It is important to note that the issues of immigration and homeland security are the problem of the moral duty of the United States as a beacon of democracy and the safety of its current citizens. When discussing immigration matters, it is critical to distinguish between illegal and legal immigration procedures. The primary topic of such debates is centered around illegal immigration practices, which is usually taking place at the southern border of the United States.
In sum, the ones, who support immigration, believe that such immigrants are integral to the United States economy since they increase the overall low-cost labor pool available to the nation, which means that they are not competing for the same jobs as the US-born citizens. In addition, the group also believes that immigrants are comprised of mostly hard-working individuals who are entrepreneurial and adhere to the core beliefs of the American dream. Lastly, the United States is a place of refuge for many illegal immigrants, because the majority are willing to undergo such a challenging process in order to secure a future for their families and escape crime, violence, and oppression in their countries of origin.
The ones who oppose illegal immigrants, arguing that such individuals bring only crime, drugs, and unlawfulness to the nation. They believe that only legal immigrants should be allowed to enter, and illegal ones are considered to be social and economic burdens. It is believed that illegal immigrants destabilize the nation, are unfair to ones coming legally, and drive the labor cost down, by which many American citizens are replaced by illegal immigrants. In addition, some of them could be terrorists or criminals, which further decreases the security in the United States.
It should be noted that the issues of immigration and homeland security are tightly interconnected (Dwyer, 2014). Although the concerns are valid and reasonable, one should be aware that “quantitative research has consistently shown that being foreign born is negatively associated with crime overall and is not significantly associated with committing either violent or property crime. If an undocumented immigrant is arrested for a criminal offense, it tends to be for a misdemeanor” (Bernat, 2019, p. 1). In other words, there is no data and valid evidence to assume that illegal immigrants pose a major threat to homeland security since they are not likely to commit crimes, and if they do, these activities are not serious. In addition, it is stated that by actively policing the border, the US “conceals its direct role in migration policing activities that violate human rights and fuel illicit activities, distracts from policy failures, and evades international obligations” (Hiemstra, 2019, p. 44). In other words, the United States is more likely to implement harsh and cruel policies and practices when illegal immigration becomes excessively monitored and integrated. Lastly, “the externalization of immigration policing is fuelling a general increase in illicit activities” (Hiemstra, 2019, p. 55). The main reason is that “tougher border controls force determined migrants to depend on human smugglers, contributing to the development of smuggling networks, and driving up smugglers’ fees as well as risk and duration of migrants’ journeys” (Hiemstra, 2019, p. 55). In other words, being highly restrictive does not reduce the immigrant influx but only promotes crime and inhumane practices.
In conclusion, immigration and homeland security are highly intertwined, but data supports less border policing and easier entry.
References
Bernat, F. (2019). Immigration and crime. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 1-37. Web.
Dwyer, T. (2014). Legal issues in homeland security. Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc.
Hiemstra, N. (2019). Pushing the US-Mexico border south: United States’ immigration policing throughout the Americas. International Journal of Immigration and Border Studies, 5(1), 44-63.