump
Immigration continues to be one of the most important public policy issues in America, as it has been the past couple of decades. Its effect on America is major as it involves millions of people in this country legally, and illegally, and it also greatly impacts the issues of economics and security. Although issues like climate change and education are important, or just as important as immigration, I think that America has been facing the problem of immigration for far too long for it not too be fixed, or to be ignored by the candidates currently. These past years the problem of immigration has been seeming to get worse and worse, with barely any change in our policies on it. Also, Both parties have not been able to agree on a way to help diminish the issue of illegal immigrants entering in through the border, causing for Texas, and other states to suffer. 675,000 permanent immigrants are allowed in each year with the current immigration policy, but there are currently 11 million illegal immigrants in America right now (Immigration Policy). In my opinion, I think that everyone should have a chance to live the American dream, but being an illegal immigrant takes away job opportunities, and more from the legal immigrants who came to America in a fair and just way.
Carly Fiorina is one of the candidates who has seemed to take a very modest approach to the immigration issue that is facing America right now. She believes in a secure border, but does not say what she will do to achieve this (Washington Times). One thing that I do agree of hers, is that children born in America to illegal immigrants should have U.S. citizenship (Washington Times). When a kid is born to an illegal immigrant, it is not their fault that their parents came here illegally, and with the 14th amendment, I believe that they should be granted citizenship. Contrary to Fiorina, Trump has a definite plan. However, I do not agree with it (especially the building a wall part), and think that it would hurt many people in America, and create extreme tension with Mexico. Two candidates that I do agree with on the issue of immigration are Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush. Both are taking on immigration with a more moderate approach (instead of super conservative) and are hoping to reform immigration as soon as possible (Business Insider). Rubio has introduced a plan that would allow illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, while allowing them to be able to obtain a work permit until they are granted a green card (Business Insider). Bush also has a plan for illegal immigrants to obtain citizenship, and is currently trying his best to reach out to the Latino community and make sure that they know he hears them (Huffington Post). Bush is also a supporter of the Dream Act (Development, relief, and Education for Alien Minors) that would, if put in place, help for illegal immigrants to gain residency in America and a good education (Huffington Post).
With the presidential election coming closer, I think that immigration will most likely stay as the primary issue on most candidate's platform. However, with the importance of immigration, issues such as education, climate change, and health care should not be ignored by the candidates, and instead should also be talked about in order for America to become better in all areas, not just one.
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/how-united-states-immigration-system-works-fact-sheet (Immigration Policy)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/15/carly-fiorina-open-legal-status-adult-illegal-immi/ (Washington Times)
http://www.businessinsider.com/marco-rubio-immigration-flaw-2015-8 (Business Insider)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeb-bush-immigration-dreamers_56005c84e4b0fde8b0cf49bc (Huffington Post)
Samantha L:
The rapidly approaching 2016 presidential election has many hot button issues such as climate change, education, and economic policy. Among them is immigration. While I would argue that it’s not the most important issue in the upcoming election, it’s still an issue Congress has not created any solid solutions to. There are very few paths to citizenship for people already living here and deporting every illegal immigrant and securing every US border isn’t practical. Both parties have pretty solid stances on this issue but again, not all of them are practical. Contrary to what Donald Trump believes, building a wall and making Mexico pay for it probably won’t happen (Jerde). While most people on the Republican side argue that the party’s stance on immigration will alienate Latino voters, very few have changed their stances. The only thing the may have swayed some in one direction or the other is Pope Francis’s condemnation of the US’s immigration policy (Chuck). A reason why this issue is important to the presidential race is because the Republican party’s Latino support is notoriously low. So this issue could tip the public vote in favor of one candidate or the other.
As a country that prides itself on its diversity and being a “country of immigrants” the US has a poor immigration policy. The current undocumented immigrant population is around 11.3 million or 3.5% of the US population (Krogstad & Passel). A path to citizenship is the best option, but it would have to be not too stringent considering how many undocumented immigrants there are. According to a recent Gallup Poll, the American public is in favor of a path of citizenship with 65% approval (Jones). Increasing the number of citizens in the US means that the US would have a larger amount of people it’s taxing. An addition to its revenue that it desperately needs with its increasing debt. Also the cost of the amnesty would be relatively low because many of these people are already using the education system because they have a child who was born here or have found ways to still receive some government benefits. Not to mention the amount of money that would be saved that is currently spent on deporting people and detaining them for processing.
Samantha continued...
