11/16/11
FYS 138
Professor Lodge
The Melting Pot The debate of illegal immigration in the United States is one that is plagued with many details, and one that sparks a huge amount of controversy among politicians and citizens alike. While it is an issue that many argue about, few people are actually knowledgeable about the subject and have facts to back up their opinions. According the Center for Immigration Studies, the “unauthorized resident immigrant population is defined by all foreign-born non-citizens who are not legal residents” (CIS). This definition incudes people who emigrate from countries all over the world; it is not exclusive to those who come from Mexico and surrounding Central and Southern American countries. Although the numbers from such neighboring countries are greater because they are in closer proximity to the United States, they are not the only immigrants illegally entering the country. Also, their presence in the country is not as harmful as opponents of illegal immigration make it out to be. Cons of illegal immigration include a higher unemployment rate among Americans, overcrowding in schools and hospitals, and the burden that immigrants become when they use services such as welfare and Social Security, leading to a loss of American taxpayers’ money.
America was founded on a system of secured liberties and laws. The Constitution protects the citizens of the United States, but does not extend its reach to non-citizens. As a result, people that illegally immigrate to the United States from other countries must resort to unlawful methods to live and prosper here. They arrive here and steal the jobs of deserving Americans, which in turn increases the unemployment rate for Americans. By taking these jobs, they are creating unfair competition for less-skilled American workers, because employers would prefer to hire the worker that would cost them less. This displaces a vast number of American workers, and