20th Century Shen Immigration 2012 Part I: Where are we today? FYI: According to the U.S. Census Bureau the overall immigrant population (legal as well as illegal) in the United States reached the 40 million mark in 2010, roughly one-third of which comprised of illegal immigrants. Nearly 14 million new immigrants, legal and illegal, came to the U.S. between 2000-2010 (making that decade the highest ever in U.S. history!) Statistical estimates suggest that there were roughly 11.2+ million illegal migrants residing in the United States as of 2010. The data compiled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revealed that 57 percent of the total illegal migrant population came from Mexico alone, while around 25 percent was attributed to the other Latin American nations.
Percent of legal vs. illegal immigrants in the U.S. (1999) Part II: What s the Best Course of Action to Address our Current Immigration Problems? Immigration is a contentious issue in political races from the local level up to this year's presidential contest. According to a 2011 Time Magazine poll, when asked How big a problem is illegal immigration in the country compared to other problems we face? 33% of Americans responded that it is a very major, 33% said it was somewhat major, while only 11% of Americans polled felt it is either a very minor problem or not really a problem at all. When Time asked How good a job has the federal government done to protect the nation's borders from illegal immigrants? only 1% of Americans responded that the govt. was doing an excellent job, while nearly 49% of Americans feel the govt. is doing a poor job of protecting the nation s borders from illegal immigrants. Polls across the nation in the last year speak to the distaste many have for granting certain rights to immigrants: --Sixty-eight percent oppose tuition breaks for immigrants attending state colleges (CBS News) --35% say revise the 14th Amendment to keep children of illegal immigrants from becoming citizens (Time) --55% oppose a bill that would give some immigrants a path to legal status (USA Today/Gallup) --Almost 70% prefer stricter enforcement of immigration laws over efforts to integrate illegal immigrants into society (Quinnipiac University)
Part III: Two Case Studies: Connecticut and Alabama Connecticut In August of 2007, New Haven Connecticut became the first U.S. city to issue identification cards to illegal immigrants. The issuance of identification cards to undocumented immigrants came in the midst of heated immigration debates. The cards, which are available to all of New Haven's 125,000 residents including some 10,000 to 12,000 illegal immigrants are designed to open up many services to immigrants, such as banking. Supporters of the identification cards feel that they encourage immigrants who are victims of crime or witnesses of crime to cooperate with authorities, whereas without identification some immigrants might be hesitant to come forward. Critics state the cards make the city more attractive to illegal aliens, flood the city's labor market, and take jobs away from legal residents. New Haven already offers federal tax help to immigrants and prohibits police from asking about their immigration status. Alabama Republican supporters say Alabama's strict new immigration law was intended to force illegal workers out of jobs and help legal residents find work in a state suffering from high unemployment. The law allows police to detain people indefinitely if they are suspected of being in the country illegally and requires schools to check the status of new students when they enroll. It also makes it illegal to transport or rent property to undocumented immigrants. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the order after the Justice Department challenged what is considered the toughest immigration law in the nation. The opinion also blocked a part of the law that makes it a crime for immigrants to not have proper documentation. A final decision on the law won't be made for months to allow time for more arguments. Since a federal judge upheld much of the law in late September, many frightened Hispanics have been driven away from Alabama, fearing they could be arrested or targeted by police. Construction workers, landscapers and field hands have stopped showing up for work, and large numbers of Hispanic students have been absent from public schools. Schools have reported high absentee rates among Hispanic students, and officials said even more students were absent Wednesday, apparently because of the protest. At Crossville Elementary School in DeKalb County, Principal Ed Burke said about 160 of the school's 600 students weren't in class. "We normally would have about 20 or 30 out," he said. The Obama administration is among the critics of the new law and asked a federal appeals court Wednesday to at least temporarily block enforcement, arguing in court documents the statute oversteps the state's authority. It's not clear when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will rule on the administration's request for a preliminary injunction. Immigration has become a hot-button issue in Alabama over the past decade as the Hispanic population has grown by 145 percent to about 185,600 people, most of them of Mexican origin. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 70 percent of the state's Hispanic residents are Mexican. The Hispanic population represents about 4 percent of the state's 4.7 million people, but some counties in north Alabama have large Spanish-speaking communities and schools where most of the students are Hispanic. The Justice Department has called the Alabama law a "sweeping new state regime" and urged the appeals court to forbid states from creating a patchwork of immigration policies. The agency also said the law could strain diplomatic relations with Latin American countries, who have warned the law could impact millions of workers, tourists and students in the U.S. The law, it said, turns illegal immigrants into a "unique class who cannot lawfully obtain housing, enforce a contract, or send their children to school without fear that enrollment will be used as a tool to seek to detain and remove them and their family members." Source: Jay Reeves, Alabama s Immigration Law Under Protest, TIME Magazine, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 Note: In April 2010, Arizona passed a comparable law to Alabama s, which at the time was regarded as one of the nation s toughest anti-immigration laws. It s passage sparked a nationwide debate over state immigration laws. Previously, immigration offenses were treated as violations of federal, not state, law, and local police officers only could inquire about a person's immigration status if that person was suspected of another crime. Under Arizona s SB1070 law, however, Arizona police have the right to stop anyone on "reasonable suspicion" that may be an illegal immigrant and can arrest them if they are not carrying a valid driver's license or identity papers. Additionally, police officers are required, when practicable, to detain people they reasonably suspect are in the country without authorization and to
