The immigration policies today are best described by the elite model theory. This position is premised on the fact that the immigration laws that are currently being used in the United States of America do not necessarily reflect the common man’s desires. On the converse, the policies are a reflection of what is favored and desired by powerful interest groups, lobbyists and the political elite. The overriding objective in the policies has not been so much on what the ordinary citizen desires of the nation. Rather, the approach has been predicated and motivated by the need to address the demand and interests of the elite. For instance, there have been deliberate attempts by the political elite to ensure the immigrants are adopted into the country in the hope that they would be able to earn political capital from the constituents favoring adoption of migrants. In addition, some employers have seen, in the immigrants, cheap labor which they want to capitalize on hence advocating for their retention and adoption in America.
A number of barriers confront comprehensive immigration reform. The partisan interests of law makers especially at the Senate and Congress level present a real barrier. Interestingly, as its stands the reform has been initiated through a bipartisan process in the Senate. In addition, the citizens also have divided and conflicting interests. A portion of the society have embraced immigrants on the grounds that it is human, that they (immigrants) contribute to the growth of the economy by providing cheap labor and a market for products and that America is actually a nation of immigrants. The other portion of the society insist that the immigrants take the opportunities which would rather have been left for natives, that the immigrants enjoy social benefits without being subjected to taxation and that embracing illegal migration would be contrary to the provisions of law in line with order and legitimacy. These contrasting and conflicting stands make comprehensive immigration reform efforts a tall order.
Works Cited
Anderson, Staurt . Immigration. New York: ABC-CLIO, 2010.
