Immigration Reform: Political Opinions Homework #1

As employers continue to hire undocumented workers and millions of people slink among the shadows, one thing is for sure: The immigration policy debate in America is twisted and causing much controversy. Both sides of the issue have been fighting tooth and nail for either reform or conservation, but which, if any, is right?

The immigration policy as it stands is confusing to many Americans, which might just be the source of unneeded controversy. According to The Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), the U.S. provides for an annual worldwide limit of 675,000 immigrants. There are limited exceptions such as: exemptions for close family members, and a separate allowance for refugee admissions.

The immigration system is designed in various ways. There are different types of immigration such as family-based immigration, employment-based immigration and immigration for refuges. There are also U.S. programs such as the Diversity Visa Program and other forms of humanitarian relief.

According to americanprogress.org, undocumented immigrants usually settle in traditional “gateway” states such as California, Illinois, Texas, New York and Florida. But 15 states, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Utah, have experienced a 200 percent increase in their immigration populations between 1990 and 2009.

When many Americans think of immigration their minds land on Mexican immigration, but statistics show that there has been an 80 percent decline in undocumented Mexican immigrants from 2004 to 2010. There are many things contributing to the decline of Mexican immigration. Right now, there are more Mexicans leaving the U.S. than entering it, according to americanprogress.org. This is contributed to increased border control, shaky job and housing markets, and an increase in deportations.

So if cracking down on undocumented immigration is statistically working then why should immigration reform? According to the White House, President Obama has three elements of action in the reform plan:

Cracking Down on Illegal Immigration at the Border: The President’s actions increase the chances that anyone attempting to cross the border illegally will be caught and sent back. Continuing the surge of resources that effectively reduced the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally this summer, the President’s actions will also centralize border security command-and-control to continue to crack down on illegal immigration.

Deporting Felons, Not Families: The President’s actions focus on the deportation of people who threaten national security and public safety. He has directed immigration enforcement to place anyone suspected of terrorism, violent criminals, gang members, and recent border crossers at the top of the deportation priority list.

Accountability – Criminal Background Checks and Taxes: The President is also acting to hold accountable those undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more than five years and are parents of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. By registering and passing criminal and national security background checks, millions of undocumented immigrants will start paying their fair share of taxes and temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation for three years at a time.

Immigration to the U.S. is based upon the principles of the reunification of families, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy, protecting refugees and promoting diversity, according to the White House. But this is where things get interesting, and why immigration is more of a political opportunity than a fight for humanity. According to Democracy Journal, as demonstrated in the 2012 election, immigrant communities are increasingly becoming a major political and civic push. 10 percent of the electorate in 2012 was from the Latino population, and Asian-American’s rose to three percent. These are small percentages, but historic. However, the future influence will be dramatic. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics will account for 40 percent of the electorate in the next two decades. These immigrants have a major influence on swaying voting results, and many believe that this is why President Obama is pushing for the immigration policy. The majority of immigrants will be of age to vote in the next election and if Obama’s plan succeeds, many will vote primarily democratic.

As of now, a U.S. district Judge temporarily halted the administrations executive decision because it may or may not violate the constitution. In the upcoming days the judge will rule whether Obama’s actions are legal or not. Until then the debate continues and the ruling will propel the issue into the Supreme Court.