In this day and age, immigration is a hotly debated topic that often divides opinions. It is worth noting that immigration happens in many countries and not just in the US. Immigration has a significant effect on the population and decision making. This writing is an exploration of how US Immigration and Immigration Laws affects our generation and generations to come.
It is worth noting that immigration has been ongoing for decades. Immigration welcomes many cultures and diverse people to the US looking for asylum and the American Dream. With President Donald J. Trump in office, he has restricted and minimized immigration which has created many legal challenges for those looking to migrate. Donald Trump took extraordinary measures by building a wall between the US and Mexico. This highly affects the US because Latinx people have great involvement in our population. Thousands of undocumented Americans were deported, families are being separated and many are still facing improper care in detention centers. Many Americans are enraged by Trump's actions and treatment towards illegal Americans and some could care less, nevertheless no human being is illegal in stolen land. Another factor to consider is the US Congress failing to address immigration, their policies and deciding on an agreement. This causes conflict because this major policy decision gets moved to higher branches of government, such as Judicial and Executive. To sum up, we can be the change we wish to see and fight for those seeking asylum. Their American Dream should be just as great as the person next to them. Accessible health care, a better life for their family, a sustainable job and to not live in fear of decisions being made about them when no one is there to voice their opinion. We can be that voice for them.
The United States is known for its diverse population, but that wouldn’t be possible without immigration. According to Council Foreign Regions, immigrants make up almost 14 percent of the US Population. In other words that is 44 million immigrants out of 327 million US population. Mexico is the common origin of immigration, next follows South and East Asia. That is a large number that affects many families across the US. The current US immigration policy is called The Immigration and Nationality Act. This policy allows 675,000 illegal Americans to get visas, once received they become a Lawful Permanent Resident. With the LPR, the American must live and work in the US and are eligible to apply for citizenship. This can be accomplished if you already have a LPR. Another thing to consider is “non-immigrant” visas, which are given if you pass the visa criteria. This is a visa that allows for a foreign student or tourist to work temporarily in the US.
Family- Based Immigration is a straining topic that often leads debate. Dipping back into family immigration, Family- Based immigration principle allows for a resident or LPR to bring an individual family member to sponsor them through their process of obtaining a visa. For the relative to be a sponsor in the US, the resident or LPR must petition for the immediate member, the member must meet criteria and must be able to support their family. A full medical exam, vaccination history and criminal history will be further looked into, just so the government knows the family won’t be fully reliable on them. Brothers and sisters are also put into consideration. As of 2017, 15,648 spouses and 27,390 siblings were put into the Family- Based Immigration system record.
Due to life-threatening conditions in their homeland, some families are unable to return and seek asylum in the US. Their social group race, political opinion, religion and national origin all play a part in why the individual or family can’t return to their homeland. Refugees apply for admission either in the US or a country outside their homeland. Numerous facts play a role in why a certain individual can or can not be admitted in the US. Either the individual is known in a concerning well known group and whether they have family in the US. Our president, as well as the congress determines the amount of refugees admitted. In 2019, we hit an all time low, 18,00 refugees who were not admitted. That is 18,000 we wouldn’t help who wanted a better life. Asylum comes hand in hand with refugees. Asylum is only available if the person is already in the US. Asylum seekers must apply within the year of their arrival. Refugees and Asylum seekers rely on the same help. There is no limit to the amount of people we seek asylum. Whether we admit them is not up to us, it is up to our President.
Taking everything into consideration, the US Immigration Policy is a complex structure of policies that affects many families. At times it can be a very straining and difficult system on who we let in and when we let them in. We should try to remember there is a reason for asylum seekers and there is a reason our country is so diverse. We should be more welcoming to these diverse cultures that our country is so known for. We can be the change we want to see and our voices should be heard.
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