Illegal Immigration

by Cothran, Helen

• ISBN13: 9780737706857
• ISBN10: 0737706856
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Greenhaven Pr

Summary

Analyzes current debates surrounding U.S. immigration policy, discussing whether or not immigration is a serious problem, whether or not immigration hurts Americans, how immigrants are treated, and how the government should react.

Table of Contents

Foreword	12	(2)
Introduction	14	(4)
Is Illegal Immigration a Serious Problem?
Preface	18	(2)
Yes: Illegal Immigration Is a Serious Problem
Illegal Immigration Is a Serious Problem	20	(5)
Brent Ashabranner
Rates of illegal immigration into the United States are extremely high
The government spends millions of dollars each year to patrol the border, find and deport illegal immigrants, and combat document fraud
Visa Abuse Is a Serious Problem	25	(5)
Ashley Dunn
More than half of all illegal immigrants residing in the United States enter the country legally with temporary visas, then stay on when their visas expire
Visa abusers come from all over the world and rarely get caught
Smuggling of Chinese Illegal Immigrants Is a Serious Problem	30	(3)
Anthony Kuhn
Smugglers are increasingly routing Chinese illegal immigrants through U.S. airports due to stepped-up enforcement at seaports and borders
Once on the ground in the United States, illegal immigrants slip past immigration officials by using fake passports and visas, or by asking for asylum
Illegal Immigration Through Canada Is a Serious Problem	33	(5)
Mark Clayton
The rate of illegal immigration into the United States across the lightly patrolled Canadian border is increasing
International syndicates have begun to funnel illegal immigrants through ``Smugglers Alley,'' a rugged stretch of land that straddles the international boundary
Illegal Immigration from Maxico Is a Serious Problem	38	(2)
Debra J. Saunders
Illegal immigrants crossing the porous border between Mexico and the United States damage the environment by starting wildfires and dumping trash
The menacing ``coyotes'' who smuggle illegal immigrants are also a serious problem
No: Illegal Immigration Is Not a Serious Problem
Immigration Opponents Ignore the Economic Contributions of Illegal Immigrants	40	(2)
Thomas Elias
Immigrants, both legal and illegal, pay more money in taxes than they consume using educational programs and social services
Politicians ignore the positive impact of illegal immigration, however, in order to garner votes by generating antagonism against immigrants
Politicians Exaggerate the Problem of Illegal Immigration	42	(3)
Raymond G. Aragon
Illegal immigrants from Mexico help California's economy but are unfairly blamed for the state's economic problems
Politicians attempt to win votes by blaming illegal immigrants for draining social services while at the same time personally benefiting from their labor
Illegal Immigrants Can Make Positive Contributors to Society	45	(4)
Marlene Peralta
Harsh policies that attempt to discourage illegal immigration by cutting social services will fail because illegal immigrants will still seek a better life in the United States
Does Illegal Immigration Harm the United States?
Preface	49	(2)
Yes: Illegal Immigration Harms the United States
Illegal Immigration Adds to the Strain on Social Services	51	(8)
Joseph E. Fallon
The 1965 Immigration Reform Act resulted in increased legal and illegal immigration from developing nations
The disproportionate use of social services by legal and illegal immigrants creates a significant financial burden for taxpayers
Illegal Immigration Harms Low-Wage Workers	59	(2)
Richard Estrada
Illegal immigrants hurt the poor---especially African Americans and Latinos---by competing with them for low-paying jobs
The U.S. government fails to enforce border policies that would block illegal immigration, however
On the contrary, politicians cater to special interest groups that have an economic interest in a steady supply of illegal immigrants willing to work for low wages
Illegal Immigration Poses a Terrorist Threat to the United States	61	(3)
Samuel Francis
The United States must control its borders in order to stop the flow of international criminals and terrorists
Porous borders allow hoodlums to enter the United States and conduct criminal activity
Illegal Immigration Harms the Border Environment	64	(3)
Carey Goldberg
Illegal immigrants harm the environment near the southern border by littering, trampling endangered plants, and starting wildfires
Due to increased border patrol efforts, illegal border crossers are being forced into more hostile---and fragile---terrain
No: Illegal Immigration Does Not Harm the United States
Illegal Aliens Gain Clout: Tight Labor Market Change Thinking of Unions and Employers	67	(7)
Timothy Burn
