Decriminalization of illegal immigration argumentative essay examples

Introduction:

Illegal immigration is a phenomenon that has swamped several countries as people from disadvantaged areas with no opportunities do their best to find a better life accordingly especially in countries such as the United States and European countries such as Germany. Most of the time, these immigrants are coming from areas where there is considerable warfare and strife so they are escaping situations in their homeland which are affecting them badly.
Immigrants usually also come in search of work as this is probably something quite difficult to find in their country and this obviously means that they have no real means to support themselves or their families. Usually these are called economic migrants as they come in search of economic opportunities accordingly and although these are not always prevalent immediately they usually find work (albeit badly paid) after some months of searching.

The situation in the United States:

The United States is the promised land for those who are seeking a safe haven from the problems in their country. Most of the twelve million illegal immigrants who currently reside in the US come from countries such as Mexico and other South American countries. They arrive across the border between Mexico and Texas and usually spirited or smuggled away to be eventually introduced into the labour market at very low wage rates. This creates a situation where labour is sold at a very cheap costs and this thus has implications for legal workers who are forced to compete with those who came into the country illegally and this undoubtedly results in considerable problems and friction. Thus the illegal immigrants are not only viewed as a threat to social stability as they bring with them their customs and traditions which may not be in keeping with American tradition but they also create other economic problems.

The pros and cons of decriminalizing illegal immigration

Principally an illegal immigrant must be viewed as a human being and human beings have rights and duties. The fact that a man is trying to search for a better life for his family is nothing wrong and if he does not have the means to travel to another country then at least if it is a genuine case of economic migration then the law should look kindly on such individuals. There is the added bonus of the input of labour into the country’s economy which may perhaps be in need of certain skills which are not always found in the country where the immigrant makes his home in.
Decriminalization of illegal immigration is also a win win factor for everyone involved. If immigrants are sent to jail or deported then the cost for the government will still be substantial so this money has to come out of those who are paying taxes. There should be an option for illegal immigrants to regularize their position as quickly as possible so that they can start being infiltrated into the legal economy thus making them eligible for social security and other contributions. If they have a proper job then they will increase their purchasing power and this will mean that the country’s economy will improve.
Of course there is also the issue of abuse which can be perhaps the most singular problem regarding illegal immigration. Large and considerable rackets currently operate where illegal immigrants are trafficked in inhumane conditions but this system brings about huge profits for the traffickers themselves. Instead of clamping down on the illegal immigrant who is simply attempting to attain a better livelihood for himself and his family, the government should clamp down on the human traffickers without mercy. This is a similar operation to drug cartels who operate through insiders in various countries and the United States is certainly not immune to such problems.
The proposal for building a fence across the Mexican-American border between Texas and Arizona is certainly counterproductive and will definitely result in more violent ways for immigrants to gain access to the United States and more abuse on the part of their mentors.

As argued in a previous essay, the DREAM Act is an interesting proposition for the legalization of illegal immigration.

Although there are considerable benefits for the DREAM Act, in order to fully understand the issue, it is necessary to consider the statements of the opponents of the act. First of all, they say that it will reward illegal immigration. Second, this doesn’t require the immigrant to learn the English language proficiently, which makes the process of assimilation very difficult for them. Third, many people are afraid that the US citizens will be forced to give some places of their children to the immigrants due to this act.

Works Cited

Greenwood, M. J. and McDowell, J. M. “ USA immigration policy, source-country social programs, and the skill composition of legal USA immigration.” Journal of Population Economics 24. 2 (2011): 521-539. Print.
Lee, Y. “ To dream or not to dream: a cost-benefit analysis of the development, relief, and education for alien minors (DREAM) act.” Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy 16 (2006): 231-258. Print.
Ojeda, R. H., Takash, P. C., Castillo, G., Flores, G., Monroy, A. and Sargeant D. No DREAMers Left Behind. N. d. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.