Path To Citizenship

As the United States of America, we must keep our name intertwined with the term “land of the free”. However, if we are not a land of law and order, we cannot maintain this name and we cannot provide freedom for our valued citizens. This is why undocumented immigrants should not be given a “Path to Citizenship” because we can better put time and energy on those coming in here legally and not to those breaking the law, and because we’ve learned from history that giving undocumented immigrants some kind of amnesty just does not work. Firstly, let’s establish that undocumented immigrants are criminals. Although many may have good intentions and just wanted to be with their families, they are breaking US law, and by that judgement, they must be
According to Congressman Steve King, “In 1986, Ronald Reagan approved legislation that would give amnesty to illegal citizens. We would then secure the borders. This did not happen.” Back in the 1980s, Reagan was pushed by the produce industry and factories who wanted cheap labour. Although back then, being paid under the table was more common, today illegal immigrants do get employed in proper jobs with a proper paycheck. In fact, there are immigrants that have well paying jobs and that contribute to the US economy. Even so, this does lead to many legal troubles. In an 2006 article from the New York Times, we see undocumented immigrant Adriana say that her mother paid a “smuggling fee of $1,700 per person,” to get her into the United States. And with help from a “Guatemalan… cycling back into the parking lot to make the drop of the ID Package [that] includes a green card… and somebody’s fingerprints, along with a Social Security card,” she was able to get a permanent job (Porter). This woman’s use of illegal documents, along with the fact that there are now over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States as opposed to the 3 million that Reagan gave amnesty to, we can see that this idea just doesn’t
These immigrants break the law through manipulation of legal documents and just coming in here without going through the proper legal routes, they have less power to protect themselves through legal means, and history has shown that amnesty just does not work. As a country, we must reform immigration to incentivise legal immigration and make it harder to maintain the American dream through illegal means. In response to new applicants, we must put a higher priority towards legal immigration and make sure that everyone has an equal chance at coming in with legal papers and a good American life. Again, everyone deserves freedom. However, if cutting the line to citizenship is a valid option, legal and social reform in the future is definitely