Immigration Debate

Prevailing Debate on Immigration in the U.S

One of the most persevering political debates of all time in the American society has been on the controversial issue of immigration. The debate has recently been sparked back to life by the continuing election campaigns, as aspiring presidential candidates pit their perspectives on the issue against each other’s. Of particular interest is the recent assertion by Donald Trump, a Republican president aspirant, that if elected he would adopt an immigration plan seeking to deport immigrants back to their home countries (Liptak para.1-3). The provocative candidate has also been stirring the murky waters of this sensitive issue, by asserting that the current government led by President Barack Obama has

The author is emphatic that, contrary to common misconception, immigration is not a simplistic subject that solely entails geographical transference of individuals from one location to another. Rather, it is a complex matter that explores the manner in which boundaries influence political, social, and economic interactions between a nation’s citizens and immigrants. Consequently, immigration status does not just constitute legal technicalities necessary to complete the process, but it is reflective of affected individuals’ membership to the host country and the value or worth they are accorded. For instance, immigrants partake in various types of social relations, essentially becoming part of the local communities (Anderson 3). This outlook on immigration exemplifies the prevailing political contention in the U.S. For instance, while politicians like Trump view deportation of immigrants as simple location transference, contradicting partisans like President Obama point out the intricacy of the situation in terms of breaking social ties and creating socio-political tension in the American

It is the multiple facets of immigration that fuel the debate even further. For instance, as stressed by Jeong (602), immigration has both socio-cultural and economic outcomes. Economically, immigration affects labor supply, thus bringing about conflicts between employers and potential workers. From a social point of view, immigration elicits concerns of ethnicity, culture, and national identity. In recognition of the complexity wrought by socio-economic aspects of immigration, Guskin and Wilson (156) point out that both economic status and socio-cultural values immensely influence people’s opinions on the issue. For example, proponents would argue for immigration based on increased labor supply, while opponents argue against it based on the notion that immigrants occupy job positions that would otherwise have been filled by locals. In consideration of socio-cultural influences, opponents of immigration may exhibit aversion based on the thought that immigrants would corrupt the local culture, whereas supporters would perceive immigration as a way of enhancing American diversity for the better. Further acknowledging the multi-dimensional nature of immigration is Mohamed (299-301), who examines immigration from a political standpoint. This scholar notes that there are two principal political dimensions to immigration with the first relating to the tolerable number of