Immigration Issues In America

Immigration has always been a major part of American history. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to the United States in search of a better life. Of the 1.49 million immigrants who traveled to the United States in 2016, 150,400 immigrants were from Mexico. There have also been many people from Mexico who have immigrated illegally to America, with 5.6 million Mexican unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. in 2015 and 2016. The large scale of immigration, both legal and illegal, has brought up issues such as national security and the U.S. economy. The U.S. Senate is struggling to find a viable solution; they can’t seem to come up with a plan on how to deal with immigration that appeases both sides of the political spectrum.

This program was introduced by President Barack Obama in 2012 and was aimed at protecting people who were brought to the United States under the age of 16 from deportation. The program required applicants to be in or have graduated high school, to have no criminal record, and other requirements. It provided applicants who were eligible with a two-year, renewable permit, and although it granted work authorization, it did not grant legal status. Approximately 800,000 DACA recipients, also referred to as “Dreamers,” are currently being protected by the program. However, on September 5, 2017, the Trump administration announced that it would end DACA, declaring the executive order that created it unconstitutional. President Trump called on Congress to address the issue and replace DACA with a solution that would determine the status of Dreamers. DACA is set to end on March 5, 2018, and after that, the Department of Homeland Security will no longer accept new applicants. Dreamers will also be left vulnerable to deportation, and their work permits will not be able to be renewed. With the March 5th deadline rapidly approaching, Congress has decided to hold a week-long immigration debate starting February 12, 2018, in which the Senate will see if they can pass a bill. The McCain-Coons plan is a proposal that may be discussed at the

Yet, with the little progress they’ve made in the six months they were given, I’m doubtful. Even though President Trump is opposed to the McCain-Coons plan, I believe that it is reasonable for both Dreamers and border security. It doesn’t solve every immigration issue, but it takes care of the two most urgent problems and serves as a good foundation. Like many lawmakers, I am not in support of a border wall, and I think that the large sum of money required for a wall could be used to improve border security in better, more technologically advanced ways. Although border security is important, it is more important that Dreamers are able to stay in the United States and have the chance to earn citizenship. Dreamers had no choice when they were brought to the U.S. as children; they don’t deserve to be deported. Nevertheless, it is up to Congress to protect Dreamers, and whether or not they will be able to pass a bill is