Immigration+and+Immigration+Reform

= Immigration and Immigration Reform =

**__ History of Immigration __**
From the 1830’s to the 1860’s the majority of immigrates came from German and Ireland. Due to their skills and talents they were able to assimilate to the new territory fairly fast. They learned the language and were able to work in the factories because they were good at hard labor. They faced many problems during that time from the non-immigrant population. The temperance movement affected these immigrants the most because the rest of the country saw them as inferior savages for drinking. This was a punch to their culture and they struggled to be accepted.
 * [[image:immigrant-ellis-island.jpg width="510" height="412" align="center"]] || From 1860 to 1890 the main group of immigrants was from northern Europe . They came from countries like Germany and Scandinavia. They settled in the frontier lands near railroads. They worked in factories, mines, railroads and as agricultural workers. During this time period many anti-immigrant groups formed like the “Know Nothings” who believed that these immigrants took over their jobs and disapproved of the fact that they were not catholic.

The largest group of immigrants came from 1890 to 1914. This group was larger than the previous groups of immigrants. Originating from southern and eastern Europe they came from Italy, Greece, Poland and Russia. They settled near factories far from the frontier area. Hard the hardest time assimilating to the American way. There was no land available for these immigrants to have for themselves and they were in competition for jobs with Americans. It was harder for them to learn the American ways and had very little education. To feel more at home they settled in little communities of the same race. Cultural ghettos were formed. Jane Adams tried to help these immigrants by creating the Hull House in Chicago. || The controversy of citizenship had been an issue in America for years. The 14th ammendment to the constitution states that all persons born in the U.S are U.S citizens regardless of their parent's citizenship. The Supreme Court has consistently upheld birthright citizenship over the years. It affirms that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. U.S. citizenship is most often raised during debates over illegal immigration.
 * __**Significant Dates in Immigration**__
 * ** Naturalization Act of 1790 :** Stipulated that "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States"
 * **1875:** Supreme Court declared that regulation of US immigration is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
 * **1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act :** Prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
 * **1885 and 1887:** Alien Contract Labor laws which prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States.
 * **1891:** The Federal Government assumed the task of inspecting, admitting, rejecting, and processing all immigrants seeking admission to the U.S.
 * **1892:** On January 2, a new Federal US immigration station opened on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
 * **1903:** This Act restated the 1891 provisions concerning land borders and called for rules covering entry as well as inspection of aliens crossing the Mexican border.
 * **1907 The US immigration Act of 1907:** Reorganized the states bordering Mexico (Arizona, New Mexico and a large part of Texas) into Mexican Border District to stem the flow of immigrants into the United States.
 * **1917 - 1924:** A series of laws were enacted to further limit the number of new immigrants. These laws established the quota system and imposed passport requirements . They expanded the categories of excludable aliens and banned all Asians except Japanese.
 * **1924 Act:** Reduced the number of US immigration visas and allocated them on the basis of national origin.
 * **1940 The Alien Registration Act :** Required all aliens (non-U.S. citizens) within the United States to register with the Government and receive an Alien Registration Receipt Card (the predecessor of the "Green Card").
 * **1950 Passage of the Internal Security Act :** Rendered the Alien Registration Receipt Card even more valuable. Immigrants with legal status had their cards replaced with what generally became known as the "green card" (Form I-151).
 * **1952 Act:** Established the modern day US immigration system. It created a quota system which imposes limits on a per-country basis. It also established the preference system that gave priority to family members and people with special skills.
 * **1968 Act:** Eliminated US immigration discrimination based on race, place of birth, sex and residence. It also officially abolished restrictions on Oriental US immigration.
 * **1976 Act:** Eliminated preferential treatment for residents of the Western Hemisphere.
 * **1980 Act:** Established a general policy governing the admission of refugees.
 * **1986 Act**: Focused on curtailing illegal US immigration. It legalized hundred of thousands of illegal immigrants. The 1986 Immigration Act is commonly know as the 1986 Immigration Amnesty . It also introduced the employer sanctions program which fines employers for hiring illegal workers. It also passed tough laws to prevent bogus marriage fraud.
 * **1990 Act:** Established an annual limit for certain categories of immigrants. It was aimed at helping U.S. businesses attract skilled foreign workers ; thus, it expanded the business class categories to favor persons who can make educational, professional or financial contributions. It created the Immigrant Investor Program.
 * ** USA Patriot Act 2001 :** Uniting and Strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism.
 * **Creation of the USCIS 2003:** As of March 1, 2003, the US immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) becomes part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department’s new U.S. Citizenship and US immigration Services ( USCIS ) function is to handle US immigration services and benefits, including citizenship, applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant applications, asylum, and refugee services. US immigration enforcement functions are now under the Department's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, known as the Bureau of US immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ||= [[image:Immigration%20Family%20004.jpg width="394" height="481" align="center"]] ||

