Illegal immigration is a deeply divisive issue in the United States. For the past two years, Congress under Republican and now Democratic control, has been emphatically (albeit unavailingly) trying to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of immigration law.
Reform efforts stalled last year against a background of protests by pro-immigration groups and calls by opponents for a toughening of the rules. Renewed attempts this year to pass legislation have so far failed.
How pressing is the problem?
There are thought to be about 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, and each year some 500,000 to a million more enter the country, mostly through the 2,000-mile porous border with Mexico. In the time it took me to write that, America just gained 1 million more illegal immigrants.Many of these people are poorly educated, unskilled workers, yet in their thousands they fill the sort of jobs that most native-born Americans will not take, at least not for the same price. Much of California’s agriculture relies on migrant labor, for example. But some argue these jobs could be filled even without illegal immigrants.
Why is the debate so contentious?
Polls suggest that a majority of Americans see illegal immigration as a serious problem for the US. However, many immigrants already in the country, both legally and illegally, have voiced opposition to moves to restrict immigrants’ rights or prevent a “path to citizenship”. Strength of feeling on the issue was illustrated in 2006, when more than a million people boycotted work and turned out at May Day protest rallies across the country. This year’s rallies attracted fewer people, which organizers said was partly because recent crackdowns on illegal immigrants had made some people wary of taking part. Opposition to illegal immigration has been reflected in the emergence of Minutemen groups - citizens who have taken it upon themselves to patrol the US borders and to confront illegal workers in cities around the US.
The issue is also particularly politically awkward for President George W Bush’s Republican party, because it brings into direct conflict two of its core constituencies - social conservatives and the business lobby. It has also exposed rifts within Democratic ranks with some arguing along with their trade union allies that guest worker programmes would depress wages and threaten American employees and those that believe it creates a permanent underclass of exploitable labor. Several players in the immigration debate are contenders for the White House in 2008. Neither political party wants to alienate the growing Latino electorate, or at least the more serious contenders don’t.
The political debate over immigration reform is crystallised around several key issues. These include the enforcement of the country’s land borders and existing laws on immigration, changes in the law to deal with people already in the country illegally, and how to offer a regulated route into the US for what the business community says are much-needed workers. Some advocate greatly expanding physical barriers, like fencing, that already exist along some 100 miles of the US-Mexican border near cities - and bringing in tougher penalties for businesses caught employing illegal migrants.
In 2006, Mr Bush signed into law plans for a 700-mile (1,125km) fence along the border despite strong objections from the Mexican government. Plans for various guest worker programmes, and provisions allowing the millions of illegal immigrants already in the US to remain legally, have been the subject of hot debate.
What does it all mean?
If it can survive rigorous debate, immigration reform should provide an industrious people with the opportunity to be as miserable as the rest of us, while simultaneously punishing those who perennially skirt the law. Whatever is left off in the Congress will surely be picked up in the presidential race. Each and every candidate vying for the highest office in the land owes it not only to him or herself to address this problem with the utmost sensitivity, but also to the millions of Americans lacking clarity and understanding of the issue.
Don't Take Our Word For it, For More Information Google Search is Available