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Julia Lee

Mr. Droski

Argumentative Essay

29 March 2018

Banning Illegal Immigrants

“America was and is the Immigrant’s dreams,” is a quote by Don DeLillo, an American

essayist. Immigration is defined as the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.

There are legal immigrants; individuals applying and receiving their visa so they can legally

enter into the United States. There is also illegal immigrants; individuals sneaking into other

countries illegally, hoping to better their lives. If you enter the United States illegally and you’re

caught, there is a consequence; being deported.

Do you want to make the best living situation possible for you and your family? Most

everyone wants this for their families, including the illegal immigrants. There are many

immigrants that come to the United States on a work visa, in search of work. Back home in

Mexico, typically, they do not have the best opportunities for work, therefore they come to the

US (Gale 2017). The Visa is only good for a certain amount of time and then they must return

back to their families. This is where the problem with illegal immigrants come in. There are

many immigrants that do not return back home when their time is up, staying in the US illegally

(Gale 2017). “Immigrants have also been accused of taking away jobs from the US citizen, of

refusing to learn English or otherwise assimilate into US culture,” (Gale 2017). There are over

12.5 million illegal immigrants living in the United States today. If you want to live the the

United States legally, you must apply for a Green Card, this is every but easy (Gale 2010).
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When you hear the word “immigrant” does that make you think of an immigrant from

Mexico? Most people only think of Mexico, but immigrants come to the Unites States from all

around the world. There are many issues that are caused from illegal immigrants, and one of the

biggest is terrorism. Most of the terrorist attacks come from Muslim immigrants. “The

September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and plane hijackers,” (Tsolis). This is

an example of an act of terrorism by Muslim immigrants. If we were able to have a better control

on immigrants and individuals that entered into the United States, there would be a decrease on

the rate of terrorist attacks. There is a USA Patriot Act that is entitled to Uniting and

Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct

Terrorism Act (Cothran). By limiting and having a better system on who enters the US, there is a

possibility of lowering the terrorism rates.

Although there may be a large amount of immigrants living in the US illegally, they are

not able to vote because they aren’t a US citizen. To be qualified to vote, you must be a US

citizen with proof of your citizenship. The United States and other countries all around the world

have many Laws for immigrants that are in their country. It is illegal for immigrants to get their

driver's license or anything that needs citizenship paperwork. “In 1990 the IRCA was passed.

This allowed the illegal immigrants to bring their relatives into the country. The act was soon cut

back and changed to allow the immigrants to bring talented individuals with the skills for money

to help benefit the United States economy,”(Tsolis 2010). Illegal immigrants are unable to have

public assistance, unless there needed to be help for children, pregnant women, elderly, and

handicapped. With the countless laws the aliens have in the US, it is very hard for them to live a

simple life like all other individuals.

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One very large reason that US citizens do not want illegal immigrants in our country is

because it is believed that they take our jobs. The immigrants don’t have to pay any taxes,

therefore, we must pay more taxes to cover for them. “Legal permanent residents are foreigner

who have obtained so-called green cards and have been granted permanent residency in the

United States,”(Gale 2011). Some other jobs that an immigrant may have besides working in the

fields would be working for families. This may consist of cleaning, building, and construction at

their homes. “Job applicants have to show identification and documentation, including social

security. These documents cannot be verified immediately. Thus, well- meaning businesses may

knowingly hire and train illegal workers who use the fake documentation to obtain their jobs,”

(Gale 2011). While illegal immigrants are working in the US, it’s like a waiting game to be

caught and get deported (Gale 2011).

Some may agree that illegal immigrants should not come into the US, but others argue

that they should be able to. The opposing viewpoint on immigrants is that they want to come

here in hopes of bettering the futures of their families. Many immigrants come here looking for

work. They’re willing to do most work that other American citizens are not willing to do.

Immigrants work long, hard, and hot days out in the fields; day after day, and year after year.

There are many farmers that count on the immigrants to come pick their crops for them.

Immigrants may work from sunup to sundown, and make as much as $0.85 an hour. Immigrants

risk their lives coming here; hey have to leave their families behind, and live every day with the

fear of being deported. It is hard for families that have children who are born in the US because

that makes them a US citizen, but if they got deported, they would leave their children behind

(Gale 2006).
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In conclusion, I believe that illegal immigration should not be allowed. I believe that it is

a serious issue in the United States and I do believe that there is some way to put an end to these

illegal immigrants coming into our country, and staying longer than what their work visas limit

them.
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Works Cited

Doak, Melissa J. "Immigration Laws and Policies since the 1980s." ​Immigration and Illegal

Aliens​: ​Burden or Blessing?​, 2011 ed., Gale, 2011. Information Plus Reference Series.

Opposing Viewpoints In Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ1529100102/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=438ade26. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018.

“Don DeLillo Quotes.” ​QuoteHD​, 2018,

www.quotehd.com/Quotes/don-delillo-novelist-quote-america-was-and-is-the-immigrant

s.

Evans, Kim Masters. "The American Worker." ​The American Economy,​ 2011 ed., Gale, 2011.

Information Plus Reference Series. ​Opposing Viewpoints In Context,​

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ191880105/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC

&xid=0d8674ee. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.

"Immigration." ​Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection​, Gale, 2017. ​Opposing Viewpoints In

Context,​

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3021900059/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=5f946253. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.

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"Immigration Laws and Policies since the 1980s." ​Digital Rights Management for E-Commerce

Systems,​ edited by Dimitrios Tsolis, et al., Information Science Reference, 2010.

Opposing Viewpoints In Context,​

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3020730102/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=d3afa0dc. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.

"Introduction to The Family in Times of Conflict and Change." ​Family in Society: Essential

Primary Sources​, edited by K. Lee Lerner, et al., Gale, 2006, p. 397. ​Opposing

Viewpoints In Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2688300153/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=e583956c. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.

Masci, David, and Patrick Marshall. "Civil Liberties and the War Against Terrorism: An

Overview." ​The Terrorist Attack on America,​ edited by Mary E. Williams, Greenhaven

Press, 2003. Current Controversies. ​Opposing Viewpoints In Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010299103/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=7a765ccb. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.

"Preface to 'Does the War on Terror Invite Law-Enforcement Abuses?'." ​Police Brutality,​ edited

by Helen Cothran, Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Opposing Viewpoints

In Context,​
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http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010156131/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=6af65339. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018.

"Visa." ​Gale Encyclopedia of American Law,​ edited by Donna Batten, 3rd ed., vol. 10, Gale,

2010, pp. 255-257. ​Opposing Viewpoints In Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX1337704557/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI

C&xid=82012fef. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018.