In the USA, illegal immigration becomes a social problem which affects both native citizens and new comers. At the beginning of the 21st century, America is filled with millions of illegal immigrants coming from all over the world: the Post-Soviet Union countries and Asia, Africa and South America. “ There are about 11 million illegal immigrants in the US today, a figure that grows by some 500, 000 a year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies” (Knickerbocker, 2006).
Thesis The main factors which force Native Americans to struggle against illegal immigration include economic and social instability, increases concern of terrorism and racism (nativism).
From a social point of view, illegal immigration creates a class conflict between immigrants and native citizens limited in social security and employment opportunities. Today, workers with no licit status compose a large sector of the labor force. The state creates this pliable work force by legally restricting labor immigration but falling to enforce those restrictions.
The attempts of the American government to legitimate illegal immigrants resulted in social problem for Americans threatening their employment opportunities and labor market. According to D. Jacobe: “ the current wage stagnation is [caused by] the influx of a huge number of illegal immigrants who violate U. S” (Jacobe 2006).
The main problem is that the illegal immigrants labor policies have not been changed over time resulted in social problem for millions of Americans. Following critics, illegal immigration follow from social strife over labor market shortages or an overabundance of immigrants. On the other hand, many native citizens deprived their right to obtain a well-paid job and earn for living.
Most of them rely on social security and social funding as the main source of income (Reimers, 1998).. The movement against illegal immigration is aimed to protect social rights of low classes and legal immigrants.
Illegal immigrants bring economic and social disbalance into the economic system. Some critics (Watts 2002; Jacobe 2006) claim that illegal immigration is marked by a high level of uncertainty. Refugee policy and the ” non-policy” of ineffective enforcement against unsanctioned immigration seem carefully, even cynically crafted (Watts 2002).
The labor recruitment system that depends on unsanctioned workers might have high costs for specific communities and the nation as a whole, yet it benefits employers in specific industries and geographical locations. This analysis challenges the argument that ” push factors” in immigrant-sending countries, including economic underdevelopment, overpopulation, and political instability, have been the primary constraints on governmental efforts to restrict immigration. “ it’s true that the cheapest possible labor working under the worst possible conditions benefits the people who consume and the owners of capital” (Jacobe 2006).
For the core of American society, illegal immigration means to misbalances in supply and demand, it “ worsens the distribution of resources” and creates social tension (Reimers, 1998). The new economic conditions provide illegal immigrants with wider economic and social opportunities depriving low classes and racial minorities a chance to compete on the labor market.
Pros of the reform include strict control of borders and coordinated efforts of different nations to secure and protect population from unlawful and uncontrolled immigration flow (Knickerbocker 2006). Illegal immigrants have a negative impact on the amount spent on personal services and increased the capital available to employ people in the division of labor.
These facts are important because many native citizens in America are excluded from the equal distribution of wealth and socio-economic resources because of illegal but cheap labor force. Unemployment in an economy represents a significant waste of resources which could be used to produce goods and services.
Nativism (anti-immigrant feeling) is another factor against illegal immigration. Many illegal immigrants are discriminated due to the prejudices and preconceptions of the people with whom they have to deal. Illegal immigrants are the main target of poverty. Most of these families are limited by their social position deprived a chance of social mobility.
For instance, “’Save Our State’ initiative intended to deny all public services to illegal immigrants, including education and non-emergency medical care, as well as require public administrators, teachers and medical personnel to report suspected undocumented immigrants to the immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)” (Pantoja 2006, 515).
For those left behind in the country, the remoteness of the young adults results in additional problems in the care of both the very young and the aged, which has traditionally devolved on the youngest unmarried daughters of the family, thus reinforcing their dependence on the family unit and leading to very marked differences in the experience of education between men and women. a
