Many Americans feel that the federal government should ease their immigration control. Several people believe that the government should open the borders and have open immigration. Increased immigration to the United States would help to contribute to the country’s technological advancement, help with labor needs, increase tax revenues, and improve U.S. competitiveness in the world economy (Simon 55). Immigrants improve the job market by increasing the demand for labor. People believe that the only way to raise the nations productivity is to change its immigration policies to favor skilled workers. The idea that open immigration is the key to a resurgence of America’s economy and, consequently a resumption of the material improvement of the American lifestyle seems radical to mast Americans (Ramsey 190). It is also said that restricting immigration would be very dangerous. It could accelerate the gradual decline of the American economy. An increase of immigration would allow the United States to meet many of their goals. One positive aspect is an increase in technological advances, due to people with scientific talent entering. It will also satisfy businesses. Immigration will cut down on using tax revenues and help eliminate the federal deficit. It will allow us to be more competitive with other countries. Immigration will also allow many people to enjoy life in the United States (Simon 56). All the U.S. needs to achieve these goals is to loosen its grip on the border and allow more skilled immigrants to come in. Thousands of people are trying to get into the U.S each year that are willing to work, but we ruin their opportunity by restricting immigration. People believe that by increasing immigration the United States will be more productive and successful in the future to come.
Another very serious problem is does immigration affect the environment? Many people feel that immigration will be a total disaster for the environment. Due greatly to immigration, U.S. population is expected to grow from 254 million in 1990 to 388 million to 454 million in 2050 (Bouvier 38). People believe that because of this increase in America’s population, it will increase global warming, air pollution, and waste production. They also feel that it will decrease food production and water supplies. It will increase global warming because there are more people using more energy, which causes us to use more gas and oil. The gases released into the atmosphere, which trap heat and increase the planets temperature. The United States has been known for a food-exporting nation. The more the American population grows the more food will be consumed; this will cause the food production to deteriorate very fast. If the U.S. population keeps growing, sooner or later food production will be insufficient for export (Bouvier 41). Immigration will also have a big impact on the water supply. Water shortage is already a large problem in some parts of the U.S. The more people that we allow in, the more problems we are going to have with water supply. People also feel that immigration is also going to greatly affect our waste disposal. Landfills everywhere are nearing capacity and public opinion opposed “imported waste” (Bouvier 42). The United States produces 160 million tons of municipal solid waste per year, nearly 3.5 pounds per person. With expected increases in population as well as in consumption, the 200 million ton per year mark will soon be reached (Bouvier 42). The more immigrants that we allow into America are going to cause a drain on our environment and the communities we live in today.
Immigration isn’t just affecting our environment, but also our crime and drug rate. There is a fast growing crime rate connected with illegal immigration. Immigrants are smuggling drugs across the border every day without even being noticed by border patrol. Ranches on the U.S. side of the border are arming themselves because drug traffickers on mountain bikes carrying 100-pound loads are pouring over the border riding through their property (“Illegal Immigration” 1). The Drug Enforcement Agency also says that Mexican traffickers are sending tons of cocaine and heroin across the border (“Illegal Immigration” 1). Shoot-outs are happening very often with automatic weapons coming from the Mexican side of the border. When police officers stop trucks of illegal immigrants or drugs they often wave them through in exchange for a cash bribe (“Mexico Plans” 1). The Mexican government plans to have more soldiers and immigration checkpoints near its border. “We have never had the security we want in the south, things were very loose.” Said Creel, who is in charge of the South Plan (Jordan 1). The crime problem doesn’t stop at the border. Once the illegal immigrants are in the U.S. they continue to be involved with criminal activity, which involves gang related crimes. The United States has a plan to strengthen safety and security along a 350-mile stretch of the Arizona border, they are adding three more surveillance helicopters, more soldiers and border patrol (“Nations Devise” 1). Hopefully this plan will help to decrease the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants into the United States.
Another question to be asked is whether or not immigration policy is to be blamed for stagnant wages? Americans feel that immigration is a big part of this. Incomes of low wage American workers have been decreasing for almost two decades. They feel that the reason for this is the large number of unskilled people, many of whom are illegal immigrants. It is very unlikely that these people’s wages will recover unless the flow of undocumented workers into the country is heavily reduced (Dunn 87). Basically immigrants are coming to our country doing the same jobs we are, but working for less money. Because of this it is putting a hold on our wages and income. Americans believe that immigration should be reduced to strengthen U.S. competitiveness. Since the end of World War II, many unskilled workers have been allowed to immigrate to the United States. Due to an overabundance of cheap labor Americans have failed to advance technology. Compared to other developed countries the United States economic competitiveness is poor. In order for Americas economic strength to improve the immigration of illegal aliens should be reduced to a small number of skilled workers, which in most cases would strengthen U.S. competitiveness (Harrison 34). The reason for slow growth of labor productivity is because of the loss of competitive advantages of many U.S. products in recent years. This problem is somewhat the result of low levels of U.S. research development and investment, compared to our competitors, Japan and Germany (Harrison 35). The reduction of immigration will not solve America’s economic problems, but it will help tremendously with our competitiveness.
Another aspect of immigration is are illegal immigrants treated fairly? Many Americans feel that immigrants are treated very unfairly. Illegal immigrants are one of the most powerless of any group of workers in this country, which is all the more reason immigration should be halted. Current records show that there are between 2.5 and 4 million illegal or undocumented immigrants in the United States (Lactaguin 138). A large number of these immigrants are seasonal workers, here for a few months at a time, some come and go at the beginning and end of the workweek. Many of these undocumented immigrants do not have regular jobs and are not associated with unions. When these immigrants do find a job they are exposed to very poor and hazardous working conditions. An estimated 70% of undocumented workers pay taxes, but they are not eligible for most federal benefits (Lactaguin 141). Even the benefits and services that the immigrants have access to are always being questioned. For example immigrants have been turned away from housing because they were suspected of being undocumented. Abuse and unfair treatment is not just in the workplace, but also throughout the lives of the immigrants. From this we see that the lives of illegal or undocumented immigrants is a constant battle from day to day.
In conclusion I would just like to add, the open spaces one sees from an airplane are not where the 100 million new immigrants and their families will settle. They will settle in the already overcrowded urban areas of the country just like they always have. Much of America's open spaces are occupied by food production for our own people and to sustain tens of millions of people in other countries. Open spaces are also part of our national heritage of parks and wilderness. Millions of illegal alien workers who could be doing all the farm work that "Americans won't do" are already in the U.S. Almost all illegals who come to work the fields do not make a career of low paying, hard working farm jobs. The belief that only pitiful third world laborers can be content in doing menial farm work disappears when it is seen that almost all of these workers sooner or later "head for the city" for the better jobs. The vast majority of illegal entries from across our southern border are unsophisticated, poor, and uneducated, who do not necessarily hold to strong family values or the Catholic faith. The illegal immigrants of today are not all the honest, hard working, American dream seekers. This is evident by record numbers of dead-beat dads who walk away from their responsibilities to their children by leaving their homeland and simply crossing the border. This problem is age old and is only increasing with time. There may be no one solution to the problem because our society has changed a great deal in the last 35 years. The only question left is will there be anything remaining from our “old society” in the future?
