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Essay / Illegal Immigration and Its Effects on American Society
Although the concept of illegal immigration has always been a hot topic among citizens, it has never been considered with such magnitude that it has been since the last presidential election. There is no doubt that illegal immigration has many detrimental effects on American society, the economy, and crime rates in areas densely populated by illegal aliens, but many argue that the contributions and the diversity of these people outweighs the disadvantages of these harmful practices. Although the country appears to remain divided on the issue, many are looking to those in leadership positions to decide how the government should handle illegal immigration. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The terms “illegal immigrants,” “illegal alien,” and “undocumented immigrant/migrant” can be used interchangeably. Illegal immigration, simply put, is when a person moves to another country with the intention of staying there, without going through the proper channels to do so legally. This can be done in different ways. Some people immigrate to the United States on a tourist or study visa, but then extend the term of their visa without requesting an extension or alerting the government. For some, the decision to remain in the United States illegally is made after their arrival. Others apply for these visas fraudulently, with the firm intention of extending the duration of their stay even before their arrival. In addition to visa fraud, there are many other ways in which people plan to become illegal residents of the United States. For example, it is quite common for non-citizens living in U.S. border towns to cross the U.S. border to give birth to their babies in America. Some people even come from other countries to do it – this is particularly common in Asian countries. When a non-citizen's child is born in the United States, that child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen and the parents then become eligible for U.S. citizenship through their child. Obtaining citizenship through these routes, while morally fraudulent, is technically legal once birth occurs. If one is caught before birth and one's intentions come true, it will be considered illegal and deportation and prosecution will be initiated. Many American citizens who support illegal immigration to the United States tend to be uninformed about the issue and its negative impact on American society. Those with more conservative political views tend to oppose illegal immigration in all its forms and support stricter immigration laws and deportation efforts. Those with more moderate or liberal political views tend to favor immigration in all its forms, arguing that immigrants make many positive contributions through their diversity to the melting pot that is America (Gravelle). America was built on the work and diversity of immigrants, and it is important not to forget its history. However, immigration as a concept is not the problem. Those who emigrate here legally from other countries make positive and significant contributions to our society through their cultural influence, various businesses and economy-stimulating activities such as establishing said businesses and paying taxes . The problem lies rather in the fact thatsome immigrants choose not to take legal avenues to immigrate and end up causing a greater burden on society than we can currently bear, as the government cannot even properly support all of its legal citizens in the current climate. . It is well known that many immigrants underestimate the difficulties of American life, including the high cost of living in most parts of the country. Outside of the United States, the United States is described as a "land of wealth and opportunity." However, even U.S. citizens who have lived and worked here their entire lives struggle to make ends meet. Those who come here from less developed, poorer countries often don't realize the capital needed to afford things like housing, utilities, gas, and groceries. In many cases, these immigrants also do not speak English well, and without a basic command of the English language and legal documents to find employment, they are abandoned to lower-paying jobs, such as agricultural work. migrants and unskilled work. In some cases, they resort to crime and selling drugs to earn enough money to support their families. In other cases, in addition to or instead of their wages, they rely on government welfare assistance obtained through fraudulent social security numbers and IDs to support themselves, which becomes a problem for the economy. If a potential immigrant has no family or friends in the United States, many will obtain credit from human trafficking organizations so they can come to the United States illegally. They work to repay this debt, under penalty of being reported to the government (Djajic). Another major problem is crime linked to illegal immigration. As previously mentioned, some undocumented immigrants resort to selling drugs, joining gangs, and other crimes, such as money laundering, in order to survive financially. Recently, a woman named Jeanette Vizguerra, a Mexican citizen who arrived in the United States illegally with the intention of remaining there as an illegal alien. She was published in the New York Times last February, recounting how she refuses to leave the United States despite Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) refusing to extend her stay of deportation. She committed numerous crimes during her 20s in the United States, including driving with an expired registered vehicle, falsifying false Social Security documents, and crossing the U.S. border illegally – twice. She also gave birth to several children during her time here as an undocumented immigrant, and those children are now U.S. citizens, although Jeanette's partner, the children's father, is also a non-citizen. Jeanette is housed in a church basement to avoid deportation after skipping her routine ICE check-in and receiving a warrant for her arrest and deportation (North). Many argue that her “small” crimes don’t amount to the punishment of tearing an American family apart – however, she shouldn’t have been hiding in the country illegally in the first place. A crime is a crime, and while its crimes may be considered entirely minor compared to some of the brutal, small- and large-scale domestic terrorist acts committed by other illegal aliens, the government's priority is to 'expel those who are here illegally with a criminal record. . So, with such a wide range of opinions, what is the solution to ending illegal immigration in the United States? In the United States, there.