IMMIGRATION:
Why is everyone making a big deal about it?
Have you heard any talk about immigration these past couple of months? If you haven't, then you must be completely out of it! Immigration is one of this year's hot debates so everyone probably has heard of it, but if you haven't, read this post as an introduction to what this whole immigration thing is actually about.
The Hot Debate on Immigration : Dating back to the late 19th century, illegal immigration has been a problem in the United States, especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. Basically, illegal immigration is when immigrants enter the United States without any legal papers or documents or a legal status. Examples of this situation is when someone from Mexico crosses the border without any legal documents and starts a life in the U.S., or when someone from Pakistan applies for a visiting visa to the U.S., and is granted one, he or she stays and lives in the U.S. even after the visa expires.
Stance: Supporting illegal immigration
- Some of the most intelligent and ambitious individuals, who are unsatisfied with their own countries, bring their skills to America.
- It increases the diversity and expands the culture of the country.
- Immigrants often taken the low-paying jobs (like food service & hotel cleaning) that most Americans don't want to do at such low wages.
- Decreasing or eliminating legal immigration will inevitably create more incentive to come to the country illegally, which leads to less assimilation and fewer taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.
- It improves the overall image of America internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming country; and immigrants who return home or maintain contact with family back home have a true image of America, not the one propagandized in much of the international media.
- Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits.
- It gives struggling people all over the world an opportunity for a better life. This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity, political & religious freedom, etc.
- More immigrants means more opportunity for terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals to enter the country.
- Immigrants, especially the poorer ones, consume a high amount of government resources (health care, education, welfare, etc.) without paying a corresponding high rate of taxes.
- The national identity and language is disappearing. The great "melting pot" is being replaced by divisive multiculturism.
- The emigration to the United States hurts the home country, as much of the male population, workers, and top intellectuals often leave their country.
- Less-skilled American citizens earn less money and have fewer job opportunities because they must compete with immigrants in the job market.
After reading this, I believe that both sides make equal amount of sense. Personally, I compare the situation the U.S. is in with the time before America was even created. Americas was created when people from Europe and Britain left their countries and old lives behind and came to the Americas. But, here in the Americas, they were already people residing and living their own lives: the Indians. We all know what happened after that, the immigrants took over and killed so many of the Indians that they almost went into extinction. Now, the tables have turned. Americans are the residents, and they are scared of being taken over by the immigrants. But, people have to remember that America, to many people, is a land of opportunity. Just like it was for those immigrants centuries ago. But, that doesn't mean that people can just enter a country and use up its resources without giving anything in in return.
Immigration Bill Right Here in Oklahoma
Oklahoma House Bill 1446:
- Anti-immigration law
- Copycat of Arizona's SB 1070
- Relating to the unlawful transport of an alien; making the smuggling of human beings unlawful
- Allows local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status in certain circumstances
- Allows the seizure of vehicles used in human trafficking
- Makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to seek employment
- Passed in both the Senate and the House
Oklahoma House Bill 1446 Scorecards: State Representatives and Senators
House of Representatives
YEAS: 85
Armes Fourkiller McNiel Roberts, D.
Banz Glenn McPeak Roberts, S.
Bennett Grau Moore Rousselot
Billy Hall Morgan
Blackwell Hardin Mulready Sanders
Brumbaugh Hickman Murphey Schwartz
Cannaday Holland Nelson Sears
Casey Hoskin Newell Shannon
Christian Inman Nollan Stiles
Cockroft Jackson Ortega Sullivan
Condit Jordan Osborn Terrill
Coody Joyner Ownbey Thomsen
Cooksey Kern Peters Tibbs
Cox Key Peterson Trebilcock
Dank Kirby Pittman Vaughan
Denney Kouplen Proctor Watson
Derby Liebmann Pruett Wesselhoft
DeWitt Lockhart Quinn Wright
Dorman Martin, Sc. Renegar Mr.Speaker
Enns Martin, St. Reynolds
Farley McCullough Richardson
Faught McDaniel, R. Ritze
NAYS: 7
Hamilton Scott Shumate Williams
McDaniel, J. Shelton Virgin
EXCUSED: 9
Brown McAffrey Sherrer
Hilliard Morrissette Shoemake
Johnson Roan Walker
Oklahoma Senate
YEAS: 37
Aldridge Burrage Jolley Shortey
Allen Crain Justice Simpson
Anderson David Marlatt Sparks
Ballenger Ellis Mazzei Stanislawski
Barrington Fields Myers Sykes
Bingman Ford Newberry Treat
Branan Garrison Nichols Wyrick
Brecheen Halligan Reynolds
Brinkley Holt Russell
Brown Johnson, R. Schulz
NAYS: 8
Bass Eason Mc Laster Rice
Coates Johnson, C. Lerblance Wilson
EXCUSED: 3
Adelson Ivester Paddack
Oklahoma HB 1446 passed in the House by 85-7. It was also passed in the Senate by 37-8.
Other Immigration Bills around the Nation
Florida SB 2040:
- It requires the police to make a reasonable effort to determine the immigration status of people they arrest and jail.
- It requires most Indiana businesses to check immigration status of new employees
- It forbids distribution of state aid to illegal immigrants
- It prohibits local governments from refusing to abide by federal immigration law.
- This bill has been passed both by the Senate and the House and is now awaiting Governor Mitch Daniel’s signature.
- They require police to question the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect is in the country illegally
- They make it a crime to knowingly house, give a ride to, rent to or employ an illegal immigrant.
- SB 256 has been passed by the Senate but still needs House approval.
- HB 56 has been passed by the House but still needs Senate approval.
Tennessee SB 1141 and HB 670:
- Mandates every jailer in state to inspect the immigration documents of every person arrested
- Requires city and country jails in the state to report any person who may be in violation of immigration laws to the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement
- Includes similar clauses from Arizona's SB 1070 but are less harsh
- HB 670 has been passed by both the House and the Senate, and it has been signed by Governor Phil Bredesen
Arizona SB 1070:
- Makes it a state misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents
- Requires that state law enforcement officers attempt to determine an individual's immigration status during a lawful stop, detention, or arrest when there is a reasonable suspicion that the individual is an illegal alien
- It bars the state and local officials and agencies from restricting enforcement of federal immigration laws
- It cracks down on those sheltering, hiring, and transporting illegal aliens
- It has been passed by the Senate and the House, and it has been signed into law by Governor Jan Brower but controversial provisions were blocked by a preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge
Utah HB 497:
- Includes similar clauses to those from Arizona's SB 1070
- Allows for state based-guest based worker programs.
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