According to Mathews, there are at least 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. However, this number has elicited a heated debate. Some people maintain that apart from being a security concern, immigrants are a burden to the US economy (Moses).
In contrast, others argue that immigrant workers are important to the US economy. In affirming Moses’ statement, Hogan states that studies conducted on cities near the US-Mexican border show that there is no evidence that immigrants are a source of insecurity. Most importantly, a group of senators are about to present an immigration reform package to the senate (Mathews). This essay, therefore, revisits the US immigration debate.
The cost of undocumented immigrants is one of the most contentious issues in the US immigration debate (Moses). Moses adds that this cost will influence future immigration polices. Undocumented immigrants are regarded as a drain on the US’s national resources.
Moreover, these immigrants are seen as a source of insecurity to the US public. For instance, drugs and people with questionable characters are said to be trafficked across the border with Mexico. Violence and kidnapping cases are also a common occurrence in the US-Mexican border.
Most immigrants are employed as manual laborers in occupations such as construction and production. Some are also employed as domestic workers and attendants in nursing homes. Therefore, if the US tightens its immigration policies, employers will be faced with a shortage of cheap labor. Immigrants are, thus, employed in sectors that are unpopular with American citizens.
As a result, employers will have to raise salaries to attract American citizens to these sectors. Citing Phillipe Legrain, Moses states that “free movement of people is as beneficial as free movement of goods and capital” (p. 3). The US citizens, thus, benefit from documented and undocumented immigrants. Moreover, the foundation of the US’s economy was laid on immigrant labor (Moses).
For that reason, it is hypocritical for the US to spend billions of dollars on blocking immigrant labor. Interestingly, crime rates in cities bordering Mexico are falling. Therefore, there is no significant proof that the porous US-Mexico border increases violence in the US (Hogan).
According to Matthews, in the next few days, an immigration reform package will be presented to the house by a group of bipartisan senators. This package contains a path through which all undocumented immigrants will become citizens. In addition, the legislation will provide suggestions on how the immigration system will be modernized.
Hesson claims that salaries of immigrant workers increased after an immigration bill, in 1986, legalized 2.7 million workers. Similarly, an immigrant-friendly bill will do the same to current immigrants. Furthermore, legalized workers will be able to acquire gainful employment.
It can be concluded that immigration is a contentious issue in the US. Opponents of immigration claim that it is a source of insecurity and a drain on the US’s economy. On the other hand, supporters of immigration allege that it provides cheap labor to the US economy.
Additionally, a group of senators are about to present a bill to the senate that aims at streamlining immigration. Majority of Hispanics and African Americans voted for president Obama (Volsky). It is worth noting that these ethnic groups are products of immigration. Accordingly, the current immigration debate is set to shape politics for a long period of time.
Works Cited
Hesson, Ted. “What Happens if Immigration Reform Ignores Future Workers?”abcnews.go.com. ABC News. 2013.
Hogan, Michael. 2013. Immigration Reform 2013: Does the U.S. Actually Have a Border Security Problem? Web.
Matthews, Laura. “Immigration Reform Bill 2013: Gang of Eight Expects Agreement by Week’s End.” ibtimes.com. IB Times, 2013.
Moses, Jonathan. “The Politics of Immigration: Introduction to a Special Issue on US Immigration.” European journal of American studies 4.1 (2009): 457-479. Print.
Volsky, Igor. 2012. Republicans Claim Obama Won Re-election Because Blacks and Hispanics Wanted More Handouts. Web.