Category: DACA

An Analysis of DACA, Travel Bans, and Border Security

The DACA Conundrum: A Battle for the Dreamers

President Trump fights for the American people and their industries. This is also the reason why Trump is initiating and pushing these immigration laws. He wants to help protect the jobs of American citizens. In the article “Donald Trump on Immigration,” author Kimberly Amadeo illustrates the pros and cons of the Trump administration’s efforts to control illegal immigration policies. Kimberly Amadeo shows President Trump’s ambitious goals in wanting to abolish and replace the DACA by March 5, 2018.

Does Trump understand that the DACA stands for the (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)? These children are called “dreamers.” Furthermore, “Dreamers” are referred to as children who are brought over to America illegally. Amadeo illustrates ethos in the form of compassion that the U.S. District Court in San Francisco has for these “Dreamers.” Members of the court want these children to be able to get a two-year deferral of deportation so they can potentially get a work visa. The Cato Institute states that eliminating the DACA could potentially cost the U.S. economy $215 billion dollars. Moreover, changing this policy would have a huge impact on the people lives of these “Dreamers” if Trump and his staff do not get this right.

Tightening the Borders: The Controversial Travel Ban

On September 24, 2017, the Trump administration ordered a travel ban to occur. This ban will restrict travel from eight different countries. Furthermore, Amadeo shows how the federal courts are showing a form of pathos on the topic of the travel ban policy. They do this by saying that just because the country is Muslim doesn’t mean that all the people in it are terrorists. Six of the eight countries banned are Muslim-based. However, there are always two sides to a story. As Trump could be doing this as a way of protecting the American people from terrorists, it just so happens that a predominately amount of terrorists are from Muslim religion-based countries. This travel ban does not include people with green cards or people who are involved in international organizations. Amadeo has a study that reports that illegal immigrants are costing the government less than the legal ones.

Refugees’ Plight: Balancing Safety and Humanity

Trump and his administration are neglecting the safety of the refugees that need help. They have banned Refugees from coming into America from eleven different countries. This ban will last for 120 days. During those 120 days, many of the refugees who could have had safety in the U.S. might have died because Trump put this ban. Amadeo gives many examples of logos in this section of her article, just like the U.S. estimates that only 20,000 refugees will enter America by the end of the year. This will be the lowest number since the passage of the actin 1980, according to the U.S. State Department. The number of Muslim refugees has declined to just 2,107 refugees in the first six months of 2018. This is a small number compared to previous years.

Building Barriers: The Wall and Immigration Policy Reforms

President Trump has an intense desire to build a wall between the United and Mexico. Studies show that building a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico will not stop people from Mexico from crossing the border. Amadeo illustrates the frustration that both Republicans and Democrats feel as both parties are against building the wall. It will cost Amadeo shows that Trump is going to make Mexico pay for the wall. He wants to do this by taking the money that Mexico receives from the illegal immigrants to help their families back in Mexico.

The president said if Mexico does not pay for it now, they will pay for it later. Amadeo reports that Trump wants the Department of Homeland Security to review the H-1b visa program and be looked at closer so that only the highly skilled immigrant workers are getting the visas. Trump fears for the American people’s job safety and wants the H-1b to be reviewed because he doesn’t want the underpaid immigrants to take the jobs away from the Americans. Amadeo is showing ethos as Trump is trying to show his support to the American workers and wants their jobs safe and not be taken by foreign workers. Silicon Valley is worried that it may lose many of its foreign workers to this. Revising the visa program is an interesting tactic that, if not right, could potentially hurt some of the most successful companies in America.

References:

1. Amadeo, K. (n.d.). Donald Trump on Immigration. The Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/donald-trump-on-immigration-4771042

Exploring Immigration: A Focus on DACA and Its Implications

Historical Context: Native Americans and Early Settlers

Let’s start by saying that we are all immigrants; the only exception would have to be the Native Americans. Native Americans were the first to get to America; exactly how they got to America is still a mystery. Settlers began to claim Indian land; some Indians resisted and fought back, while others didn’t.In the late 1800’s, the US Government forced Indians to leave their homelands and move to reservations. Now, let’s ask ourselves what is really the definition of Immigration. The definition of Immigration is the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country. Settlers are obviously Immigrants.

Obama’s Legacy: DACA and the Dream Act

Now, let’s press fast forward! Perhaps in 2008, Barack Obama became the number 44 president of the United States. He was the first African-American president in all history, and he immediately took action by creating DACA. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. In small words, it allows individuals who were brought illegally to the United States a permit to work & not face deportation. Another example would be the DREAMers, which stands for Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors, the Dream Act. Giving undocumented students a voice in getting an education.

