The Politics of US Immigration Reform

Select one of the four groups Martin identifies which most closely identifies with your own views on immigration reform. 

In the US, immigration reform is a broad term used in describing the proposals aimed at maintaining or increasing legal immigration while diminishing illegal immigration in the country (Martin, 2004). Owing to the tremendous opportunities and challenges posed by immigration to the United States, immigration is an exceptionally controversial topic in the country and continues to attract significant public discourse. Those in support of enhanced immigration space argue that illegal immigration impedes public image on immigrants and cost the US' taxpayers’ significant amount of money (New American Economy, 2013). The opponents of illegal immigration, on the other hand, claim that the assertions of those in support of the regulation are malicious and that stricter immigration laws jeopardize the rights of citizens. Consequently, Martin identifies four major groups in her deliberation of immigration policy in the US, including refugees, close family members, and skilled workers (Martin, 2004). Of these groups, I consider refugees as identifying with my views on immigration reform.

Select another perspective from the four groups that advocates a position different than your own views. 

There are numerous convincing reasons as to why it is dangerous to have a large number of undocumented populations in any society. For once, it weakens law and order in the society, sanctions a shadow economy, which is difficult to monitor and regulate, and undermine the welfare of millions of immigrants who are legally in the country. However, while the undocumented immigrants gain experience fierce criticism, data demonstrates that a large number of approximately twelve million undocumented immigrants in the US are working, remitting their taxes, and operating private businesses (New American Economy, 2013). Undocumented populations in the US also play a critical role in the US economy by partaking in agriculture, construction, construction, and hospitality jobs, which they often achieve highly. The majority of undocumented immigrants seek entry into the US in search of job opportunities. As Martin (2004) argues, unlike the rest of the American population, these individuals are twice likely to be in their prime working ages, often ranging from between 25 and 60 years.

Review the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics on the Department of Homeland Security website. 

Studies explore that against the popular assumption, the undocumented immigrants are not displacing the American-born workers across various service sectors. Instead, they are filling job categories, which a majority of Americans are uncomfortable undertakings such as agriculture, construction, and mining. For instance, undocumented immigrants in the US account for 50% of the farm workers, hence their significant contribution to the nations’ food security (Homeland Security, 2019). Additionally, contrary to widespread public assumptions, undocumented immigration is not necessarily linked to the sprawling crime rate in the US. Between 1991 and 2014, a period that witnessed a tremendous number of undocumented immigrants in the country, the incidence of violent crimes dropped by 48% in the US (Homeland Security, 2019). Instead of indulging crimes, a large number of undocumented immigrants are actively involved in gainful employment and remit their taxes relentlessly. And since they are mainly unentitled to most federal welfares, scholars opine that they contribute significantly to the Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs. 

Summarize your choices from the Martin article for the group that most closely identifies with your perspective and your choice for the group which advocates a position different than your own from your reading. Remember, the data is the focus of your report, not your views on immigration reform. 

Martin’s article explores that an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently stay in the country (Martin, 2004). Despite the challenges attributable to immigration generally, the article establishes that the United States benefits immensely from their contributions to the nation’s economy and cultural growth. However, the article also cites low wages, joblessness, and the creation of a growing underclass community as critical reasons. The group that most closely identifies with my perspective and my choice are the skilled workers seeking job opportunities in the US. In the increasingly investment focused society, priority should be extended to any opportunity that would buttress the United States, particularly in its economic growth pursuits (New American Economy, 2013). The literature identifies the immigrants seeking entry into the US as highly productive, especially in areas where the mainstream US’ populations seem wanting such as agriculture, mining, and construction, which form the bedrock of the US’ food security and infrastructural growth. However, it is imperative to pursue these objectives in a rational manner that does not necessarily compromise the United States’ homeland security and political stability.

Create a data table from the data that most closely represents your views. Explain your data table.

Approximately 43.5 million immigrant populations lived in the US by 2016, thus accounting for 13.7% of the total population of 324 million. Between 2014 and 2016, the foreign-born US populations rose by approximately 450,000 or 1%, a rate slower than 2.1% growth realized between 2014 and 2015 (Zong, Batalova, & Hallock, 2018).

Create a bar chart from the data that most closely represents the alternate perspective you selected. Explain your bar chart. 

In sum, immigrant populations are comparatively less well-off compared to their native counterparts on virtually all aspects of socioeconomics. Nonetheless, the data that captures the immigrants, which have been in the country for a decade and over suggest that over time, this population match their native counterparts in terms of socioeconomic status (Fix & Passel, 2018).

Based on your findings, what additional research on this subject should be conducted to explore this issue more fully? 

Immigration remains an extremely debated topic in the US public discourse over the years, as policymakers tend to approach the subject by weighing the underlying economic, security, and humanitarian attributes attached to it. For decades, policymakers have been unable to reach a consensus on comprehensive immigration reforms, thereby forming some of the notable policy decisions around which the discourse revolves. President Donald Trump, in particular, won the admiration of the US voters by pledging to take extraordinary steps in curbing illegal immigration and countercheck terrorism through his controversial proposals to erect a stone wall along the US' border with Mexico. Other plans included deporting millions of undocumented populations while placing a temporary ban on Muslims. Perhaps additional research on this area should delve on mapping out the extent to which some of these proposals are tenable, particularly about erecting a landmark border wall.

References

Fix, M. & Passel, J. (2018). Immigration and immigrants: Setting the record straight . Retrieved from webarchive.urban.org/publications/305184.html

Homeland Security. (2019). Immigration data & statistics . Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics

Martin, S. (2004). The politics of US immigration reform . Wiley Online Library.

New American Economy. (2013). Undocumented immigrants . Retrieved from https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/issues/undocumented-immigrants/

Zong, J., Batalova, J., & Hallock, J. (2018). Frequently requested statistics on immigrants and immigration in the United States . Retrieved from www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states-7