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Cristina Aguayo Romero
Ms. Paxton
English 1A
18 December, 2012
Immigration Argumentative Essay 1st Draft
Many citizens of the U.S believe that immigration is a bad thing to keep allowing and
should be stopped. Specifically, illegal immigration. What most people don't know is that it isn't
a choice for most immigrants but an action that they are forced to take. Life for immigrants in
their native countries is a hard one and the only option they have left is to leave everything behind and move to the U.S, the land of opportunities. Taking that step is hard enough and finding
the means to do it correctly is just as difficult. This essay will offer insight into the immigration
process, how people come or become illegal and will show that immigrants help the economy
and bring many benefits to the country, bringing a positive light to immigration.
Undocumented immigrants or illegal aliens are not allowed to reside in the U.S. They are
illegal, not citizens, non-existent. They roam the streets of the U.S with their heads down, not
with shame but with the fear of discovery. They have no rights. Some arrive through the borders
of Mexico and Canada but most get here via airplane and as of 2010, 11.5 million of them reside
in the U.S (Hoefer, Rytina, & Baker) of the new U.S immigrants, “illegal aliens account for one
third of them” (Hanson, Scheve, Slaugter, Spilimbergo).
There are two ways immigrants can enter the United States legally, with an immigrant
visa or a non-immigrant visa. “In general, to be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign
citizen must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen relative(s), U.S. lawful permanent resident, or by a
prospective employer” (Travel.site.gov). In other words, you must have the right connections and
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know the right people to get in. This way is difficult to do because most foreigners don't know
anyone who lives in the U.S with the right means to help them out, so most opt for the latter, a
non-immigrant visa.
With this type of visa the U.S. will allow any foreigner to come in by providing a 6
month non-immigrant visa that will give them a driver's license and a social security number, all
the things needed to properly function in the American society. “To qualify for the visa you must
only provide evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States, evidence of compelling
social and economic ties abroad, and have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding
ties that will ensure their return abroad at the end of the visit” (Travel.State.gov). It is not hard to
prove these things and most that apply usually get in but they all know that at the end of their
“visit” there will be no return home. Many live normal lives and can get jobs, pay taxes, and do
many of the things that American citizens do but once their time of stay expires, they are considered undocumented. Their documentation may still be valid, but only for a short period of time
because they cannot renew it.
Being an undocumented person can be dangerous. Every move must be watched. Every
action taken must be thought out and deliberate. They must always think before they act because
the fear of deportation is always in the back of their minds. In 2012, ICE deported 409,849 undocumented people, and only 55% of those deportations made were of convicted criminals
(Ice.gov). Undocumented people cannot go publicly looking for a job. If their social security
number and I.D are still valid, they may be less cautious, but if the job has E-verify, where they
check the immigrant status, then they cannot apply. Even then, the social security number that is
provided is not applicable for work. This is why we see many Latinos working in the fast food
industry or construction, places where most of these things go unchecked. Undocumented immi-
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grants don't have the option to upgrade to better things even though many of them have acquired
college degrees and a good socioeconomic status in their own countries. A degree from Mexico
does not amount to the same degree from the United States, so here it doesn't count, making their
lives more frustrating.
Even though living in the U.S is a daily struggle many still choose to stay because they
do not have the option to go back to their countries. Poverty, violence, crime, and corruption push
migrants from sending countries and the promise of economic prosperity pull migrants towards receiving
countries such as the U.S where employers are looking for low-wage workers. Believe it or not, Ameri-
ca is the ideal society for the many immigrants that arrive, but achieving that American dream is
almost impossible, especially when they don't have proper documentation. Imagine, if conditions
are hard for them here in the U.S. they must be much harder for them back home, in order for
them to decide to stay. Most don’t see returning to their home countries as an option.
“Now many of the citizens of the U.S perceive undocumented immigrants as a perceived
threat.” They are a threat to the economy and compete for the jobs that Americans could have.
These are the most common and controversial arguments that are constantly heard against immigration but they can be valid at times. Some do not pay taxes. They are those without a social
security number and a legal job. They also can not apply for welfare, government programs, a
valid job, a license, go to college, or do anything else that requires documentation. They do not
give back to America, but America does not give back to them either. These immigrants are the
ones who have crossed the border illegally. Then you also have those who do work illegally with
their social security numbers. They too are forced to have taxes taken out of their paychecks and
fill out a tax return every year like every other American citizen. This group of immigrant largely
outweighs the latter.
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The undocumented people are not a threat to the economy because of the need America has created out of them. Business owners can actually pay them under minimum wage and immigrants
are the only ones who would be desperate enough to work for that kind of money. "Undocumented immigrants may be more likely than natives to work “off the books” and therefore not be adversely affected by changes in labors laws like minimum wage" (Orrenius, Zavodny). This allows for more goods to be produced at a lower price for the same amount of work. The undocumented are not robbing Americans out of careers, instead they work the low skilled, blue collar
jobs that no one else would want to do. In a way, it boosts the economy by providing more services and in turn, with the money that the immigrants earn, put the money back into the system
by buying their families’ daily needs. This keeps the economy in balance. If the U.S. were to take
immigrants out of the system, the economy would collapse.
Illegal immigration is considered a taboo subject, but it is time for more light to be shed
on the subject and for a change to take place in the system. It is not fair to either Americans or
undocumented immigrants to both be robbed of their rights. There needs to be a balance between
the two. There is a growing demand for the undocumented people to have legal paperwork so
that they may no longer live in fear and have normal lives like every other citizen around them.
As for Americans, they too need to reserve the rights that they have always had; although, there
needs to be more of an open attitude towards immigrants and the minority population as a whole.
Everyone deserves a second chance in life and for many of the foreigners, America is it.
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Hoefer, Michael, Rytina, Nancy and Baker, Bryan. "Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant
Population Residing in the United States: January 2011." Population Estimates(2012): n. pag.
Web.
"Visa Types for Immigrants." Travel.State.Gov. USA.gov, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2013.
<http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1326.html>.
"Removal Statistics." ICE. USA.gov, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2013. <http://www.ice.gov/removal-statistics/>.
Orrenius, Pia, and Madeline Zavodny. "The Minimum Wage and Latino Workers." IZA (2010): 4+.
Web. 3 Jan. 2013.
Hanson, Gordon H., Kenneth Scheve, Matthew J. Slaughter, and Antonio Spilimbergo. "Immigration
and the U.S Economy: Labor-Market Impacts, Illegal Entry, and Policy Choices." (2001): 1-2.
Web. 3 Jan. 2013.