Immigration in America – here is an immigration essay that discusses the misconception about immigrants and the reasons they enter into the U.S. without proper documentation. If you are interested in such kind of essays, request “write my history essay for me” and let our professional history writers take care of your academic success!

Immigration Essay Outline

Introduction

1. The issue of immigrants in the US is a huge problem that has continued to face the nation for many years.
2. In this essay, there is a discussion on the topic of immigration with a special focus on the misconception surrounding immigrants and the reasons they enter into the US without proper documentation.

Body

1. Illegal immigration emanates from a combination of factors in many different domains. 
2. The debate surrounding the issue of immigration has two sides, those who oppose and those who propose.
   1. The government has been one of the largest opponents in the immigration debate.
   2. The travel ban issued by Donald Trump in 2017 restricting the travel of Muslims to the United States.
3. Misconceptions
   1. There is a general misconception among some American nationals that immigrants are the major cause of high crime rates in the US.
   2. Refugees from the Middle East are terrorists and a ticking time bomb who can jeopardize the peaceful nature of America.
   3. Immigrants and refugees move into the US for welfare benefits.
   4. Children of undocumented immigrants should not receive any form of free public education.
4. Reasons for Illegal Immigration
   1. There exists no line for the many individuals across the world to get into.
   2. There is no clear way of correcting undocumented status.

Conclusion

1. Restating the problem of immigration in the US.
2. Summarizing the paper.

Free Immigration Essay Sample

Misconception on Immigrants and the Reasons for Illegal Immigration

Introduction

The issue of immigration in the United States is a huge problem that has continued to face the country for many years. It has become a significant problem to American policymakers because some individuals who move into the country do so without following the laid out policies and procedures, thereby becoming illegal immigrants. In this essay, there is a discussion on the topic of immigration with a particular focus on the misconception surrounding illegal immigrants and the reasons they enter the U.S. without proper documentation.

Illegal immigration emanates from a combination of factors in many different domains. Among the major domains in this respect is “push factors,” which are pressures that compel people into leaving their mother countries in search of asylum or better life in foreign countries. They include economic, security, political, and professional factors (Rezouni, 2010). The United States continues to experience significant illegal influx of foreign nationals due to the world being characterized by shifting national and international policies, new threats to artificial borders, and emergence of globalization. It is an environment in which the factors that are responsible for illegal immigration thrive or are encouraged.

The debate surrounding the issue of immigration has two sides. On one hand, there exists a group of people who argue that refugees and immigrants across different parts of the world should be allowed into the United States. On the other hand, there is a second group that maintains that immigrants and refugees should not be allowed into the American soil. Undoubtedly, there are different reasons offered by these two opposing sides for their stances. In 2017, President Trump issued a temporary travel ban on immigrants from eight Muslim countries. During his campaigns, Trump vehemently vowed to enforce a travel ban on Muslims to the United States (Siddiqui, 2017). He also stood firmly against accepting refugees from Syria arguing that some of the refugees moving from that country could be Isis agents intending to run away from their war-torn nation. Therefore, it is essential to look at some of the misconceptions that people have concerning refugees or immigrants who move into the U.S. annually.

There is a general misconception among some American nationals that immigrants are the primary cause of high crime rates in the U.S. The fact however is, according to a 2015 report filed by the American Immigration Council, immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated compared to native-born Americans (Haines, 2015). On the same note, incarceration rates among young immigrant men are low especially for immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and Salvador who are notorious for illegal immigration. The council made an exciting finding that indeed high rates of immigration lead to low crime rates. Another misconception is that refugees from the Middle East are terrorists and a ticking time bomb who can jeopardize the peaceful nature of America. However, it is crucial to note that most immigrants are highly vetted before getting into the U.S. by different government organizations including the FBI, Homeland security, and the Department of State where the process takes at least two years. According to Mascarenaz (2017), out of more than 700,000 refugees who migrate into the U.S., only three individuals have been arrested so far due to connections with terrorism from the time of the September 11, 2001 attack. In the same vein it is noted by Newland (2015) that refugees are considered as a non-threat to the peace of the United States.

There further exists the misconception that immigrants and refugees move into the U.S. for welfare benefits. However, according to the laws and policies of the U.S. government, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for any federal benefits programs. That means such immigrants are not legible to receive benefits until they have lived in the U.S. for at least five years or more irrespective of how much they earn. However, it is not the same case when it comes to a group of refugees that are supported using Federal and State funds as soon as they get into the U.S. Defined, a refugee is an individual who flees his or her country due to such compelling circumstances as war, prosecution, or natural disasters. Most of the time, such refugees enter the U.S. without adequate resources and ability to survive. Therefore, they are often taken by the U.S. government as visitors who require humanitarian aid and thus receive benefits.

Undoubtedly, every child has a right to education as stipulated in the American Constitution. However, there is a misconception and argument that children of undocumented immigrants should not receive any form of free public education. However, as earlier mentioned, every child in the U.S. between the ages of five and 21 has a legal right to be in school no matter the status of their documentation. In fact, in 1982, the Supreme Court was clear through the case of Pyeler v. Doe, where it ruled that states have no legal right to deny a student the right to free education because of their immigration status (Yeager, 2018). Therefore, educators are left with a crucial role in teaching learners on what information is right or wrong concerning immigrants.

It is clear that there are many undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Therefore, it is essential to answer the question or consider the fact why many individuals get into the U.S. without proper documentation. In a news article by the American Voices, the answer to the question is from a logistical standpoint. That is, many immigrants get into the U.S. without proper documentation because there exists no line for the many individuals across the world to get into and the primary argument that there is no clear way of correcting undocumented status (America’s Voice, 2017). The process that leads to legal permanency in the U.S. is not an option for many people as there are only three options where an individual can immigrate. These are employer-based immigration, family-based immigration, and asylum. Therefore, just a few options are left for the many people who would love to get permanent residency in the U.S., leading to illegal or undocumented immigration.

Conclusion

The issue of undocumented immigration is a massive problem in the U.S., and one that is most likely to continue. Although the debate on immigration has two sides, one side of the discussion lays down its facts based on misconceptions and ill-presented facts. There are enough evidence and statistical facts that show immigrants are not as bad as people consider them to be. On the same note, although every individual who moves into the U.S. would love to do so through proper channels, the few options left for them are not enough.

References

Haines, D. W. (2015, November 25). “Learning from our past: the refugee experience in the United States”. American Immigration Council. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from https://americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/refugee-experience-united-states

Mascareñaz, L. (2017). “What do I say to students about immigration orders?”. Tolerance. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/what-do-i-say-to-students-about-immigration-orders

Newland, K. (2015). “The U.S. record shows refugees are not a threat”. Migration Policy. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/us-record-shows-refugees-are-not-threat

Rezouni, S. (2010). Illegal immigration: causes, consequences, and national security implication?. Carlisle, PA: U.S. Army War College. Retrieved from https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a522095.pdf.  

Siddiqui, S. (2017). “Trump ends refugee ban with order to review program for 11 countries”. The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/24/trump-refugee-ban-end-immigration-executive-order

Voice, A. (2017). “Immigration 101: why can’t immigrants just “get legal”, “get in line” and get their papers?”. America’s Voice. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from https://americasvoice.org/blog/immigration-101-why-immigrants-cant-just-get-legal/

Yeager, T. (2018). Institutions, transition economies, and economic development. New York, NY: Routledge.

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