Immigration Laws
Immigration law in America is in heavy need for reform. Many immigration laws have been molded and changed to meet the racial and geographic issues affecting the country and its immigration policy. Without proper reform of immigration law, the borders of the United States will continue to struggle with holding back smugglers of drugs and guns. Additionally, the security of the United States will be at risk with the weak, undefined immigration laws we employ today.
However, although immigration law hears a call from many for change, there has been little to no action regarding policy change. With the new Obama presidential administration comes promise of immigration law reform. The new President believes that the broken immigration system can be fixed, but only through an organic approach ignoring politics. With this bold approach, the President wants to secure the border, enforce immigration laws, and reinforce America as a country of immigrants. Additionally, he believes that immigration law should be shaped around the benefit of the American economy and the American worker, something that our country can surely get behind. There are 5 main points that the President is focusing on:
* Strengthening the Border – Strengthening the borders of America is one of the most important goals of immigration law. Immigration laws in America will, hopefully, protect the borders by offering additional personnel, technology, and structure at all ports of entry and borders of the country.
* Improve the Broken System – A complete revisiting of the broken immigration system in American can fix the unfair bureaucracy and enable legal immigration. This legal immigration would allow immigrants to legally enter the country and keep their families together; illegal immigration would be severely limited.
* Remove Incentives For Illegal Immigration – In addition to adding legal immigration to the slate, the President is aiming to remove incentives for immigrants to enter the country illegally, including enforcing immigration laws that would prevent American employers from hiring undocumented workers.
* Allow Hiding Immigrants A Chance – Those living in the country undocumented may be allowed to pay a fee, learn English, and have a chance for becoming an American citizen. This approach is very different from the fear-induced, ignorant system in place today that keeps many immigrants on watch for their life and the well-being of their family.
* Working with Mexico – Working with Mexico to promote economic development will encourage Mexicans to stay in their country, instead of illegally immigrating to the United States.
This immigration reform, while seemingly far away, shows a lot of promise. President Obama has signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which aims to provide health care to 4 milion kids who were uninsured, effectively removing barriers that prevented legal immigrant children from having health care coverage. Additionally, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides over $400 million in funds aimed to improve security and ports of entry on the Southwest border. These actions are only a glimpse of what American immigration laws have to look forward to in the future.