**Arguments for restriction:** Advocates for the restriction of immigration primarily cite three major themes to support their argument: a change in national identity, negative environmental impact, and great economic costs associated with immigration. **Arguments for immigration:** Link to Interactive Map ||
 * === __Immigration Restriction__ ===
 * //National Identity:// Advocates worry most that new immigrants will fail to assimilate to our culture and will attempt to replace the original culture with their own. Some also worry that immigrants will isolate themselves in ethnic neighborhoods, and hence see no need to learn English.
 * Due to multiculturalism immigrants are urged to maintain their customs and language. While in theory multiculturalism is fine, relentless immigration threatens to overpower the English language and customs that Americans are used to. According to the Pew Research Center, Non-Hispanic White population of the US will drop from 67% as seen in 2005 to 47% by 2050. The Asian population is forecasted to triple and the Hispanic population rising to 29%. || === **__Open Immigration__** ===
 * //More education-// More people will have a chance to receive a higher education if they are legalized which will increase overall education levels plus higher graduation percentages Colleges will be enrolling more students and those students will be able to take over higher level jobs, helping the economy. Many immigrants are poor because they cannot have any higher paying jobs yet are stuck doing jobs that the rest of the country refuses to do. If these people could have a chance to live better lives, they would, yet the government is keeping them back. On average, an illegal immigrant’s yearly salary is just a little more than an average citizen’s salary ($50,000). These immigrants are unable to get a higher education and most have less than a high school education. ||
 * [[image:illegalscrossingfence.jpg width="652" height="448" align="center"]] ||
 * * //Negative Environmental Impact:// One of the less immediate effects of immigration is a strain on the environment. A sudden increase in population can overtax supplies and lead to shortages nationwide. In contrast, normal growth of populations slowly brings these issues to light allowing time for steps to be taken.
 * The Census Bureau estimates the US population will grow from 281 million in 2000 to 397 million in 2050 with immigration, but only to 328 million with no immigration. That sudden increase in population will put a strain on agriculture severely increasing demand while decreasing supply. Due to the principles of supply and demand, prices for basic goods will grow nationwide. || * More jobs would be available to people along with higher level jobs. Companies will not have to import engineers, doctors, scientists, or other high level jobs from other countries because these jobs will be filled by the newly legalized immigrants. There are 12 million KNOWN illegal immigrants in the US who are living normally and peacefully in this country and trying to reach their American Dream. They work jobs that might not be equal to the one they had back home. Most immigrants here work either construction, food services, as farmers etc. ||
 * * //Economic Costs:// “They will steal our jobs” is most likely the most used arguments against immigration. People worry that immigrants will take up job positions leaving non for natural born citizens. Advocates also state that immigrants use social welfare much more than average citizens leaving tax payers to pick up the tab. Speaking of which, advocates claim that immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, pay less in taxes but use all the same facilities causing an overall decline in the quality of public institutions.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Almost all new immigrants will start out working in low paying jobs unless they seek further education. Those earning between $20,000 and $30,000 will pay $0 in income taxes while their kids still attend public schools and consume social welfare. Since both schools and social welfare are funded by tax payer money, essentially other citizens are paying the costs of living for immigrants.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">As of August 2010, the unemployment rate in the US was 9.6%. Currently, people are clamoring to get any job, no matter how menial. If immigration continues, immigrants will take up the few positions available further increasing the plight of US residents. This issue compounds with the issue of immigrants paying few taxes. Now, not only will immigrants need social welfare but also US residents. || * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">//Equal opportunity for all-// The constitution states that all people are created equal and the statue of liberty states, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of you teamming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” People who live in the United States, come here for a reason, for an advantage that they have here that they didn’t have in their country. On average, only about 41% of immigrants have health insurance. ||
 * [[image:map.png width="960" height="567" align="center"]]


