Gonzalez Should They Stay?

On July 10, 2012, Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, and House of Representative, Luis Gutierrez, arrived at Little Village Lawndale High School to propose an immigrant-friendly ordinance (Mack). Though the overall purpose of the ordinance was to prevent deportation of hard working undocumented immigrants, it also served as a reminder of the heated debates over immigration policies in the United States (Mack). Mayor Emanuels ordinance reminded the city of Chicago, residents of Illinois and citizens of the United States that the issues of immigration are far from being solved, in fact, they have been more apparent in the last year with the Presidential Election of 2012. The controversy over the sanctuary city is that it brings joy, happiness and new opportunities for some, but imposes invasion for others. For instance, in his article, Botched Immigration System Spawns Alien Menace, Bill OReilly criticizes city governments for enforcing sanctuary city laws and the federal government for not implementing Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution. The implication of OReillys treatment of immigration is that most undocumented immigrants cause harm and should be treated as invaders. Many others believe that the United States should have a conservative view on immigration because they pose a threat to our country. Nonetheless, the majority of undocumented immigrants are hard working individuals that are aiming for a better life. Bill OReilly suggests that undocumented immigrants have posed a hazard to the United States citizens. For example, he elaborates on a situation in which five undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Ecuador raped a forty-two year old mother. Although the situation is heart breaking, OReilly tends to make the assumption that most immigrants will do the same. Furthermore, the host of The OReilly Factor brings up the fact that approximately twelve percent of the prison inmates in California are immigrants; however, he fails to recognize that it

Gonzalez is a very small percentage. Not only that, but OReilly also fails to value the presence of immigrants. Undocumented immigrants have made tremendous contributions to the country. For example, the majority of immigrants are very hard workers. Most of the time, immigrants are confronted with low paying, strenuous and hazardous jobs. Many may have the misconception that immigrants take jobs from Americans; however, they work hard to keep jobs that most citizens do not want. Common occupations that undocumented immigrants hold are field workers, janitors, housekeepers, factory workers and so on. Ultimately, undocumented immigrants are hard working and do not cause as much trouble in our country as many tend to believe. Cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston are being criticized for

executing sanctuary city laws (OReilly). It can be insinuated that OReilly is angered by the fact that the sanctuary city laws may be encouraging immigrants to make a life in the United States instead of keeping them out. Moreover, he continues to condemn the federal government for not taking stronger measures to prevent immigrants from coming into the United States. OReilly even questions why military forces cannot protect the homeland border. However, many cities are implanting the sanctuary city laws because undocumented immigrants are productive members of society. Several people come to the United States to provide a better education for their children. In many of these cases, undocumented students work that much harder to have a outstanding grades and a clean record because they need to be eligible for scholarship money in order to pay for a college education. As previously mentioned, it is common for undocumented families to have low-income jobs which makes it difficult to pay for college. Also, undocumented students are not qualified to apply for financial aid. This

Gonzalez demonstrates their struggle to achieve the American dream. Immigrants risk their lives, their families lives and everything they have worked for in their home country. For this reason, all their efforts go towards obtaining opportunities that lead the way to a better and successful life. Overall, the majority of undocumented immigrants come to the United States to fulfill their dreams and to be exposed to new opportunities.

Overall, Bill OReillys statement about undocumented immigrants is unfair. He portrays himself as uneducated and unreliable as he critiques the city and federal governments for having such lenient laws on immigration deportation. Bill OReillys statement puts undocumented immigrants in such a negative light when in actuality they are aiming for a better life. Furthermore, undocumented immigrants have the right to the city. They hold the right to be treated equally.

Gonzalez Works Cited O'Reilly, Bill. "Botched Immigration System Spawns Alien Menace." Human Events 20 Jan. 2003: 21. Print.

Mack, Kristen. "Emmanuel Wants to Make Chicago More Immigrant-Friendly." Chicago Tribune [Chicago] 10 July 2012: n. pag. Print.