Since the beginning of time, societies have often engaged in wars over land procession and spiritual beliefs. Likewise, they fought for their families, their nations, and their Christian practices and values. From a biblical perspective, enemies enter new territories with the aim of stealing, killing, and destroying those that are not in their bloodline or those that do not believe in their God. The “Holy One” encouraged people by confirming that he would grant them peace in the land and remove any sword that tried to pass through his country (Leviticus 26:6, New International Version). In modern times, enemies may enter territories guised as vulnerable individuals who need help. This is the case for the United States (U.S.), whereby illegal immigration is one of the challenges facing the country. Immigrants enter the U.S. illegally intending to gain access to opportunities that lack in their home countries. However, when illegal immigrants are not able to access these opportunities, they may resort to crime for survival. It is this phenomenon that links immigrants to deteriorated homeland security in the U.S. Illegal immigrants in the U.S. are closely associated with increased crime rates while their subsequent deportation has a far-reaching impact on their families, especially the children.
Crime Rates of Illegal Immigrants and Homeland Security
Immigration and increased crime rates
Since 2016, immigration has become a hotly debated topic in the U.S. political scene. In particular, the issue of undocumented immigrants has attracted the attention of different political factions. Subsequently, political aspirants at all levels have used this issue as a bargaining chip in their quest to mobilize voters. This issue has also given rise to varied passionate responses from different parts of the U.S. political spectrum ( Kamarck & Stenglein , 2019). While some argue that immigrants are beneficial to the country, others believe that these foreigners are a threat to the country. The former, for instance, may argue that allowing immigrants to better their lives in the U.S is a Godly deed. This may be in line with the biblical call for individuals to share with the poor so as to receive blessings ( Proverbs 22:9 , New International Version).
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Determining the actual number of illegal immigrants is difficult since these individuals do not reveal their legal status during surveys. For instance, despite President Trump’s focus on Mexican immigrants, this group represents less than half of the overall undocumented population in the U.S ( Kamarck & Stenglein , 2019). There is also a shift in illegal immigration from border-crossings to visa overstays, with the latter representing the most significant contributor of undocumented individuals ( Kamarck & Stenglein , 2019). Therefore, Trump’s plan to build a wall across the Mexican border is misinformed and may not deal with the problem adequately ( Kerwin , 2017) . The cost of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy is an issue of concern. However, another important implication is the impact of immigration on homeland security. In particular, immigrants are likely to engage in crime once they are unable to take advantage of the opportunities they had initially planned to exploit.
The link between crime and immigration has been hotly debated in recent years. However, this issue is not new. In the late 19 th century and early 20 th century, the U.S. experienced record rates of immigration ( Orrenius & Zavodny , 2019) . This trend gave rise to increased concerns that immigration was closely associated with increased rates of crime. Consequently, in congressional debates, it was often claimed that there was the active involvement of foreign nations in encouraging homegrown convicts to immigrate to the U.S. Likewise, immigration was claimed to be closely associated with a rise in the formation of criminal organizations. One notable organization in this regard is the mafia ( Orrenius & Zavodny , 2019). Moreover, the conceptualization of the U.S-Mexican border as a place with no respect for the law and full of crime and illegal activities is dated as far back as more than a century ago. Thus, the debate on whether or not immigration results in increased crime rates is as old.
The claim that immigrants, especially the undocumented ones, negatively affect public safety has risen again in recent years (Mastrobuoni & Pinotti, 2015). In particular, the debate played a crucial role in both the 2016 presidential elections and the shutdown of the government in early 2019. Since immigration is not counterbalanced by emigration, the resultant increase in the U.S population has been associated with an increase in the volume of crime. Likewise, most immigrants are young men who are in the early stages of labor market entry and career advancement. These males, due to their age, are more likely to engage in crime hence affecting homeland security ( Hagan & Palloni , 1998 ).
Despite concerns about the number of young immigrants entering the U.S, their contribution to the labor market is often desirable. Their desirability is attributed to shortages in particular classes of workers, specifically those required to carry out manual duties. Thus, in the absence of criminal activity, immigrants may contribute to the economy. The involvement of these individuals in crime increases the number of immigrants in the U.S. criminal justice system. This concern is attributed to the fact that immigrants are more vulnerable to being arrested, detained, convicted, and imprisoned (Mastrobuoni & Pinotti, 2015; Hagan & Palloni , 1998). Therefore, apart from affecting the U.S. homeland security, illegal immigrants cost taxpayers a considerable amount of money if arrested and imprisoned.
