Illegal Immigration



Illegal Immigration across the Border: A Review of Literature

Rocio Reyes

University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

Illegal Immigration across the Border has been experienced for years. This literature review will inform the reader the new policies that have been developed by the Border Patrol and by the Department of Homeland Security. Effects for the American and Mexican citizens such as positive and negative have also been taking place throughout the years. Statistical data will contribute to the research on the reliability of deaths and apprehensions of Illegal Immigration across the Border.

Illegal Immigration across the Border: A Review to Literature

As necessities have increased such as lack of job opportunities and bad economy, illegal immigration across the border has become a big issue for citizens of Mexico and the United States. This is affecting both nations negatively and positively and these effects can be causing deaths, less job opportunities, less opportunity for citizens and much more. However, the border patrol is contributing to the decline of illegal immigrants entering to the United States due to the new technology and different methods currently implementing. In order to better understand the different perspectives and views concerning illegal immigration across the border, the next four questions are going to be answered:

1. What is illegal immigration?

2. Why do most people immigrate illegally to the United States?

3. What are the effects of illegal immigration on Mexican and American Citizens?

4. What are the policies in place regarding illegal immigration?

The following review of literature will be focus on these questions and the different viewpoints about illegal immigration, and effects towards Mexican and American Citizens.

What is illegal immigration?

Illegal immigration is the act of living in a place without government permission. According to the article “the mathematics of Mexico-US migration and US immigration policy”

by Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera says that the phenomenon of undocumented or illegal immigration and immigration policy reform are among the most contentious topics in the USA today. According to the American Community Survey, in 2010 the number of immigrants in this country was approximately 40 million (US Census Bureau 2011a, b). In that same year, almost30% of the total foreign-born population in the USA came from Mexico. In 2009, the number of undocumented immigrants living in this country was 11.1 million, and the majority of them (around 60%) were Mexicans (Passel and Cohn 2010). Immigrants seek for an opportunity to increase their quality of life, but might don’t understand legal process of entering another country. In order to enter to the United States legally, a visa must be obtained by individuals to present to the migration agents in any of the cities that have a border with another country. People immigrate illegally to the United States because they have a perspective that they are going to find a better job with a better salary and better opportunities. In the article “illegal immigration from Mexico” it is said that many individuals come from poor towns in Mexico and they desire a better life for them and for their families. Even with new job created, they are still insufficient to meet a good demand to Mexican citizens. Illegal immigrants and the “coyotes” (people paid to cross illegal immigrants) try to cross the border through the dessert of Arizona. Such thing is causing more death of individuals from dehydration. Because of the long river located in the border with Mexico (Rio Grande) it was easier to emigrate illegally from Mexico to the United States. As a result, Mexican immigrants tend to be younger, poorer, less educated and less fluent in English than immigrants from other countries. They are also more likely to be illegal -- Mexicans are 30 percent of all immigrants but 58 percent of illegals -- and less likely to

become U.S. citizens its said in the article “Shrinking problem: Illegal immigration from Mexico” by Michael Barone.

Why do most of the people immigrate illegally to the United States?

The reason that most people immigrate illegally to the United States is because of the different opportunities, a better quality of life, to raise their family with a better paid job, to get out of their country, and for many other reasons that they make the decision to immigrate to America. A contribution for people to immigrate years ago was also for the type of government that they had and for their religion. They think that being in a country with lot of opportunities such as financial statuses, education and a high standard of living they would achieve a better quality of life. In the article “Top Seven Reasons why People Immigrate!” by the author Admin, they state the seven most common reasons of why people immigrate and they are “1. Financial Secured Future, 2. High Standard of Living, 3. Education, 4. Start of a Series, 5. Political Reasons, 6. Needs of Different Personalities, 7. Soul Mate”. Another reason of why people immigrate illegally to the United States according to the article “Why do People Immigrate to the USA?” is because of “The American Dream, the pursuit of the American Dream has been alive in the imagination of its immigrants since the beginning of the nation. Many people have been inspired by the belief that in the United States, hard work leads to prosperity and social mobility”. More clearly stated in the article “Immigration to the United States” by an anonymous author, says that, the causes of immigration are “economic historians generally believe no single factor led to immigration. In fact, different studies have tried to explain immigration by emphasizing different factors, with the first important study being done by Thomas (1954). The

most recent attempt to comprehensively explain immigration has been by Hatton and Williamson (1998), who focus on the period between 1860 and 1914. Massey (1999) expresses relatively similar views. Hatton and Williamson view immigration from a country during this time as being caused by up to five different factors: (a) the difference in real wages between the country and the United States; (b) the rate of population growth in the country 20 or 30 years before; (c) the degree of industrialization and urbanization in the home country; (d) the volume of previous immigrants from that country or region; and (e) economic and political conditions in the United States. To this list can be added factors not relevant during the 1860 to 1914 period, such as the potato famine, the movement from sail to steam, and the presence or absence of immigration restrictions. Thus, a total of at least eight factors affected immigration

