The Issue Of Illegal Immigration

The Issue of Illegal Immigration

The United States of America is a young and very unique country. It is made of people of different races, coming from various cultures and practicing diverse religions. Through the history of the country there were many waves of immigration, which shaped its economy and values. Today American citizens are facing a problem with illegal immigration, which increase enormously in the country. The question for most of Americans is if illegal immigrants should stay or if they should go.

The U.S Congress is concern about the problem and seeks for the solutions, which will be beneficial for both, the country and immigrants. The politicians and the American citizens want to toughen the immigration legislation. There were many proposals which appeared to the public as very radical. It is impossible to deport 11million illegal aliens because these groups fuel the economy of the United States. The panel also proposes tightening of the borders, especially Mexican, and increasing of the border control patrol. There was also a proposition that every person who gets to the country illegally will be considered as felon. Currently, living in this country without authorization is a violation of civil immigration law, not a criminal law. They are also thinking to give penalties to the employers who use illegal immigrants as their workers, and anybody who somehow help them in any way.

The Judiciary Committee faced the rage of the public about the proposal. There were many demonstrations against the legislation. Tens of thousands of students walked out of school in California and other states. The kids, majority of them from Hispanic background, were waving American and some Mexican flags, and chanting slogans. At the Capitol some of the demonstrators, including members of clergy, were wearing handcuffs as they were opposing the bill that would make it a felony to be in this country illegally and would make it crime to dispense aid to the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants. They also objected to legislation that would inflict new penalties on employers who hired illegal immigrants. The high school boycott was understood by some school officials in the area of the heavily Hispanic districts. The word was passed through the hall posters and public address systems. In Los Angeles some of the students encircled the City Hall and met with Mayor Antonio Villlaraigosa in his office. One of the students said: "We've been here for many years. We work hard. We contribute to the economy of the U.S".A few schools were trying to bar the gates in order to prevent the walkouts, but eager students climbed over the fences and joined marchers. Janet Pardon, the Allen Park resident, addressed to the politicians, while pointing at the crowed: "Do you see the community? Do you see how many people didn't go to work today?"

These boycotts led some politicians to take another look at the situation and reanalyzing the proposed bill on illegal immigration. Among the Republicans and Democrats the views about the subject are divided. Most of the American citizens and politicians are against the amnesty of 11 million of illegal aliens. The president Bush is proposing a guest work program that would allow 400,000 foreigners to come to the United States to work each year and would put them on a path to citizenship. In order to grant a citizenship they would have to go through 11 years process in which they have to hold jobs, pass criminal background checks, learn English and pay fines and back taxes. If this program would pass, it would create the largest guest worker program since 1942 and 1960, when 4.6 million Mexican agricultural workers came in to the country.

All the officials agree that the new legislation has to reconcile with the issue of toughing border security. The panel voted to eliminate the provisions that would criminalize immigrants for living here illegally and made an amendment to protect groups and individuals from being prosecuted for offering