Immigrants’ Contributions: Education, Economy, and Crime Rates

Immigrants come to the US with a purpose; that purpose is employment and a great education for their children. Trying to provide their children with an education that the parent was not able to have. Parents were not given that opportunity due to financial problems and were made to work at a young age to provide for the needs that they had. Why deport a human who wants the same American dream as any other human? America is known as a place full of opportunities; Immigrants are willing to risk being successful or completely failing. Now, if America didn’t want immigrants here, why are taxes still being taken? So the US Government gets benefits, which is good for them, don’t get me wrong, but shouldn’t immigrants get at least security of staying? It would be a win-win situation. Immigrants get the security of staying while the Gov gets benefits and treats them as any other American.

Criminals are everywhere; I did some research to see if there are more Americans or Immigrants making bad decisions that lead them to become known as criminals. The article informed me that Americans are more likely to commit crimes than immigrants,’ I think we all agree that people that commit violent crimes ought to be deported. But going after the undocumented is not a crime strategy; when you look at the fact that the National Academy of Sciences in, I think it was November of 2015, the undocumented immigrants commit fewer crimes than the native-born. That’s just a fact.’ – Said Villaraigos on July 31, 2017. Let’s see the level of education; a graph showed that more undocumented students had a higher GPA than 3.0 than the national rate; that’s right, undocumented students are doing better than documented students! Now let’s fast forward to today; Donald John Trump, who was born June 14, 1946, is the 45th and current president of the US since January 20, 2017.

The Contemporary Debate: Trump’s Wall and the Complexities of Immigration

He now wants to build a wall to keep all immigrants out and wants Mexico to pay for this so-called “Wall,” so why doesn’t everyone in America leave? The only people who should stay are the Native Americans since we want to keep all immigrants out. America does need immigrants for the economy; immigrants are more likely to start their own businesses. Immigration will always be a huge debate, and everyone will have their own opinion, which is understandable. Each head has its own thoughts; I assure you that this reading gave you a whole different perspective on Immigration.

Navigating America’s Future: The DACA Dilemma and Immigration Policy

Separating Families: The Impact of “Zero Tolerance” Policy

For all of America’s history, we’ve always had people who migrated here for different reasons. One of the major ones is that America is seen as the land of opportunity. In the land of the free, many people come from more hostile areas or just do not have a very good living environment or a better future for themselves and their kids. The most recent events on immigration are Mexicans. Since Trump got elected, he has been targeting them and wants them out of the country. He isn’t being fair or reasonable and is not only not helping. It’s making things worse for the country, like taking kids from their parents, Targeting rights that can’t be taken away, trying to ruin young adults’ futures by trying to get rid of DACA, and trying to use government tax money to build the border between the US and Mexico.

The Fate of Dreamers: DACA and Young Adults

Trump administration pushed out a “zero tolerance” policy that placed parents in the criminal justice system to be charged, while the children were kept locked up in what was described to be similar to an animal shelter. It is not human to separate kids and toddlers from their parents or any relatives. Especially since they are in a place that they don’t know anything about and with people that are telling them what to do, people they don’t know, strangers people who don’t care about them. After a lot of media attention leaked footage of how the kids were being treated and how they were being kept, Trump got a lot of attention, and people targeted his decision. After all of that, Trump put out an executive order to stop the separation of children, but the damage was done. Not only were the kids kept there for a while, but money was spent when all of that could have been prevented in the first place. That law has always been there, but Trump enforced it even more. Because of that, it had a negative effect on the economy and the image of the US.

The Controversial Trump Wall: A Solution or Divisive Measure?

Not only did he do something that affected kids and their future, but he also went after young adults, the “Dreamers.” Obama put in place DACA, which was made for young adults who were brought here when they were children and who are now looking to better themself and make a difference not just for themself but to take ahead their families and increase their way of living. One of the ways that that can be done and seems to be required in America is education. With DACA, they are protected from deportation and can obtain a work permit; with this, they can go out there without fear, and they work and have a better opportunity than they would have. They are the future of this country, after all. As America continues to get more diverse over the years, Latin and Asian people will be making up a large percentage of the workforce. So, Trump’s attempt to remove DACA is not a good idea because he will be trying to get rid of what the future of America is going to be.

Immigration’s Role in America’s Identity and Future

Another thing that was a big topic when it came to immigration was not just while he was president but also while he was running for it. The Trump wall has been an idea he has had for a while now and wants to make happen. He claims that it’s for border security to prevent drugs from crossing and dangers. One problem with the idea is the wall, and who is gonna build it, who’s gonna pay for it? He tweeted once that he was gonna make Mexico pay for it; how he was gonna do that, I don’t know. The only other way to get money for a project that big would be taxes. I don’t think that’s a very good way to spend money, especially knowing that a wall isn’t gonna stop drugs or danger. There are other methods, a good one. An example that’s been used a lot with drugs would be underground tunnels. There is an article by USA Today that states Trump is requesting a larger budget for the wall and border patrol. The way they plan to increase their budget will be by cutting the budget to other agencies by 26%, which could be doing better things for America and its future.

