Immigration in the United States has been a long-standing issue, with lawmakers and
citizens debating how people are flooding the borders to seek a better life. While most
Americans have no problem with people coming to our country to make a better life for
themselves, citizens have issues with the public funds that are spent trying to accommodate
illegal immigrants and provide them with services. Despite the fact that immigrants contribute to
the economy and American society, many people have issues with how they make it in this
country and dry up public funding for social services.
Political variables that impact public policy in immigration reform include
unemployment, crime rates, and poverty rates among citizens in particular communities.
Unemployment affects public policy on immigration by affecting how many people they allow
into the country to work based on the number of people in the U.S. already who cannot find
employment. Crime rates in border towns also play a factor in immigration policy by swaying
public opinion on allowing immigrants into the country and settling in their towns. Public
administrators such as border-patrol agents are expected to enforce the laws enacted by the
legislative branch of government with the utmost respect and dignity towards those they are
enforcing the laws against.
Border patrol agents must put personal beliefs aside when conducting official business
and dealing with legal or illegal immigrants. Miles Law applies to this situation because personal
beliefs on the issue of illegal immigration would naturally evolve and change based on the
position of the individual. Border patrol agents must act in accordance with laws and statutes
while keeping a cool even head. Organizational-culture theory can influence the actions of a
border-patrol agent by affecting judgment on the subjects they must come in contact with. An
example of this is when interacting with suspected illegal immigrants. If the culture of the
organization is conducive to promoting respect and dignity toward immigrants, their interactions
with them would be vastly different than those of a culture which promotes disdain and pictures
them as strictly criminals. Advocating for the changing of laws as a border-patrol agent is
essential to the immigration process. As a border patrol agent, you are the one who sees how
laws and policies affect the carrying out of your duties and can help by routing up your chain of
command how these laws can be changed to help the process.
Reference
VitalSource bookshelf Online. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2021, from
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781317213925/cfi/6/20!/4/326/4@0:68.4