What are the effects of illegal immigration on Mexican and American Citizens?

Negative and positive effects have been implemented to the Mexican and American citizens since illegal immigration started to take place. One of a negative effect is that observers have argued that because immigrants are willing to work for a low amount of money, they have a negative impact on the salary wage of the U.S citizens. Illegally immigrants usually compete with non-skilled Americans for low-paid jobs because they don’t have a high standard on using technology, or they don’t acquire a high school diploma. In the journal “Effects of immigration on the United States” by Forest Time says that a positive effect to the American citizens is that since illegal immigrants don’t acquire the required documents to work in the United States such as a social security number, they are willing to work in very low-paid jobs contributing to the American economy. The Cato Institute reports that one quarter of all the technology companies

and all engineering workers had at least one foreign-born. Those findings suggest that for that reason immigration helps to keep the American economy innovative. In the article “Border crossing deaths more common as illegal immigration declines” by Carolina Moreno says that the U.S Customs and the Border Protection continues with their efforts to protect the border and to prevent more deaths in the area. The number of individuals attempting to cross to the U.S-Mexican border has decreased, but the number of deaths of immigrants has not. “We never thought that we’d be in the business of helping to identify remains like in the war zone, and here we are,” said Isabel Garcia, co-chair and founder of the Tucson-based Coalicion de Derechos Humanos.

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Figure 1. In this chart numbers of deaths and apprehensions on the southwest border are shown. It is shown that in the year 2007 there were 398 deaths and 856,638 apprehensios were found, in 2008 385 deaths and 705,005 apprehensions, in 2009 420 deaths and 540,865 apprehensions, in

2010 363 deaths and 447,731 apprehensions, and lastly in 2011 368 deaths were found and 327,577 apprehesions. This shows that from the year 2009 to 2011 there was a declined in deaths but much more there was a dramatically declined in apprehensions. In the article “Illegal immigrants flock to youth program” by Miriam Jordan says that a new job opportunity that was approved by the president Barack Obama in June, and is the biggest development in immigration policy since 1986 is an opportunity for non-born in the United States to allow them stay in the country legally and work legally. The conditions are that they have lived there for at least five years, are enrolled in school in the U.S., have finished high school, and have a proof that they arrived to the United States before 16 years of age and are 30 or younger. They will receive a social security number but not a green card that would put them in the path to become a U.S citizen. It is, likely to take several months to process each application, which will be reviewed by adjudicators at four agency centers that have added staff to handle the program. Another effect on citizens is that they are dying when crossing the Arizona dessert, in an article from the New York Times “Death in the Dessert” by the author Ananda Rose says that “But this rosy image of “success” ignores the larger, sobering picture of which migrant death and suffering is still very much a part. To see this, all you need to do is visit the southwest desert of Arizona, where migrants crossing into the United States continue to perish in tragic numbers. While it’s true that illegal immigration numbers are down overall, migrants are dying in the desert at the same rate that they have been for years (roughly between 150 and 250 deaths a year), according to statistics compiled by the Arizona Recovered Human Remains Project and the human rights group No More Deaths. In the past 10 years alone, some 2,000 migrants — men, women, children and the elderly — have died this way”.

What are the policies in place regarding illegal immigration?