The role of policy
The issue of immigration cannot be decoupled from U.S. politics and policymaking processes. The policymakers have considered the security, economic, and humanitarian impacts of immigration in their bid to resolve the issue. Despite these efforts, Congress has encountered challenges in providing a long-term solution through immigration reforms. Various policy proposals have been forwarded to the judiciary and the executive arms of the federal government with the aim of initiating conversations on illegal immigration ( Lakoff , 2006). Recently, President Donald J. Trump was elected partly due to his intentions of implementing stringent measures to curb illegal immigration. President Trump shared such proposals as building a controversial wall on the U.S-Mexican border, and the temporary banning of citizens of certain countries from entering the U.S. Following his election, the president’s efforts to ban individuals from particular countries from entering the U.S led to legal and public protests. This exemplifies the complex nature of this issue. The implementation of different strategies has not deterred immigrants from entering the U.S. illegally.
Formulation of immigration policies is often informed by the claim that immigrants contribute to increased crime rates, and therefore, allocating more resources for enforcement may curb both illegal immigration and the resultant crime ( Orrenius & Zavodny , 2019). Notable policy proposals for reducing illegal immigration and increasing public safety include enhanced interior and border enforcement, reinstating Secure Communities, and increasing crackdown on sanctuary cities.
The crimes committed by illegal immigrants are often preventable. However, due to policy gaps, prevention has not always been achieved in most cases. Some policies have addressed the challenge, but others have resulted in an overflow of illegal immigrants ( Cook ‐ Martí n & FitzGerald , 2019; Levy et al., 2016; Czaika & De Haas, 2013 ). The U.S. federal government has, since the 1860s, been known for regulating the number of immigrants seeking refuge in the country. Following the National Origins Act of 1924, and the Immigration and National Act of 1952, quantitative limits on immigration were enacted for the first time in favor of the Europeans. By the 1960s, the discriminatory underpinnings of the national origins system had been discredited. Amendments on the Nationality Act were integrated in 1965 during President Kennedy’s era. This legislation raised the numerical limits on immigrants from 154,000 to 290,000, of which 120,000 were reserved for immigration from the Western Hemisphere.
The U.S. also terminated “bracero,” a program that allowed Mexican agricultural workers to enter the U.S. to offer farm labor after the Second World War ( Morgan , 2004). The immigration Act of 1990 addressed legal immigration deficiencies by restructuring categories of admission and job-based entry provisions for both temporary and permanent admissions. In 1994, California passed a controversial law referred to as Proposition 187. Through this law, undocumented immigrants were denied access to basic public resources such as medication, education, and other social services. While the law was scraped off later, it had already set the tone for other states.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, international terrorism was recognized as a critical threat to U.S. national security. Consequently, the department of defense was reorganized, leading to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 ( Kamarck & Stenglein , 2019). This move had far-reaching implications on both those suspected of being terrorists and the foreign individuals living in the U.S. The USA Patriot Act that was signed by President George W. Bush in October 2001 addressed concerns related to the latter. This Act defined immigration terms and expanded the powers of respective bodies, mandating them to search, monitor, detain, and deport any terror suspect (Romero, 2002). Another legislative strategy aimed at combating terrorism entailed the enactment of the Visa Reform Act of 2002. This Act tightened the visa screening process, border inspection, and emphasized tracking of foreign immigrants.
It is difficult to establish the actual number of undocumented immigrants at any given time. The reason for this is that illegal immigrants often operate in secrecy and rarely share their legal status during surveys. Therefore, the actual number of immigrants is usually higher in comparison to the official figures given. The majority of illegal immigrants go to the U.S. to search for work and other opportunities. These immigrants seek to provide a better life for their families and children. The illegal hiring of undocumented immigrants has been claimed to contribute significantly to the economic crisis. Likewise, it increases the rate of unemployment amongst citizens (Alexandru, 2015).
The Impact of Illegal Immigration on Homeland Security
The presumption that immigration of undocumented individuals into the U.S. is a threat to homeland security has advanced in line with the rapid increase in the number of immigrants entering the country. Amadeo (2019) cites that the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. was about 10.7 million in 2016. This figure is approximately 3% and 25% of the total U.S. population and immigrant population, respectively. Half of the undocumented immigrants are said to have lived in the U.S. for more than ten years. The author also highlights that in 1990, the total number of immigrants was estimated to be 3.5 million, implying that this number has tripled since then.
The increase in the number of illegal immigrants has put a considerable strain on the department of Homeland Security. The department has spent significant amounts of financial resources on the deportation of these individuals. For instance, a total of 434,015 illegal immigrants were deported in 2013 (Amadeo, 2019). Overall, President Obama’s administration deported about 2.4 illegal immigrants making it the most effective administration with regard to the deportation of undocumented immigrants. The administration also offered deportation relief for up to 580, 946 young immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. While the U.S government has to protect its citizens, the deportation of illegal immigrants due to their connection with crime is questionable biblically. In particular, Christians are encouraged not to “ repay evil with evil or insult with insult ” (1 Peter 3:9, New International Version). Instead, evil ought to be repaid with a blessing. It would thus be argued that leaders would receive a blessing for not deporting illegal immigrants for their crimes.