Here’s the thing, the people who come here illegally often are fleeing a bad situation which is usually a country riddled with violence, strife, and poverty. They often end up leaving their family behind so they can find a job to support them and a better opportunity than whatever there is in the country they’re from. They usually work low paying labor jobs that most Americans consider themselves too good to do like being a garbageman. Not only that but they generally only know a few words of English and do jobs that don’t require it. The average American is unaware of this or just doesn’t care. Domestic issues are always at the forefront. Which is understandable with the increasing number of problems the US government is facing. It can hardly handle the stark differences in different states on the same issue and the almost constant gridlock in Congress. However, this doesn’t mean federal government shouldn’t do anything about its foreign policy. Especially since these immigrants are in the US so any response to them should be considered a domestic issue. Many people don’t realized that only a little over half of all illegal immigrants are from Mexico (Krogstad & Passel). There are even people who shout racist things at Latinos and tell them to go back to Mexico just because they have a basic labor job when they are US citizens. Many states near the Mexican border also have laws that let police officers stop anyone who they think might be an illegal immigrant. The US doesn’t need to invest more money into stopping people from coming here. Crossing the border is already dangerous and the number of illegal immigrants in the US has stopped growing (Henderson). If someone is willing to cross the dangerous border into the US when they probably know only a handful of words in English, need to leave their family behind, have jobs with terrible conditions and pay the average American thinks they’re too good for, and face constant racism, let them stay.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-mexico-wall-good-people (Jerde)
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/pope-francis-visits-america/pope-francis-philadelphia-tells-immigrants-do-not-be-discouraged-n434261 (Chuck)
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/24/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/ (Krogstad & Passel)
http://www.gallup.com/poll/184577/favor-path-citizenship-illegal-immigrants.aspx (Jones)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/11/21/7-charts-that-explain-the-undocumented-immigrant-population/ (Henderson)
Although immigration has been a prominent issue discussed for the 2016 presidential campaign, I would not necessarily call it an immediate issue. Trump has called for a wall to be built along the Southern border of the United States and for an end to birthright citizenship (factcheck), along with nearly every other candidate voicing their opinions of the issue, but I do not believe that it is the biggest problem currently facing the country, nor do I believe there is an exact solution to it. For example, Trump’s stance on the issue stems from his belief that birthright citizenship is the cause for illegal immigration and that illegal immigration is raising the crime rate of the country. However, research shows that this is not the case. Therefore, it is not an immediate danger to our nation. In addition, the solution he proposes is more of a crazy idea than a possibility.
Personally, I believe that foreign policy and terrorist threats on our nation should be a priority over immigration. In the years since 9/11, the world has only gotten more dangerous and threats of terrorism have increased (acmcu). Due to this, the candidates should be more concerned with this than with a nonviolent issue like immigration. That can wait; terrorism, which is a direct threat to the citizens of our country, cannot. It is in our nation already. Incidents have occurred within the country, warning everyone that terrorism is among us (foreignpolicy). An issue like this should be regarded as much more prominent than immigration currently is.
https://acmcu.georgetown.edu/the-war-on-terrorism
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/08/trumps-immigration-plan/
http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/10/21/terrorists-among-us/
I believe that immigration is definitely something that needs to be addressed in the 2016 presidential campaign. While it is important to note and also focus on other important issues such as education and national security, immigration has been a topic of discussion for a long time and i believe we as a country need to come to some sort of agreement on what policy we will follow. I would support an immigration policy that allows for a path to legalization without deporting people and separating families. The majority of people who immigrate to this country do so because there is no opportunity for a comfortable life for themselves and their families where they come from. Many people argue that immigrants hurt our economy “many use social programs, like hospitals and schools, that cost taxpayers and add to our $16 trillion national debt” (#1) But on the contrary immigrants have always been the backbone of the economy and a huge source of labor. “An estimated 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies have been started by immigrants or their children.” (#2) Not only do they start their own companies, helping boost the US economy but they also pay billions of dollars in taxes, while being undocumented. ”The 11.4 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States collectively paid $11.84 billion in state and local taxes in 2012” (#3) If they were allowed to work legally, that number would only go up, helping the US economy. As well as being a huge part of the labor force, many of which are jobs many people are unwilling to do. “In 2014, there were 25.7 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force” (#4) I believe that we should have a system where immigrants can come and work legally so that everyone can benefit, after all America is the land of opportunity.
1)http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/magazine/do-illegal-immigrants-actually-hurt-the-us-economy.html?_r=0
2)http://www.inc.com/rohit-arora/three-reasons-why-immigrants-help-the-u-s-economy.html
3)http://www.itep.org/immigration/
4)http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf
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