Immigration Policy in the United States

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We are now in the 21st century and like the beginning of the 20th century the United States finds itself in the throes of a period of mass immigration. More then one million immigrants enter the Unites States, both legally and illegally every single year. Many argue that this new wave of mass immigration may help sustain the success that our nation is having in regard to the way of living that many American have come accustomed to and yet others believe that although our nation was created by immigrants it is time to "shut down" our borders. The truth of the matter is that there will always be issues in regard to immigration and the policies that the government sets forth in order control who comes into this country. Also now more then ever immigration policy has a greater affect on the American people because of the fact that we find our selves living in a time of danger or as some might argue, a perceived danger in regard to terrorism. Also with the proposal of President Bush?s new guest-worker program raises more issues in regard to immigration. The following paper will attempt to overview current immigration policy and also state what immigration policy should be over the next 25 years. Current policy on immigration is something that should not only be considered through notion that the only people that come to the United States now days are illegal immigrants. The reality is that when the topic of immigration comes up the first thing to usually jump into peoples mind is that immigration is synonymous with illegal immigration. However the United States immigration policy is one that responds to the many different yet essential questions about the nature of American society. For example who and what kind of person should be allowed to become members of United States society? Should we continue to allow foreigners the option of entering our nation and if so, how many? What will be the role that the newly arrived immigrants play in a society that values education and hard work? However the most important question one must ask is how can current policy and new policy control manage the flow of immigrants? There is not doubt that the United States is a nation of immigrants; however for many immigrants who come to this country today there experiences are often not what they expected. More times then not many people find themselves... ... middle of paper ... ...he current administration effectively consolidated 22 governmental agencies under one single agency. In doing this, immigrant policy and terrorist policy may now function in unison with each other in order better protect the nation. America has always been considered to be a preferred destination for the rest of the world and the reality is that America is a nation of immigrants. In my opinion I believe it would never be a good idea to completely shut down the borders since doing so will surely take away from the diversity that is the American nation and its people. However although this may be true it is of the up-most importance that immigration policy best suits the needs of the nation and its current citizens. Works Cited: Briggs, Vernon M. Mass Immigration and the National Interest: Policy direction for the New Century. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2010. Green, Nicole W. Immigration. Washington D.C.: CQ Press, 2014. Lemay, Michael and Elliot Robert Barkan, eds. U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues. Westport, Conn. Greenwood Press, 2009. The Whitehouse. April 4, 2013. March 26, 2014. Close Up Foundation. March 17, 2013. March 26, 2014.

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