There can be no effective immigration reform without first securing the borders and the coastline boundaries to this country. When the United States shows it has control of its borders, then and only then should Congress consider guest worker or temporary worker initiatives. Securing the borders and coastlines will require additional frontline Border Patrol agents, the newest surveillance technology, fences or barriers in some locations, support from U.S. military units and a commitment of cooperation from federal, state and local governments. A plan, including legislation for implementation, will not work if there is no funding or enforcement. In the article “The mathematics of Mexico-US migration and US immigration policy” by Guadalupe Correa Cabrera says that “The phenomenon of illegal immigration is a particularly contentious topic, and has recently resurfaced as a major political issue. Recently, the debate has centered on the urgent need to overhaul the current framework of immigration policy. Strict enforcement of laws concerning undocumented immigration, the construction of a wall along the US[pic]Mexico border and the creation of a new guest worker program have dominated the immigration debate (Kretsedemas 2008).” Due to an increase of illegal immigrants in the United States the Department of Homeland Security are trying to build a wall in between the border with Mexico and the US of approximately 670 miles which is confronting the sharpest resistance yet while conceding that physical barriers alone do not stop illegal crossings. In the article “border crossing deaths more common as illegal immigration declines” by Carolina Moreno, "Regardless of how many agents are on the ground or the technology available, the dangerous terrain and inhospitable weather remain a dangerous factor to would-be border crossers," Rogers said. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection have made multiple efforts to try to prevent as many deaths and

injuries as possible, most notably the Border Safety Initiative.” Throughout the U.S. - Mexican border, more check points with U.S. border patrols have been added on the American side of the border. At these checkpoints, individuals may be asked for documentation in order to verify U.S. residency or citizenship. As stated previously, there are an increasing number of security measures that have been implemented at and around the Mexico U.S. border its said in the article “illegal immigration from Mexico”. As one article already mention, it is also said that for this purpose, one should also ‘dissect dominant discourses, images, and spectacles of all contending sides, denoting manipulation, propaganda and questionable policies’ (Kellner 2003, p. 100). The design of appropriate and effective immigration policies in the USA is a very important task that should take into account all these elements. The relevant debates on this key issue must be based on reliable information and true facts. Just like in the “the American legion policy on illegal immigration” article says that Solutions come from the far left and the far right — from strict enforcement to general amnesty — from fraternal and religious organizations, immigration reform groups, and government agencies. How to address illegal immigration is driven by economic, national security, and humanitarian concerns. Differences are so vast that it is unlikely any congressional immigration reform package will meet with widespread approval from the increasingly frustrated populace. In order to secure the border, the American Legion propose to the congress the following actions: The American Legion proposes to Congress that it take the following actions:

• Hire and train a sufficient number of U.S. Border Patrol agents to meet assigned objectives. It is The American Legion position that employment preference be afforded former members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

• Acquire and utilize the latest technology to monitor border activity and search cargo containers, both on the borders and through our nation’s seaports.

• Employ U.S. military resources along the borders, whereby units can train in a real world scenario, in support of the U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies. Department of Defense surveillance equipment should be authorized for use in border security operations.

• Construct physical barriers in certain locales along the borders to impede easy access to the U.S. It may not be feasible to build a physical barrier the entire length of the southern border with Mexico, but barriers are recommended for certain high traffic areas of the border country, Said the “The American Legion Policy on Illegal Immigration” article.

Conclusion

Illegal Immigration across the Border has been a big issue to the United States and Mexican citizens throughout years. Implementations and policies have been enacted since this started to become an issue for the nation. Effects on both Mexican and American citizens have been taking place such as positive and negative but it doesn’t stop people to immigrate illegally to the United States, all they seek for is a better future life. Future research needs to continue for validity on new policies or new effects toward Mexican and American citizens.

References

Admin. (n.d.). Top seven reasons why people immigrate!. Retrieved from

Anonymous. (2010). Immigration to the united states. Eh. Net. Retrieved from

Barone, M. (2012). Shrinking problem: illegal immigration from mexico. Real clear politics. Retrieved from

Correa-Cabrera, G., & Rojas-Arenaza, M. (2012). The mathematics of Mexico–US migration and US immigration policy. Policy Studies, 33(4), 297-312. doi:10.1080/01442872.2012.694187

eHow contributor. (n.d.). Why do people immigrate to the USA?. Retrieved from

Illegal immigration from Mexico. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Jordan, M., Kesling, B. (2012). Illegal immigrants flock to youth program. The wall street journal. Retrieved from

Moreno, C. (2012). Border crossing deaths more common as illegal immigration declines. Huff post latinovoices. Retrieved from



Ratio of border deaths and apprehensions. (2012). Retrieved September 17, 2012, from

Rose, A. (2012). Death in the dessert. The new York times. Retrieved from

The American legion policy on illegal immigration. (n.d.). retrieved from

Time, F. (2011). Effects of immigration on the united states. eHow. Retrieved from

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