Should Immigrants Be Allowed In Sports

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Immigration is a volatile, divisive, and extremely complex issue of international importance. In recent years it has become popular to blame immigration for crime, unemployment, and even terrorism. Government policy has been influenced by this flawed and harmful blame game to the ultimate detriment of our country. Immigration enhances our nation. A compelling example of this is the influx of athletes who emigrate to our country to participate in sports. Despite their obvious contributions to our nation, recent developments in U.S. immigration policy are making it more difficult for these athletes to travel and compete, and nearly impossible to pursue a path to citizenship. Immigration is what made our country great. The ambition, passion, …show more content…

Regardless of these factors the immigration process can be misunderstood, leading to problems with entering the country. Professional athletes who are employed by billionaires and make millions a year themselves, sometimes struggle with immigration even after getting into the country. Major League Baseball (MLB) star Rafael Soriano ran into “visa issues” despite his money and big reputation in the baseball world. During 2013, Rafael had a delayed entry into the U.S. due to his switch from the New York Yankees to the Washington Nationals. Even though he had already completed and submitted an I-129 when joining the Yankees, Rafael was unaware that he had to redo the process when switching teams which delayed him in reentering the United States. Another MLB player from Japan, Masahiro Tanaka signed a deal to play for the Yankees. He experienced delays in the processing of his paperwork by the Department of Homeland Security. He nearly missed his deadline to report to the Yankees. It took the intervention of Senator Charles Schumer, a longtime Yankees fan, to get Tanaka admitted in time (Broken Immigration). Almost no one can count on the assistance of a Senator in order to clear up immigration delays. Imagine the hardship placed on an athlete who does not have access to such powerful

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