Lexy Brown Running head: COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT

October 31, 2013

Immigration a Community Problem Report Lexy Brown The University of Texas at El Paso

COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT Immigration Reform The matter of a proposed immigration reform is critical and impending force on the American government today. Those who are apposed to a reform are extremely enthusiastic in their efforts to bring awareness to the issue, while on the other hand those who are opposed remain less vocal. The impeding importance to take a stand either way on the issue has become more and more apparent. There are millions of people around the country that could and will be affected by a potential immigration reform, leaving many heavily invested in the matter. The issue remains unsolved and to be moving at a sluggish pace within the United States Congress, seeing as the two majority parties simple cannot agree on the matter.

What is the public opinion regarding comprehensive immigration reform? Recently more and more attention is being brought to the idea of presenting a new comprehensive immigration bill to Congress. There are many people on both sides, both opposed and supportive, that feel very strongly about the issue. At the end of September of this year, several hundred demonstrators convened for a rally. . .then marched chanting through the center of the town, in Birmingham, Alabama (Preston, 2013, paragraph 1). These people, and thousands of others across the nation, have been attempting to bring attention the utter importance and necessity of this bill to Congress. Many of these people attempting to bring attention to the issue brought their grandparents and even, marched with small children, beside them, proving that this is a matter of diverse importance (Preston, 2013, para 2). Although these rallies and demonstrations have been successful in raising awareness on the issue, there are still worries that the government is too preoccupied with other matters of national interest to successfully address this pressing matter (Preston, 2013, para 2).

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The Republican Party is split in how they are approaching a possible immigration reform. Up until currently the Republican Party has been able to block all major changes in immigration reform. John Boehner has kept a firm hold from letting any potential bill getting passed, reports Cindy Saine for VOAvideo. The majority of people apposed to the immigration reform argue that Democratic lawmakers are, too lenient, with the law (Saine). Cindy Saine continues to report that although there seems to be more of a public opinion supporting an immigration reform, that the House is, not likely to tackle the issue any time soon. This issue is a matter of national security and must be treaded with lightly. What are the economic implications of illegal immigrants in the U.S.? The state of Alabama has been enforcing new laws recently that have been impacting many illegal immigrants. School districts are now being enforced to report illegally documented students. These new laws have resulted in many illegal immigrant parents, withdrawing their children or keeping them home this week, afraid that sending them to school would draw attention from the authorities (The Associated Press 15). The New York Times reported, in the same article, that, Hispanic students are vanishing from public schools in the wake of a court ruling, that the state government of Alabama made in regards to cracking down on illegal immigration (The Associated Press 15). This article also reports that many of these parents are considering moving from the state, despite the potential hardship they could face financially. The Center for Immigration studies reports many statistics that prove that illegal immigrants and their families take advantage of the welfare system intended for United States Citizens. They report that illegal households welfare rate is on average much higher that that of United States born citizens and their families (Camarota, 2013, page 1). Despite this fact, immigrant households, . . .use of cash and housing programs tends to be similar to native

COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT households, proving that these illegal immigrants take advantage of the system (Camarota 1).

The same article by Camarota (2013) reports that the majority of welfare collected by immigrant houses that is collected by their legally born children. There are also reports of households that have no U.S. born members still collected 56 percent of all welfare nationally in 2009. Do U.S. citizens have a moral obligation to illegal immigrants? Native United States citizens have a moral obligation to illegal and legal immigrants living in the States. Although these immigrants may not be legally living in the United States, they are still human beings like the rest of the legal immigrants. The Associate Press reported for the New York Times that despite a new law in Alabama, enforcing stricter immigration laws, schools are telling their students that they have nothing to fear and that they should keep their legal or illegal students enrolled in the schools. The school district claims that these children are no different than the other children attending the schools, as seen in this image provided by A Campaign for Stronger Democracy. The district with predominately Hispanic students went so far as to have, . . .the superintendent, Casey Wardynski, speak in halting Spanish, that the students would not be forced out of school and that they should keep attending regularly (The Associated Press, 2013, p 15). The school districts blame the state for attempting to, . . .keep up with statistics, nationally and that the new laws were not to be taken to seriously in terms of their childrens education (The Associated Press, p

COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT 15). This school district is setting a moral example in how the rest of the country should handle laws and regulations that could effect children of immigrant families negatively.

