Legalizing Illegal Immigration

US immigration laws include immigration paperwork violations. These paperwork violations consist of illegal entry, visa overstay, and border crossing card violation. Illegal entry is when non-nationals enter the US without inspection or authorization from government officials, which is apart of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act stops illegal aliens from entering or trying to enter the US at any time or place that isn’t a selected area by an immigration officer, it also stops illegal immigrants from avoiding inspection by immigration officers. Visa overstay is when someone with a Visa overstays their allotted time in the country. A Border Crossing Card is a card that authorizes border crossings into the

The first of these policies is the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which made it illegal to recruit or hire illegal aliens. The hiring of illegal immigrants by employers comes with fines and jail time. During the George W. Bush administration advocates argued that illegal immigrants cost US taxpayers an estimate of $338.3 billion dollars and puts law enforcement and citizens at risk. Research by George J. Borjas an economist at Harvard University has argued that illegal immigration had a considerable effect on all three socioeconomic classes. The problem is that illegal aliens take jobs away from tax paying citizens and its widely perceived that they don’t pay taxes. Since the 2001, 9/11 attacks the United States has struggled to come up with any policy that is agreed upon by both the House Representatives and the Senate. Therefore, some states have taken it upon themselves to pass legislation for their state. For example, in 2009 the state of Arizona. Arizona’s Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act(Arizona SB 1070). This law directs law enforcement officials in the state of Arizona to question immigration documentation. This almost allows law enforcement to run rampant just because. Although, the police can only ask about an individuals immigration status if they are suspected of involvement in another

As much as I understand the strengthening of immigration laws and reform. I think its unfair for illegal aliens to take jobs that otherwise wouldn’t be available. They end up getting these jobs because they work for significantly less than legal citizens. I can understand them being day laborers but taking away a job from someone more qualified is unacceptable. This issue also lies with employers. Employers hiring illegal immigrants is beyond unethical. A company hiring illegal aliens puts themselves at risk of being shutdown as well as, their customers, other employees. I also believe immigrants legal or illegal should pay taxes. I think if illegal aliens take the initiative and show that they are trying to be upstanding citizens, maybe that would increase their chances of becoming a legal immigrant. With that being said, I do believe in the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would provide provisional permanent residency to certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, have good moral character, have arrived in the US illegally or legally as minors, and have stayed in the country continuously for at least five years before the bill’s enactment. After all everyone is entitled to their own American