Demyan3

AndrewDemyan
Mr.Hawkins
BCALUSHistory
10March2015
IllegalImmigration:ExpandingOpportunitiesforForeigners

Illegalimmigrationisahottopicinmodernpolitics,manyCentralAmericansattemptto

crosstheUnitedStatesborderillegallytoprovideopportunitiesforthemandtheirfamiliesto
buildandleadabetterlifehowever,manyAmericansarestronglyopposedtoimmigration.
ImmigrationhasmanyprosandconsforbothimmigrantsandAmericancitizens,illegal
immigrantsfindemploymentatjobsthatcouldbeneededbyunemployedcitizens,manyCentral
Americancountriessufferfromextremepovertyanddisease,andAmericaoffersanopportunity
tostartanewlifefromacleanslate.
InmanyimpoverishedCentralAmericancountries,therearelargeproblemswith
infectivediseaseandthecountriesofferlittletonoopportunitytofindawellpayingjob.
ImmigrantsseeAmericaasachancetofindajobthatpaysenoughtosupporttheirfamiliesand
providetheirchildrenthepossibilitytobecomeeducatedandfindemploymentthatprovidesa
betterlife.Immigrantsdecidetocrosstheborderillegallybecauseitwouldtakeatleastthirteen
yearsforanillegalimmigranttogaincitizenship(Overview1).Ifanillegalimmigrantwereto
waitthirteenyearstogaincitizenship,theirchildrenwouldhavealreadybenefitedfromthe
Americanschools,andwouldalreadybeemployedandleadingahappierlifethantheywould
haveintheirhomecountry.Inaddition,illegalimmigrantswhoappliedforcitizenshipwould
havetoreturntotheircountryoforigintowaitfortheircitizenship,causingtheirchildrentobe

deprivedofagoodeducationandabetterlife.Thereisabacklogof4millionforeignerswith
connectionstofamiliesintheU.S.whohavebeenwaiting,oftenformanyyears,tojointhose
families(Overview1).Forimmigrantswhowouldattempttobecomealegalcitizenofthe
UnitedStates,eveniftheyhadnotillegally,wouldhavetowaitformanyyearsfortheir
citizenshiptobeprocessed,additionallytherearemillionsofImmigrantsfromotherpartsofthe
worldwhomarewaitingfortheircitizenship,whichcausesthebacklogofapplicantstobejustas
lengthyasthatforillegalimmigrantswhowanttobecomecitizens.
Alternatively,illegalimmigrantsarewillingtoworkforsubminimumwagepay,this
causesAmericanbusinessestohireillegalimmigrantsinsteadofUnitedStatescitizens.Even
though,atypicalMexicanimmigrantearnsonetenthofwhatatypicalAmericanworker
makes(Coyotes1),theystillearnasmuchasthreetimeswhattheycouldhavemadeintheir
homecountry(Coyotes2).Manyimmigrantswouldcommonlyearnaslittleatwodollarsper
hourinMexico,Guatemala,orothercountriesdrivingthemtoseekemploymentintheU.S.
ManyimmigrantsemigratetotheU.S.becauseofbillionsinsubsidiesfromtheU.S.congress,
theseU.S.basedcompaniescanselltheircorninMexicoforlessthanitcoststogrowandstill
makeaprofit(Coyotes1).ThisincreaseinimportedcornforcesMexicanfarmerstoseek
employmentelsewhere,commonlyrequiringthemtoillegallyimmigratetotheUnitedStatesjust
sotheycanearnenoughtofeedtheirfamilies.
FormanyimmigrantsAmericarepresentsanopportunitytostartanewlifeawayfrom
politicaloppressionandsocialinjustice.Inmanydestitutecountries,dictatorseasilyriseto
powerbecausethecountrieslacklawstopreventthedictatorsfromachievingpower.Thiscauses
manycountriestoalsolackthereformstoprovideforunemploymentandproperhealthcare.

Again,America,havingthesessociopoliticalreforms,givesimmigrantsthechanceofleadinga
betterlife.
Inconclusion,immigrantscometotheU.S.tobetterprovidefortheirfamilies,andthe
onlytruewaytopreventimmigrationistomakeAmericaworsethanthecountriesthattheyare
emigratingfrom.Americaneedstofocusonimprovingthecitizenshipprocessandmakingit
fasterandeasiertobecomeaUnitedStatescitizen,andalsocreateasteadygrowthofjobsfor
bothpeoplewhoarealreadycitizensandthosewhowishtobecomeacitizen.