verify their status with federal officials, unless doing so would hinder an investigation or emergency medical treatment. It is also a state crime a misdemeanor to not carry immigration papers. Many of the provisions in the law have since been halted by federal court injunction. Arizona s law has since been surpassed by Alabama s law and unlike in the case of Arizona, the federal circuit thusfar has shown support for Alabama s new law, striking down federal and local cases seeking an injunction against the enforcement of the law. I was also going to give a graduation speech in Arizona this weekend, but with my accent, I was afraid they would try to deport me. - Arnold Schwarzenegger, CA governor, speaking during a graduation speech in Atlanta, taking a shot at Arizona's new immigration law Alabama makes me live in fear. If mom drives me to school, a policeman could arrest me just because of the color of my skin," the Mexican-born Jose said on Wednesday. "I have to be afraid of my teachers, the people I look up to. - Jose, a 16-year-old undocumented student from Pelham, Alabama Given the levels of frustration across the country, this is understandable, but it is also ill-conceived. - President Obama, on Arizona's controversial immigration law We're going to overturn this unjust and racist law, and then we're going to overturn the power structure that created this unjust, racist law. - Raul Grijalva, Democratic Representative from Arizona, urging the Obama Administration not to cooperate with a tough new state immigration law that is facing legal challenges "Neither the Constitution nor the federal immigration laws permit a state scheme avowedly designed to drive aliens out of the State a program of de facto removal - Justice Department filing against Alabama Law, 2011 "As a physician, I would never ask a sick person if she was legal or illegal. But as governor of this state, it is my sworn duty to uphold this state's laws, and that is what I intend to do." - Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Rest assured, we will not back down until our borders are secure." - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer saying she has come under fire from President Obama, Al Sharpton and liberal East Coast media since she signed the state's new immigration law (Facebook, April 28, 2010) "The law signed by Brewer of Arizona is just like the German Nazi laws that make Jews scared to go out on the streets. We have to smash their business agreements in the nose. We have to declare war on Arizona. - Ricardo Rocha, journalist and TV presenter, said of the immigration law (TIME, April 28, 2010) What do you think of Connecticut, Arizona and Alabama s immigration laws? Consider the strengths and weaknesses of these types of legislation. The question then is what should be done to address our nation s current immigration problems? Directions: Review each of the following proposals for addressing the immigration problem. Determine whether you believe the proposal to be very effective, somewhat effective, not very effective, or not at all effective and be prepared to discuss your position. Legal Status of the Foreign-Born Worker Issues to consider: 1. Who would benefit from this proposal? Who might be hurt by this proposal? 2. What are the short-term costs or benefits to the United States? 3. How does this proposal compare with the others?
Proposal Deny citizenship to children born to undocumented immigrants. Normally, anyone born within the borders of the United States or its territories is automatically a citizen, but this privilege shouldn t be granted to people whose parents entered the country illegally. Offer Employment Authorization documents and 2-year, renewable reprieve from deportation (deferred action) to the estimated 1.4 million unauthorized immigrants under the age of 31 who were brought to the United States as minors. This would only apply to those who have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three other misdemeanors and who are currently in school, graduated from high school, earned a GED, or served in the military. Enforce the laws that exist now. The U.S. government should enforce the laws already on the books by restricting immigration to a set number of immigrants, seeking out, arresting, and deporting undocumented immigrants and prosecuting businesses and individuals who hire them. Let the individual states pass immigration laws suitable to their needs. More states should follow Arizona s lead and develop their own immigration laws that would best suit their individual needs and not be subject to a one size fits all solution.
Build up security along the borders. Undocumented immigration creates a security problem for the United States. The government should put up walls along both borders with hi-tech surveillance systems and more intense border patrols to keep people out. Deny social services to undocumented immigrants. Federal, state, and local governments should deny social security benefits, medical care, and other social services to anyone who cannot show proof of citizenship. Provide a quick and painless path to citizenship for the country s illegal immigrants. There are between 12 and 20 million undocumented immigrants in the United States today. Many have been here for years and have children born in this country. Streamline the process for acquiring citizenship for these undocumented immigrants. (This is also referred to as amnesty, which is defined as a governmental pardon for violating policies related to immigration. Immigration amnesty would include the federal government forgiving individuals for using false documentation such as social security numbers, identification cards, and driver s licenses, in order to gain employment in the U.S. and continue to remain in the country. Amnesty would allow illegal immigrants or undocumented aliens to gain permanent residency in the United States.) Create a guest-worker program to help employers fill low-paying jobs. A new temporary guest worker program would allow workers to renew their visa up to three times but would require them to return home for a year in between each time. Families could accompany guest workers only if they could show proof of medical insurance and demonstrate that their wages were 150 percent above the poverty level.