The issue of immigration has always been a major element of political debates and discussions in American politics. Although there are valid concerns from both sides of the table, at the end of the day, America should navigate through this issue by adhering to its core values and principles rather than short-sighted intricacies and specificities. In his Nobel lecture, Martin Luther King Jr. stated that “if we feel this as a profound moral fact, we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health when we have the means to help them. The wealthy nations must go all out to bridge the gulf between the rich minority and the poor majority” (par. 26). In other words, irrespective of losses and gains, it is important to prioritize moral principles and compass above economic and political elements. Therefore, it is a moral duty and responsibility for a wealthy nation to help the poor, and immigrants mostly arrive in the United States to seek a better life and leave the poverty of their country of origin.
It is important to note that the provided statements are true even if immigration might not bring any benefit to the United States. However, the latter case is not necessarily true because immigration brings a number of benefits to America. Immigrants mostly create a hard-working and appreciative workforce willing to make sacrifices for the nation, which allows them to have an opportunity to start a better life for themselves and their children. Therefore, immigration policies should be guided by moral duty rather than nationalistic ideologies of fearmongering, hating, vilifying, and framing immigrants as a source of a problem.
Work Cited
King, Martin Luther Jr. “The Quest for Peace and Justice.”The Nobel Prize, 1964.