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Laws (Arizona SB 1070):** In April of 2010 the Governor of Arizona passed a very controversial law that targeted our nation’s immigrants. The state focused on anti-illegal immigration. The law was to enforce a prosecution and deportation of illegal immigrants. It was the strictest law passed for immigration in the generations. Documentation was necessary to carry in order to prove that you are a legal resident of the United States. Failure to do so resulted to giving police the power to detain anyone they find to be a suspect of being an illegal immigrant. Arizona states that it is fixing a problem the government refused to fix. In Arizona it is estimated that 460,000 illegal immigrants have passed over from the Mexican borders. The state has a history of passing immigrations laws throughout the years. These laws have sparked the creation of the Arizona SB 1070 law in 2010. When it was being passes, the law pleased many Americans, but there was a great population that believed this law strips the laws of human rights. The government however added provision to this law that effectively made it powerless. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona declaring its law invalid because it interferes with the immigration regulations of the Federal Government. || media type="youtube" key="7rnJbBQCHi4?fs=1" height="383" width="467"

|| **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">L <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">aws (Dream Act): **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> The Dream Act was first proposed in 2001 but was ignored by the legislature. It reappeared in 2009 after getting full support from the Pentagon and President Obama. The Dream Act was created to legalize children who came to this country before the age of 16. There are other requirements to become eligible for the Act. These include having a clean record/history and must have caused no illegal actions during his time in the United States, must have legally entered the United States, must have served two years in a University or Military service.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Many who criticize this act claim it is an act of amnesty. Many republicans are against this along with a few democrats. They claim that there is no reliable way of knowing who is or isn’t eligible because there are no accurate documents supports immigrant claims. Scott Wheeler, an investigative journalist, and writer of domestic and international security issues, believes that the Dream Act is just an amnesty program. He points out flaws in the Dream Act in his petition to congress to stop the Dream Act. “The Dream Act,” he states, “does not prevent people with criminal records, including juvenile records, from gaining citizenship, it ignores crucial data that has been gathered that shows the relationship between illegal immigration, drug-related crime, and gang violence, and it also does not any way to screen out the youth that may be susceptible to radicalization and willing to engage in terrorist activities which will be a threat to national security.” University leaders support this act because it will increase the number of enrollment rate of their universities.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">The Dream Act has been rejected by the senate in 2010 with a 55-41 final vote, 4 votes short of passing, after being passed by the House of Representatives. Though most support for the act comes from Democrats, the support for the act is bipartisan. Though the Legislative branch is locked in a stalemate, the executive branch has chosen a side. President Obama said, after the vote, that he would continue pushing for the Dream Act and other steps toward immigration reform. The original Dream Act that was presented in 2001 but lost interest in the Congress now has the full support of the Pentagon. Also university leaders across the country strongly support the Dream Act. This is a good thing for immigrants who are restricted from continuing their education because it was estimated that about 47% of illegal immigrants between 25-64 have less than a high school education. One of the requirements for the citizenship from the Dream Act is two years of a university or military service. In 2008, 36% of students graduated from college in four years and 57% completed their undergraduate requirements in six years. These numbers are relatively low or average; this is also why many university leaders support the Dream Act, so they can enroll more students and have a higher graduation percentage. ||

Richard Lugar supports this act because it encourages young immigrants to continue their education and earn a degree or serve our country in military service. Lisa A. Murkowski supports this act because, as she said to the public, "While I believe immigration reform is necessary, particularly for those individuals who serve in our Armed Forces and put their lives on the line for our security, Congress must first make meaningful progress in securing our borders. Only when we have shown that we will hold up our end of the bargain in providing for a secure border will the American people trust us to enact reforms to other areas of our immigration laws." Bob Bennet stated, “I would vote for the immigration legislation if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) brought it to the floor under the right conditions.” He also stated that Republicans have discussed writing their own version of the Dream Act that they would pass through Congress. ||
 * Main advocates of restriction: A large part of Republicans feel that the Border with Mexico must be beefed up with greater security and overall immigration cut. On the other side, many African American Democrat politicians and voters are also against immigration seeing immigrants as increased competition for jobs. || Main advocates of open immigration:Though most Republicans are against the Dream Act, there are three Republicans that are for it.These include Sens. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Bob Bennett (R-Utah).


 * __Works Cited__**

Boudreaux, Donald J. "The Benefits of Immigration." The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty. Dec. 1997. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

"The DREAM Act." U.S. Senator Dick Lugar. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

"Immigration to the United States." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

Messerli, Joe. "BalancedPolitics.org - Legal Immigration (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against)." BalancedPolitics.org - Free Balanced, Non-Partisan Discussion of Political & Social Issues for Debate (Pros and Cons - Decision Making Politics). 18 May 2011. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

"Opposition to Immigration." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 9 May 2011. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

"A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States." Pew Research Center. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

"Sen. Lisa A. Murkowski (R-AK) | DREAM Act Portal." Welcome to the DREAM Act Portal | DREAM Act Portal. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

Senators..., Industry-Bankrolled. "DREAM Act Vote Fails In Senate." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

Staff, Wire. "Arizona Takes Controversial Immigration Law to Supreme Court - CNN." Featured Articles from CNN. 09 May 2011. Web. 20 May 2011. <[]>.

By: Igor Pogoda, Tautvydas Shuipys and Victoria Szczepanksa.