IMPRISONMENT OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Imprisonment of Undocumented immigrants



Abstract

American immigration policies have received a significant attention as well as criticism, where illegal immigrants are now somehow part of the American society but live without any legal status. This paper presents an argument to criticize the fact that it is unconstitutional for the states to imprison undocumented immigrants.

Imprisonment of Undocumented immigrants

Introduction

Immigration has been an important part of human history and can be traced in all the ages or eras, where people left their native places and moved to new ones in search of betterment (Anderson, 1986). In fact, immigration can be defined as a process in which individuals move from their own country of residence to a foreign country (Anderson, 1986). United States of America can be seen as a biggest example whose immigration policies received a widespread attention as well as criticism from immigrants and human rights circles. It is also true that increasing mobilization of people also increased the number of illegal immigrants in United States of America as the total number of illegal immigrants in the year 2011 reached up to 11.5 million. On the other hand, it has also been seen that immigrants bring different skills to American job market and their legalization can play a major role in increasing U.S.'s economy as well as security (Levy, 2010). This created a state of concern not only for the immigrants and human rights circles but also for the American government, where people think that it is imperative to determine the fate of illegal immigrants. In this situation, the most important question becomes as to whether the illegal immigrants in America should be given amnesty to legalize their stay in the U. S. This paper aims to identify the most important reasons that favor immigration amnesty to all illegal immigrants.

There are about 10 million undocumented immigrants in the United States according to census of 2009, which divides the Americans to continue issue of illegal immigrations. Most people would say that U.S. economy has been benefitted through undocumented and illegal immigrants as this benefit in additional tax revenue, increased money in circulation and expansion of the low cost labor pool. Those people would say that good values are brought by these undocumented immigrants having their motivations towards American dream. Those jobs are enjoyed by the undocumented immigrants, which are not taken by the Americans. This undocumented immigration would be supposed as the stem from racism when opposed.

Some other people who would oppose this undocumented or illegal immigration say that, undocumented immigrants shall be deported from the country, not given a path to citizenship and no access to social service shall be provided to them. They rather say these undocumented immigrants, as the aliens who are responsible to break the laws of the United States. They say that these undocumented immigrant aliens or law breakers are the criminals and an economic burden to law abiding and taxpaying Americans. Such undocumented immigrants shall be imprisoned and subjected to punishment under law for ...