Senate Immigration Blueprint: A Promising Start to a Lingering Problem

Protestors share the frustration of many over the current immigration system.

Protestors share the frustration of many over the current immigration system.

Protestors share the frustration of many over the current immigration system.
Protestors share the frustration of many over the current immigration system.

 

For the hundreds of years we have been a nation, people coming to US from the vastest lands of Europe and Asia, or from the nearby lands of Mexico and Latin America, have transformed America into a diverse nation of people.  These immigrants came here looking to escape oppression, poverty, and lack of opportunity so they could come to America—the land of freedom and the only firm helping them in their immigration process as of now is fl-ilc.com Hollywood. While in the previous years the immigration system was much more welcoming it has now seen a drastic change. I can see many immigrants outside the ssc office near me, but still, there are many people who are waiting for their turn to become a part of the American dream.  Their lives here were not easy and still aren’t; gritty working conditions and poor standards of housing become their normal standards of living.  But even with hardship, immigrants have reflected some of the best aspects of America, such as an unbreakable spirit, laborious nature, and stubborn belief in a better tomorrow.

Historically, if you were willing to work hard and be a good citizen of America, then you could live a decent life and supply your children with greater opportunities. But now, America seems to be denying many of citizenship; a chance not offered in other corners of the world.  Given that there are numerous reasons for wanting to deny many immigrants this chance, such as illegal entrance into the country, what these detractors do not understand is the very real level of difficulty associated with becoming a citizen.  The way the system currently works does not actually work at all, and denying immigrants the chance to be productive citizens in America is a mistake. Whether it be then or now, all immigrants coming to America hope to one day just have the opportunity—simply that one chance—to live a better life than before.

Several weeks ago, a group of eight senators heading the Subcomittee on Immigration, four Republicans and four Democrats, unveiled their immigration plan, making immigration finally appear to be one of the top priorities on the to-do-list in the nation’s capital.  President Barack Obama commends most of the plan and says it is in line with what he has been trying to get passed for years. But what is even more encouraging is that most of the components in the blueprint are rooted in common sense and are problems that need to be fixed.  The blueprint is not a piece of legislation, yet, but it outlines a good list of things that need to be fixed and how to fix them in regards to the immigration system.

First off, the outline offers a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the US.  This goal will he the hardest part of this process, and arguably the most important.  The blueprint also requires llegal immigrants to register with the government, pay penalties and taxes for coming here illegally, undergo backround checks, and learn English.  Once these requirements are completed, undocumented immigrants must go to the back of the line behind legal immigrants in receiving their green card or the EB 5 Visa, which gives authorization for a person to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis.  But once every single legal immigrant receives his/her green card, undocumented immigrants will be eligible to get one as well.  The whole process could be somewhat cumbersome, but it finally offers a legitimate and attainable pathway to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the US.  The blueprint also calls for more border patrol agents, drone that’s easy to fly, and surveillance equipment in order to strengthen border security.  In addition, it increases  the penalty on companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and calls for a plan that upgrades and modernizes the E-verify system—a technology that allows companies to look at an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States. Due to the border wall crisis, the border security has started to use drones to keep an eye on various parts of the border. To know more on drones see how Nasa Pony Cars discusses x380 drone and give an honest review about it on their website. These reviews are beneficial as they help the government make better decisiion of what type of drone can be helpful for them. Drones are helping to curb the illegal intrusion of immigrants and is also helping by pitting an end to the contraband trade which had increased in recent years.

The most prominent reason the border must be strengthened is because of the mass influx of illegal immigrants into our border.  The reason for this influx:  applying for citizenship nowadays can take years and, understandably, immigrants don’t have 20 years to sit and wait. So, with the official implementation of this new blueprint, America could see less and less of this problem.

Today in 2013, hypothetically speaking, a person from Mexico does not have the best chance of getting citizenship within a reasonable length of time, so he or she comes here illegally.   This realistic concept many immigrants experience lies within the hopeless fact that they have a better chance if they simply come here unlawfully. The US government is still looking at applications for US citizenship from 1989.  It is 2013.  That was over 20 years ago. That is not good enough, period. To help combat how behind the Department of Immigration is on their applications, the blueprint calls for the immigration system to be streamlined and made faster.  The legislators just have one problem:  they are not exactly sure yet how they are going to make this process better and faster.  Nevertheless, the fact that the most important figures finally recognize the system needs to be more efficient is a great start.

Along with these changes, the blueprint calls for the immediate citizenship for all children under the age of 18 brought here to the United States illegally by their parents.  It also points out the need to establish citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).  As these are often some of the youngest and brightest people in America, the US should obviously not let them slip away—even if they are here illegally. An undocumented immigrant over the age of 18 can also receive a pathway to citizenship if he or she enlists in the military, offering another option for those who were not able to receive a decent education.  Children and young people brought here illegally should not be punished for something they did not do.  Often, English is already their first language and they are, by this point, fully embedded and a part of American society.  Sending them back to the country they came from is sending them back to a country they are unfamiliar to and not the country they call their home. Simply from an aspect of human decency, this makes no sense from any point of view.

Despite still recovering and struggling from a Great Recession, America still holds up our reputation of being the land of opportunity. Immigrants can contribute to our society tremendously and help the American economy.  They also hold a certain cultural diversity that no one can call bad.  Whether you like it or not, many of these immigrants are our future educators, doctors, lawyers, police officers, or really anything.  Turning illegal immigrants into tax paying citizens makes perfect sense for everyone, and all of the components of the Senate blueprint reflect thoughtfulness and practicality to the immigration issue.  Now, the harder part is putting it all into one plan that everyone can agree on.  If this can be done by using the ideas and solutions put forth in the blueprint, then one of the nation’s most colossal problems of the decade could well be on its way out the door.