Argumentative Essay Immigration

“America is a nation built by immigrants, and for most of its history the United States has generally opened its borders to those seeking a better life,” however, in recent years, immigrants have been unwelcomed (US). Although these may be mere accusations, illegal immigration is not supported by Americans due to the threat they pose on national security and public safety, the harm they cause the economy, and racism and discrimination from citizens against immigrants. Whether right or wrong, there are proposed solutions that could repair the reputation of immigrants and maintain their relationship with America. The ideal American life is one with opportunity and freedom, but this cannot be obtained when there is a threat against national

“Immigrants were recruited to till the soil, build the cities, and labor in the factories…” says Kenneth Jost, referring to the numerous immigrants who have built up America in the last centuries, while receiving low wages. He continues, “but often [they are] criticized for taking jobs from and lowering wages for the citizen workforce.” Historically, most citizens are unwilling to take the physically demanding jobs that require excessively long hours and only reap the bare minimum cost to live, if even so. However, the Federation for American Immigration Reform claims that “Americans deserve decent jobs at decent wages, not unfair competition.” Regardless, manual labor jobs must be completed in order to maintain American industries and immigrants have willingly stepped in to ensure the prosperity of the economy. Another argument against immigrations is the amount of money spent on illegal aliens through public services, while they are not repaying the government through taxes. When immigrants come and gain citizenship, public services are automatically granted to them such as free public education, reduced-cost housing, and insurance. Though illegal immigrants may not receive those benefits, they are still entitled to emergency organizations and their service such as the fire department, police, and hospitals. Since they do not pay taxes (or they pay minimal amounts in taxes), many U.S. citizens believe they are receiving benefits they do not deserve. However, it can be argued that immigrants pay a significant amount in sales and taxes and that it does not incur a net cost in government spending (Illegal). Many factors play into the wellbeing of the economy, but when prosperity is low, immigrants are unjustly blamed and