The Immigration Debate In The US

24 Feb 2014

Immigration reforms proposals and legislation in the US have become very contentious today. This is because key Republican and Democrat law makers and representatives do not see eye to eye on this key issue due to a number of reasons. But, commentators state that in the last many years immigration legislation and its stricter implementation has yielded key positive results for the country. As some observers and commentators say/state successive Congresses and administrations (including the Obama presidency) have accomplished many positive results in immigration reforms and enforcement. Thus, for example, they argue that border enforcement has been tough, tight and good and that illegal immigration has come down very significantly.  

Observers also argue or state that dating back 25 years, but especially since 9/11, the Congress has increased investments significantly so as to ensure that federal agencies can enforce immigration laws aggressively. They also point out that ‘the spend’ on ‘immigration enforcement’ exceeds ‘the spend’ on all other principal criminal federal law enforcement agencies combined. There are official figures available to back this claim. But, importantly, as some observers point out, that this has been very effective as can be seen from the fact that the US has now been witnessing the lowest rates of illegal immigration across its southwest border since the last 40 years. Statistics now point to some facts such as ‘record levels of deportations of illegal migrants’, ‘no net new illegal immigration from Mexico for at least the last five years’. etc This success in the immigration policy it is being said or pointed out is because of the policy of ‘enforcement first’, whereby there is this change evident from the older policy. In the older policy regime, the public lacked faith in the older policy and also because its enforcement was lax, or was seen as lax.

Now, it is being said and argued by many including the larger public in the US that there is to be or should be focus on the positives of immigration. These positives it is being argued will bring in the much needed changes in the immigration processes, policies and debates. Thus, it is being argued that the positives of immigration are based on some key recorded facts by now. Some of these facts or statistics are that about 25% of high-technology companies which were launched between 1995 and 2005 were started by immigrants, 20% of small business owners are/were immigrants, some 60-70% of graduate students in critical technology fields are foreign-born and hold visas that expire after their graduation. As also, significant numbers of talented, educated young people graduate from U.S. high schools and colleges, but yet, cannot legally join the workforce because they are not authorized to do so by immigration laws. And so, as many unbiased observers as also immigration votaries point out some types/amount of immigration is healthy for the country and for the economy of the US. They therefore would like lawmakers, the President and other opinion makers, etc. to make a note of all of this.