Order 2148040: immigration

Immigration started thousands of years ago at a time when they were no immigration laws. The first immigrants settled in North America and the area that would become the United States as early as the 1600s. Thousands of Europeans crossed the Atlantic by ship and settled mainly around the east coast. After the British and European settlers came around 1600, they began to import Africans as slaves in 1619. Around this period there was a successive wave of immigration in the United States, particularly from Europe. In the early days, immigrants paid their transport fees by becoming indentured servants when they reached the United States or the New World as they referred it. Immigration was only difficult because of the transportation system they used. They were no restrictive immigration rules to control the number of people entering the United States.

The current state of immigration in the US focuses on controlling the number of immigrants in the country. The current administration is working towards reforms that are meant to curb immigration. There have even been controversial projects aimed at constructing a border wall with neighboring Mexico, temporarily ban Muslims and deport all undocumented immigrants (Claire and Renwick 2). The current policies that are being passed by congress focus on reducing unlawful immigration by enforcement at the necessary border points. Immigrants make up 14% of the U.S population which is roughly 43 million people. Undocumented immigrants account for bout eleven million people in the U.S (Claire and Renwick 1). Immigration policies are meant to curb illegal immigrants and deport any undocumented individual residing in the country.

Certain policies have been introduced to make new immigration favorable. The Obama administration passed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) guideline in 2012. The DACA immigration policy allows certain individuals with an illegal presence in the U.S who came to the country as children to acquire renewable two years eligibility for work authorization and deferred action from deportation subject to renewal ("Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)" 1). This policy has given individuals who came to the U.S as juveniles an opportunity to continue living in the United States despite them being unwanted immigrants. The Trump administration wanted to abolish DACA because it viewed the policy as one that encouraged illegal immigration in the U.S (Claire and Renwick 7). Courts have rejected any attempt to phase out DACA because it would have resulted in massive undercount of minorities and immigrants.

People are supporting lenient immigration policies because immigrants are important for the United States economy and society. Immigrants add labor to the U.S economy and create a market for goods. Immigrants are viewed as taxpayers, consumers, entrepreneurs and job creators. The DACA immigration policy is meant to protect immigrants and support the U.S economy as well (Nicholson 8). Immigrants and the children they have while in the U.S.A account for about 27% of U.S residents (Claire and Renwick 1). More than half of the illegal immigrants have stayed in the U.S for at least a decade. They have become vital members of society and contributed to the growth of the economy.

There has been an increase in the number of policies meant to reduce immigration into the United States. The federal government has been working hard to reverse the many policies that were adopted by the previous administration. The current administration has passed executive orders for immigration enforcement (Nicholson 5). Systems that improve border security have been adopted. Security enhancement at borders especially with Mexico, has been made to ensure that no illegal immigrant gets into the country. Heavy interior enforcement has been done to deport any illegal immigrant in the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is building a fence along the entire U.S-Mexico border (Nicholson 1). The United States has become strict on its immigration policies, and it wants to prevent anyone who wishes to enter the country without the relevant paperwork from stepping foot into the country.

The new restrictive policies on immigration are seen as a strategy to protect American industries and workers (Amadeo 3). As of 2014, Immigrants made up around 17% of the workforce in the United States. Forty-five percent of domestic employees were made up of immigrants (Claire and Renwick 3). Restrictive policies are meant to reduce the number of immigrants in the United States. When the number of immigrants declines, legal citizens will feel that their jobs are secure.

The United States is a country built on immigration. Its growth to one of the largest economies has made it a favorable destination for immigrants looking for jobs or a new start in life. The country already suffers from a high number of immigrants, and it has always tried to control immigration into the country. It has come up with restrictive policies that are meant to stop illegal immigration such as enhanced border security. Ironically, immigrants are vital for the growth of the U.S economy. The status of immigration in the United States is dependent on the existing government at any time

Works Cited

Amadeo, Kimberly. "How Do Trump's Immigration Plans Affect You?" The Balance, 19 Sept. 2017, www.thebalance.com/donald-trump-immigration-impact-on-economy-4151107.

"Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)." Department of Homeland Security, 23 Sept. 2019, www.dhs.gov/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca.

Felter, Claire, and Danielle Renwick. "The U.S. Immigration Debate." Council on Foreign Relations, 2019, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0.

Nicholson, Michael D. "The Facts on Immigration Today: 2017 Edition." Center for American Progress, 20 Apr. 2017, www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2017/04/20/430736/facts-immigration-today-2017-edition/.