Hiring undocumented workers allows employers to keep up with the increased demand for products and services brought on by the strong economy
Illegal Immigration from Mexico Provides a Long-Term Benefit to the United States	74	(3)
Aurelio Rojas
Legal and Illegal immigrants from Mexico provide a long-term gain to the U.S. economy
Only the immigrants most likely to succeed stay in the country---most unskilled, low-wage workers return to Mexico within ten years
Does the United States Treat Illegal Immigrants Fairly?
Preface	77	(2)
No: The United States Does Not Treat Illegal Immigrants Fairly
U.S. Border Agents Treat Illegal Immigrants Inhumanely	79	(3)
Michael Huspek
Accusations of human rights violations on the part of the Immigration and Naturalization Services and the U.S. Customs Service have been increasing
An external review board should be established to examine complaints filed on behalf of legal and illegal immigrants in order to guarantee that border agents are held accountable for their actions
U.S. Growers Take Unfair Advantage of Illegal Farm Workers	82	(9)
T. Alexander Aleinikoff
Illegal farm workers live in poverty due to the low wages paid by U.S. growers
More needs to be done to improve the living standard of illegal farm workers---for example, American consumers should press growers to pay their workers a living wage
Border Fatalities: The Human Costs of a Militarized Border	91	(7)
U.S. border policies grow harsher and more discriminatory each year
As a result, more illegal immigrants from Mexico are injured or die as they are forced to cross the border at increasingly dangerous locations
Yes: The United States Treats Illegal Immigrants Fairly
The Border Patrol Is Unfairly Blamed for Violence Against Illegal Immigrants	98	(2)
Ken Hamblin
Border patrol agents are unfairly blamed for violence along the border
In fact, most border shootings involve Mexican bandits and drug dealers shooting at border patrol agents or other lawful authorities, not border patrol agents firing on illegal immigrants
Mexico Is to Blame for the Deaths of Illegal Immigrants	100	(3)
Samuel Francis
Mexico is to blame when Mexican nationals die while trying to immigrate illegally into the United States
Mexico refuses to help stem the tide of illegal immigration to the United States because such movement helps reduce Mexico's own population
Mexican Smugglers Are to Blame for the Inhumane Treatment of Illegal Immigrants	103	(9)
Timothy W. Maier
Sean Paige
Highly organized smuggling rings deliver millions of illegal immigrants a year to the United States
Smugglers from Mexico often treat their human cargo inhumanely---sometimes imprisoning them until they can pay off their smuggling fee or abandoning them in the desert
How Should Government Respond to Illegal Immigration?
Preface	112	(2)
New Restrictions Placed on Asylum Seekers Should Be Removed	114	(3)
Michele R. Pistone
The United States has an honored tradition of aiding oppressed people from around the world by offering them political asylum
However, aspects of the immigration reform laws enacted in 1996 make it virtually impossible to help victims of persecution attain asylum
The Government Should Not Increase Asylum Opportunities for Illegal Immigrants	117	(4)
Ben J. Seeley
History has shown that the Immigration and Naturalization Service is unable to identify fraudulent claims for asylum, resulting in the granting of asylum to virtually anyone---including illegal immigrants
The United States cannot accommodate the rapidly increasing numbers of illegal immigrants seeking asylum under the new laws
The Children of Illegal Immigrants Should Be Granted Citizenship	121	(4)
Stephen Chapman
Denying citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants will not stop illegal immigration
Having a child does not confer legal status on its parents, so there is no motive for entering the United States just so the baby will be an American citizen
The Children of Illegal Immigrants Should Not Be Granted Citizenship	125	(3)
Brian Bilbray
Granting citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to illegal immigrants increases illegal immigration at great cost to native-born citizens and legal immigrants
The Government Should Allow Open Immigration	128	(5)
John Isbister
The United States should open its borders
The United States was founded on the principle that all people are morally equal, yet U.S. immigration laws benefit Americans at the expense of non-Americans
The Government Should Not Allow Open Immigration	133	(7)
Garrett Hardin
Mass immigration into the United States hurts those already in the country by increasing competition for jobs
Those most in favor of open borders---economists, lawyers, and journalists---readily call for more people to enter the United States because their jobs are not threatened by the influx of immigrants
Bibliography	140	(4)
Organizations to Contact	144	(5)
Index	149