Summary: The Standards For Immigration Reform

U.S. history is rich with immigration; immigrants have been instrumental in the development of the country since its onset; beginning with the pilgrims and puritans seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. From that point on freedom and economic opportunity became the central reasons for immigration to the U.S. The Germans and Irish crossed the Atlantic ocean in the early 1800’s to take on jobs in the cities and settle farmlands during westward expansion, the Chinese immigrated in the 1850’s to capitalize on the Gold Rush and work on building the transcontinental railroads, Jews from Eastern Europe and Italians emigrated during the early 1900’s during the Industrial Revolution, and every ethnic group since have all come in search

In January 2013, a bipartisan group of eight senators representing NY, NJ, CO, FL, and AZ all states with significant immigrant populations introduced a comprehensive plan to reform the immigration system . The Senate’s plan sought to address four key areas needed for reform: 1) immigration overhaul; 2) employment verification 3) guest worker programs; and 4) a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented persons already living in the U.S., contingent upon increasing border security . A year later in January 2014, The House of Representatives proposed its own plan for immigration reform, a fragmented plan known as – “The Standards for Immigration Reform” – seeking to address in parts: 1) border security; 2) an entry-exit system; 3) employment verification and workplace enforcement; 4) reforms to the current immigration system; 5) youths; and 6) adult undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. . Both plans call for border security, however the House’s Standards makes securing the border the first priority , while the Senate’s plan would implement the other reform measures concurrently with border enforcement; measures that need implantation to address the country’s economic and social

The Senate’s plan and the House’s plan both recognized the growing need for highly skilled workers in the labor market and proposed to make it easier for immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to get green cards and work visas. Additionally, the Senate’s plan offers a path of citizenship to the already 11 million undocumented people already living in the U.S. providing a path to citizenship can produce tremendous economic benefits. Industries such as agricultural and construction employ millions of low skilled workers, although many of them are illegal immigrants because they are easier to cheat than legal workers; this depresses wages for all workers and increases demand for unauthorized workers. A 2008 report from the Atlanta Federal Reserve analyzed how this cycle is activated and expands as firms find themselves forced compete for the supply of cheaper, unauthorized labor, When a firm cuts cost by hiring unauthorized workers for low wages, its competitors become more likely to hire unauthorized workers for lower wages, as well, in order to benefit from the same cost savings . Economists believe legalization of the undocumented workers would bring substantial economic gains. The real wages of newly legalized workers increase by roughly $4,405 per year among those in less skilled jobs during the