In conclusion, immigration has been a big part of America. As much as you try to look at it being bad, it’s not. There are those times when you might question other races; a big example would be Mexicans, a man named El Chapo, who was a cartel member and transported a lot of drugs to the US. I’m not saying that it’s good you can’t judge a whole race on one person’s actions. There are a lot of Hispanics who are out here trying to get a future and make a living a better life, which is the main reason people migrate here: for a better opportunity in the land of the free. America isn’t painting a good picture for itself, especially with this latest presidential election and picking Trump as the face of America. Immigration is good and has and will continue to play a big part in America’s history. Change is on the way, and America will be on its way to not just being called the land of the free but practicing freedom without discrimination, which still exists to this day.

References:

1. Emerson, R. W. (1995). Essays: First and Second Series. Library of America.
2. Kateb, G. (2002). Emerson and Self-Reliance. Polity.
3. Perkins, G. (2009). The American Tradition in Literature (Shorter Edition) Volume 1. McGraw-Hill.

Equity and Accountability: The DACA Dilemma and Immigrant Youth

DACA: Empowering a Better Life for Undocumented Youth

Should one be held accountable for the acts and/or decisions of others? As a minor, most, if not all, of our decisions are made by our parents, including where we live and relocating. Many immigrants did not choose to move to a new country illegally. It was something their parents chose, perhaps to give them a better life, education, or economy. What they did not notice was that bringing them illegally came with a handful of roadblocks, as not having a social security number prevents them from getting health insurance, a job, attending college, traveling, getting a driver’s license, and many other things.

DACA was a program that gave a chance to children brought (by their parents) to the United States illegally to acquire legal status so they could work or go to school and live a normal life. Unfortunately, this program has been canceled. This is found to be unfair as many foreigners find America to be the land of equality, yet some immigrant children are not treated equally nor have the same rights. Who are we to deny an equal lifestyle to someone who had no say in “breaking the law” by coming into the United States illegally? Not only does DACA provoca a better life for these innocent immigrants, but it also provides a large sum of income to the government/country.

Undocumented Immigrants’ Contribution to the U.S. Economy

An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants reside in the United States. They account for one-fourth of the foreign-born population, 5% of the labor force, and are responsible for almost 3% of GDP. Many of these immigrants are undocumented youth who were brought to the United States as children. While undocumented youth have a constitutional right to K-12 public education, they come to face the realities of their illegality as they transition into adulthood. Undocumented immigrants in the United States cannot legally work or vote and are under threat of deportation.

Dilemma of Undocumented Youth: Parents’ Actions vs. Their Aspirations

The youth known as dreamers and, in many cases, DACA attendees present a unique dilemma for policymakers since their lack of legal status often results from the actions of their parents, not themselves. According to MPI, “immigration is arguably more intertwined with education and training fields today than any other time in recent.

For this reason, DACA plays a special role in improving education outcomes and career preparation. One example is the special role of adult education programs that provide an opportunity for individuals who lack a high school education or equivalent but surpass the age and need criteria to qualify for DACA protection.

DACA: The Lifeline for Aspiring Americans

The United States is a nation of immigrants; it is a nation where the American dream is obtainable to hard-working families immigrating for a life better than the one they left behind. Children grow up American even if they are not legally citizens. DACA students are our next-door neighbors, teammates, friends, and family. They are the people who lived on the margins of this country until President Barack Obama’s 2012 executive order gave them a sense of hope. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was created by President Obama via executive action, and Congress has not yet codified DACA into law. Therefore, it is important to note that future administrations have the direction to continue, suspend, or modify the program. During his campaign, Donald Trump pledged to terminate the program, which would take away the protection of DACA’s participants. Thus far, President Trump has let the immigration policy continue, although there has been a push by conservative states to end the program.

References:

1. Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2016). Unauthorized Immigrant Totals Rise in 7 States, Fall in 14: Pew Research Center.
2. Edwards, R. S., & Ortega, F. (2016). The Economic Contribution of Unauthorized Workers: An Industry Analysis: Cato Institute.
3. Gonzales, R. G. (2011). Learning to Be Illegal: Undocumented Youth and Shifting Legal Contexts in the Transition to Adulthood: American Sociological Review, 76(4), 602-619. DOI: 10.1177/0003122411416936
4. Gonzales, R. G., Terriquez, V., & Ruszczyk, S. P. (2014). Becoming DACAmented: Assessing the Short-Term Benefits of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): American Behavioral Scientist, 58(14), 1852-1872. DOI: 10.1177/0002764214532930
5. Wong, T. M., Kim, T. E., & Misa-Escalante, K. (2013). In the Shadows of the Law: The Legal Socialization of Undocumented Mexican Immigrants: Law & Society Review, 47(1), 5-37. DOI: 10.1111/lasr.12004
6. Hooker, S., McHugh, M., & Mathay, J. (2015). Adult Education and Immigration: A Review of Recent Research: Migration Policy Institute.
7. Kopan, T. (2017). Trump administration will not shut door on DACA recipients, CNN Politics.