The United States owes its rich and diverse history to the constant stream of immigrants from across the globe and despite recent fears about possible dangers involved with open borders, it must be rearticulated that immigrants serve an important host of functions and ultimately serve to strengthen as oppose to destabilize the United States. With this said, there are also some legitimate fears, mostly based on sheer economics that lend valuable credence to opposing arguments and while both sides hold valid opinions on the issue, looking rationally at the immigration argument yields a surprising number of positive attributes for both sides.
It is often said that America is a nation of immigrants (Public Agenda n.p.), and that the common thread that binds Americans together is the fact of their diverse ancestry. From the earliest days of the nation, people from other lands overcame obstacles and dangers to leave the countries of their birth and to make a new home here. Over time, however, as the nation became populated, the rate of migration continued unabated and the generations of people who were born here and who called themselves Americans began to grow concerned about immigration policy. First and second generation Americans clamored for the imposition of policies that would control the flow of immigration so that resources would not be depleted (Daniels 45).
Quotas began to be introduced and policies for determining priority immigrant groups were developed and implemented (Daniels 45). As the United States developed a more selective schema for determining immigrants’ eligibility for admissions as temporary residents on a path to permanent residency of citizenship, the incidence of illegal immigration increased exponentially (Green & Ciobannu 1203), creating new problems in the phenomenon of migration and relocation. Today, Americans are sharply divided in their opinions about immigration, but regardless of the positions they advocate, most Americans agree that immigration reform is needed (Massey 113).
Americans acknowledge that the history of the country revolves around stories of immigration and even the most staunch opinions support this. Many Americans are proud of the country’s diversity and its willingness to hold open the “golden doorway” of opportunity to the people of the world (Daniels 3). As more foreigners took advantage of the invitation to pass the threshold of the golden doorway, however, immigration policy became more restrictive and those who once had a more or less open license to enter the United States were finding it increasingly difficult to do so because of ever-mounting bureaucratic restrictions. By 1882, an increasingly narrow policy of “successive exclusions” criteria were applied, followed by the determination of quotas, which were intended to control the flow of immigrants (Daniels 3). The policies were also intended to manage the kinds of immigrants who were entering the country so that people deemed “inferior” or otherwise incapable of self-reliance would be screened out, thereby preventing an excessive burden on the American social welfare system (Daniels 3). The increased control did not diminish immigrants’ desire to pass through the golden door, however. By the turn of the century, a steady stream of immigrants was devising ways to enter the country illegally (Daniels 17). The immigration debate was in full swing, as Americans and immigrants who gained legal admission to the country began to complain that illegal entrants circumvented proper legal channels, thereby depriving others of their rightful opportunities (Haerens 22).
The problems and debates about illegal immigration have changed little in the century since the exclusion criteria were first implemented (O’Callaghan 1747). Citizens and legal immigrants continue to complain that illegal immigrants threaten the safety and stability of the country because they do not go through proper legal processes in order to validate their residency. Anti-immigration critics contend that illegal immigrants want to enjoy the full benefits of being American without assuming the full responsibilities that are also part of being American. While the argument may be credible, what is problematic is that the argument is often made without evidence provided to substantiate the claim. Instead, opinions are charged by fear, anxiety, and even hatred (Chandler & Tsai 177).
Often, critics of illegal immigration overlook just how integral undocumented migrants have become to the functioning of American society. Far from being a drain on the country’s resources, which are always perceived as limited, undocumented migrants actually perform work that many educated Americans and even unskilled workers are unwilling to perform. Furthermore, by working for lower wages but performing high quality or high volume, it has been argued that undocumented migrants actually stimulate the economy, though the full extent to which they do so may not be able to be measured quantitatively.
Other unsubstantiated allegations abound in the current debate about illegal immigration. One popular argument against illegal immigrants is that these individuals are somehow more prone to violence or social impropriety when compared to legal immigrants or American citizens. Yet one must consider the logical argument that most undocumented individuals do not want to be discovered, for fear of deportation, and thus are actually more inclined to behave in a manner according to the law, lest they lose the opportunities they perceive are available to them in the United States. Another characteristic of the debate about illegal immigration is that many facts that contribute to the phenomenon of illegal border crossing and relocation are simply overlooked altogether.
The debate about illegal immigration often fails to consider the macro reasons why people are crossing the border, and what kind of responsibility the United States may have with respect to correcting larger scale social problems, both here and abroad. It is inconceivable that illegal immigrants cross the border merely because they want to flaunt American laws. Instead, it is far more plausible that people who have been unable to secure immigration legally are crossing to work and have bread on their table and future opportunities for their families in a place better than the developing country they may be coming from. Americans, both those born here and those naturalized as citizens, are fortunate to have enough food, water, and opportunities to advance and fulfill the promise of the pursuit of happiness.
Every country has the right to protect its borders, but in doing so, it can not violate or destroy the fundamental ideals upon which that country was founded. Nor can the country violate human rights in securing its borders. The policies of immigration have become so restrictive that many individuals see no recourse but to enter the country illegally. Immigration policy reform is drastically needed, but the policy remedies must come from within. We can not look east or west or solutions, for no other country was established with the express ideal of being a country of immigrants. Nor can policy be crafted in the intense emotionalism of the current debate.
We must guard ourselves from those emotions that cloud our sense of fairness, emotions which obscure the country’s history and promote anti-immigration sentiment that precludes us from understanding reasons why people migrate. Finally, a fair and just immigration policy must take into account the undocumented immigrants who are already here. These people contribute inestimably to the national economy that to exclude them from a path to citizenship would not only be unfair, but would also threaten the very stability of the country’s economy. In order to deal with illegal immigration in an effective manner, the history of immigration and the contemporary dynamics must be examined in context, with reason and without emotion.
Works Cited
Chandler, Charles R., and Yung-mei Tsai. “Social Factors Influencing Immigration Attitudes: An Analysis of Data from the General Social Survey.” The Social Science Journal 38.2 (2001): 177-188.
Daniels, Roger. Guarding the Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants Since 1882. New York: Hill & Wang.
Green, Thomas C., and Ileana M. Ciobanu. “Deputizing—and Then Prosecuting—America’s Businesses in the Fight Against Illegal Immigration.” American Criminal Law Review 43.3 (2006): 1203.
Haerens, Margaret. Illegal Immigration. Chicago: Greenhaven.
Massey, Douglas S. “Would Tighter Border Security Curb Illegal Immigration?” CQ Researcher 18.5 (2008): 113.
O’Callaghan, Erin M. “Expedited Removal and Discrimination in the Asylum Process: The of Humanitarian Aid as a Political Tool.” William and Mary Law Review 43.4 (2002): 1747.
Public Agenda. “Immigration: Discussion Guides.” 3 March 2008 http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/debate.cfm?issue_type=immigration