Currently, there are approximately 1.9 million criminal aliens who ought to be deported. This number includes both legal and illegal immigrants. One of the biggest challenges facing U.S. border patrol agents is the increased attempts by immigrants to enter the U.S. illegally. This phenomenon implies that the department of homeland security has to use immense resources and workforce to curb this illegal entry (Hanson, 2007). Also, the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants that are apprehended cost the department significant amounts of resources during their stay in the U.S.
The U.S. border patrol apprehended approximately 415,816 illegal immigrants in 2016 (Amadeo, 2019). According to the law, anyone presenting themselves at the border is allowed by the government to apply for asylum. However, the number of those applying for asylum at the U.S. borders has grown since 2018. This surge further stretches the department of homeland security. The surge has been attributed to increased drug-related violence in such places as Honduras. Indicating the government’s commitment to addressing the challenge, President Trump proposed to deploy 5,800 troops to the notorious Mexico border towards the end of 2018. The president reckoned that the forces would help prevent the illegal entry of Honduran refugees into the country.
The Effects of Illegal Immigration on Children Whose Parents are Deported
For many years, it has been the responsibility of societies to protect their country from outsiders seeking to enter their lands. Enemies traveled for long distances trying to conquer foreign lands. These enemies would enter the foreign lands unnoticed to cause an uproar. The many illegal immigrants entering the U.S. have created an uptrend in crimes and have also impacted the economy by taking jobs, resources, and health care services meant for the U.S. citizens. The increased number of immigrants has put a strain on the department of Homeland Security, which causes the department to struggle in fulfilling its designated mission of protecting U.S. citizens (Amadeo, 2019). While the department has been successful in fulfilling its mandate, the deportation of illegal immigrants has a profound impact on their children who are U.S. citizens legally. These children are forced to grow up without their biological parents, which has been associated with the easy conversion of these children into homegrown terrorists.
Deportation has many detrimental effects on those who are deported, their families, and the societies from where they are taken. According to the department of homeland security, the rate of deportation in the U.S. has been on the rise for the past three decades. A significant number of those deported have lived in the U.S. for over a decade while others are either caregivers or parents. Society for Community Research and Action (2018 ) estimates that 5.9 million children who are legal U.S. citizens are attached to at least one caregiver who is undocumented and lives illegally in the U.S. Interestingly, the amendments done on the existing laws are against the reunification of deported immigrants with their families, and this impacts negatively on the children who are U.S. citizens.
The family members left behind owing to deportation are bound to encounter multiple psychological effects. In particular, the deportation of parents has unprecedented psychological impacts on children following a forceful separation. For instance, in a study carried out on 190 children in 85 immigrant families across six cities in the U.S., it was shown that children encountered numerous developmental challenges owing to their parents’ deportation ( Society for Community Research and Action , 2018 ) . This separation can be felt later through the instability of their subsequent families, economic challenges, and challenges in meeting basic needs.
Once an individual is deported, the remaining members of the family or close associates are forced to take up new responsibilities. For instance, the caregivers have to work for long hours, leaving very little time for contact with the children. In larger families, the eldest child may take over the role of providing basic needs to the other siblings. Deportation also has detrimental effects on the overall performance of the school-going children. The deportation of a close family member exposes children to varied emotional and behavioral problems, which are manifested in the form of anorexia, poor sleeping patterns, sadness, anger, and withdrawal ( Society for Community Research and Action , 2018 ) . Despite attempts of reunification, the impact of the forced separation usually prevails. The legal children whose parents are deported are forced to make weighty decisions. They can either choose to leave the country of their citizenship with their parents to live in much poorer conditions or to remain in their country of citizenship but deprived of the right to be raised by their parents (Nessel, 2019).
The impacts of deportation extend beyond the nuclear family to other relatives and family members, such as grandparents (Nessel, 2019). Furthermore, approximately five million children live in families headed by the grandparents, with a large percentage these comprising of children of undocumented parents ( Society for Community Research and Action , 2018 ) . The number of children being raised by grandparents is skyrocketing, creating more concerns that can result in the grandparents’ deportation. Families that are headed by grandparents also face many challenges compared to normal families. However, despite the difficulties experienced by grandparents as they give care, their grandchildren have less psychological problems compared to those raised in foster care. Parenting by grandparents is depicted to facilitate the psychological maturity and wellbeing of the children. When caregivers are deported, children are exposed to a lack of a crucial caregiver, which increases the possibility of their placement in foster care. The impact of deportation on children and other family members is exacerbated by inadequate access to mental health interventions. Additionally, when these services are available, access to them is limited.
Illegal immigration has an unprecedented impact on homeland security in the U.S. This phenomenon is caused by, among other factors, existing policy gaps. Besides increasing crime rates in the U.S., illegal immigrants have considerably increased pressure on the department of homeland security. This is particularly the case regarding the increased cost of deportation. Further, deportation may cause children, who are legal U.S. citizens, to grow without parents. These children are faced with various psychological challenges while growing up. These challenges ultimately reduce the quality of children's lives.
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