The Situation for Refugees and Immigrants in the USA

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The United States of America has always been a refuge where poor and oppressed people from the far corners of the world can come to begin a new life. Much of the nation’s allure to prospective immigrants is in its promise of equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, or color. But the pressures of rising unemployment rates, congested cities, a crippled healthcare system, and national debt skyrocketing out of control have caused America to defend her borders against the influx of immigrants that threaten her already ailing economy. Still, despite all the heightened security measures incorporated in recent decades, a steady stream of immigrants continue to enter the country illegally. The Washington Times reports that there are now close to 20 million illegal immigrants living among us in the United States.(Dinan). As the controversy and debate over unlawful immigration escalates, thousands of children are caught in the crossfire. These innocent victims of immigration policy are the children of undocumented immigrants. Since these children were born here in the United States, they are legal citizens. But their parents are not, and therefore are subject to deportation. These children live on the fringes of life, in constant fear of separation, their lives overshadowed by the knowledge that, at any given moment, their family could be ripped apart and devastated. Issuing work visas to allow their parents to live and work in this country legally will enable these children to better assimilate into mainstream American communities, emerge from poverty, reduce their reliance on our over-burdened welfare and foster care systems, and finally, to grow up to become productive American citizens.
Children of undocumented parents learn...

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...urnal. Ed. Charles Green. National Journal Group Inc., 22 Mar. 2013. Google. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Dinan, Stephen. "Nearly 20 Million Illegal immigrants in U.S., former Border Patrol agents say." The Washington Times. Ed. John Solomon. N.p., 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Liorente, Elizabeth. "New Obama Directive Aims To Stop Detention Of Undocumented Parents With Minor Children." Fox News Latino. Ed. Hernán Rozemberg. Fox News Network, LLC, 26 Aug. 2013. Google. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Rhodes, Cristina. "Immigration Reform?." The Stigma of Undocumented Immigration: Shattering the Myth about Immigration. longwood.edu, 28 Jan. 2013. Google. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Wessler, Seth F. "Nearly 205K Deportations of Parents of U.S. Citizens in Just Over Two Years." Colorlines: News for Action. Ed. Rebekah Spiculglia. Applied Research Center, 17 Dec. 2012. Google. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

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