(Student’s Full Name)
“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt
It is well-known fact that the United States is a nation that has been created and built by immigrants, as implied by the above statement made by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The issue of immigration reform has been an increasingly significant and controversial issue over the years. This is especially true when one considers the current political climate in America. Therefore, in light of current events, I would like to focus my attention on what I believe to be the long-term solution to immigration in the United States. I feel strongly about this issue because the manner in which immigration reform is handled can potentially harm the US economy or benefit it. Those who favor the conservative viewpoint on immigration argue that the security at the US border needs to be tightened and “illegal aliens” need to be deported back to their “countries of origin—wherever they may be” (Quinn par. 9). The conservatives contend that illegal immigrants can bring wages downward, thereby causing jobs to be taken away from native born workers. On the other hand, there is evidence to verify the fact that illegal immigrants do not take away jobs from native born workers in America. Furthermore, it can be proven that the presence of illegal immigrants do not lower the wages of the general working population. Therefore, I am taking the stance that measures be devised that will allow illegal immigrants to become citizens of the United States.
Illegal immigrants should be given the opportunity to become American citizens because their presence helps to boost the US economy. For example, Chris Farrell mentions that immigrants “documented or not, legal or illegal” are a “boon to the net economy” (par. 4). The writer explains that “foreign-born newcomers” have helped to revitalize “beaten-down neighborhoods” (Farrell par. 6). Farrell indicates that they are able to do this by opening “small businesses” while allowing their families to “put down stakes” (par. 6). Furthermore, immigrants have played a significant role in “keeping a number of industries competitive, such as agriculture and meatpacking” (Farrell par. 6).
Illegal immigrants should be given the chance to become American citizens because it has not been proven that their presence “drive down wages and job opportunities for American workers” (Farrell par. 7). Farrell argues that the presence of immigrants is “‘more likely to complement the job prospects” of native-born citizens than they are to “‘compete for the same jobs” as native-born citizens (qtd. in Farrell par. 7). This is the case because many of the immigrants are not as educated or as fluent in English as native-born citizens. Additionally, the writer contends that immigrants help to increase the “size of the economic pie” by facilitating job creation and the creation of “new businesses” and “new consumers” (Farrell par. 8).
In conclusion, illegal immigrants should be given the chance to become American citizens because their presence helps to boost the economy and “‘complement the job prospects’” of US-born citizens (qtd. in Farrell par. 7). Therefore, it can be said that it would be economically beneficial for the US to create a path of citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Works Cited
Farrell, Chris. “Obama's Next Act: Immigration Reform.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-12-13/obama-s-next-act-immigration-reform>.
“Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes.” Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes (Author of 15 Documents and Speeches That Built America [Unique Classics]). Goodreads, Inc. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/219075.Franklin_D_Roosevelt>.
Quinn, Justin. “Conservative Views on Immigration Reform.” About.com News & Issues. 23 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://usconservatives.about.com/od/capitalpunishment/i/Immigration.htm>.