Representative Steve King, a tea party member, claims that there should be absolutely no amnesty given to illegal immigrants. Steve King asks the question, Why do I have to do anything to solve a problem that people created willingly for themselves? simply stating that he finds that this is an issue that must be solved by those who create it. King continues to argue that these immigrants live in the shadows and are confident enough to risk, . . .using fraudulent documents to get a job or tap into welfare and live here in the dark, overstaying their visas, their worst potential option being deported back to their homeland (Breitbart, 2013 p 1). This article argues that there is absolutely no moral obligation to people who willingly take the risks and put themselves in situations that call for no amnesty. Steve King states bluntly that he will feel no moral duty to make lawbreakers lives easier, when hard working citizens receive little to none on the same care. What is the Texas government currently facing in regard to the issue of immigration? The Texas government is facing extreme fiscal costs currently on the issue of illegal immigration in the state. The American taxpayer, especially in border states. . . has tremendous burdens in health care costs and most crucially education, Texas taxpayers especially face a perceived burden of illegal immigrants (Bernsen p 1). Texas takes up about half of the United States and Mexico border, and has extremely high numbers of illegal immigrants from Mexico. In fact, Bernsen reports that from 1970 to 1990, the growth in illegal immigrants has grown from only 310,000 to 1.5 million, a 391 percent growth. Since then, growth has been tremendous, 2004 reports, . . .foreign- born residents to represent 15.7 percent, of all Texans(Bernsen p 1).

COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT The Texan government will continue to have to increase taxes and charge legal residents the same, if not higher, taxes. There will always be a financial burden on any state that acquires new residents. Texas

happens to be one of the states in which illegal immigrants seem to first hit since it is so close to the Mexican border. Just recently in Falfurrias, Texas a body of woman was found, . . . probably slogged 25 miles through dry ranch lands in her quest to enter the US, she was found near a highway (Sherman p 1). These small towns in Texas are feeling the effects of immigration. Although they are keeping the funeral homes somewhat in business, as crude as that may be, there have been hundreds found dead, often dehydrated and physically exhausted. These small towns need help financially from the federal government in the costs of properly handling the bodies. These changing patterns of more and more immigration has, . . . put an extra burden on local governments with limited experience in such matters and even fewer financial resources (Sherman p 2). The majority of these people found that appear to be immigrants seem to always be forgot but several counties in Texas are trying to prevent this from happening. Brooks County is attempting to change the game, now, all new all newly recovered bodies and skeletal remains of suspected immigrants will travel 90 miles to nearby Webb County for autopsies, DNA sampling and more intense efforts, in identifying these people (Sherman p 2). Conclusion The suggested immigration reform has many citizens and immigrants alike very much provoked. The urgency of the matter to pass laws and regulations to support immigration reform remains vital to those supporting it, while those opposed remain somewhat less vital in their opposition. Although Congress is somewhat preoccupied with somewhat more pressing

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endeavors currently, pertaining to the recent government shut down, those in favor of reform remain head strong, pushing the idea of reform stronger than ever. The passing of an immigration reform bill will only be possible if enough attention is raised on both the Democratic and Republican sides and successfully brought up in Congress.

COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT References The Associated Press. (2011, October). Alabama: Many immigrants pull children from schools. New York Times. P.15 Brandon. "Include Everyone in Conversation on Immigration Reform." Weblog post. Image. Stronger Democracy. Word Press, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2013. Camarota, S. "Welfare use by immigrant households with children | Center for Immigration Studies." Center for Immigration Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. <https://cis.org/immigrant-welfare-use-2011>. Democracy Now!. (Producer) (2013). As congress stalls on immigration deal, obama poised to deport two millionth immigrant [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.democracynow.org/2013/10/4/as_congress_stalls_on_immigration_deal. Foroohar, R. (2013). Open the Door and Let 'Em In. Time, 182(4), 24.

http://0-web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&sid=00507027-2a1542e5-bfe85d69d0e74b00%40sessionmgr111&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZ zY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=89078975. Hinojosa-Ojeda, R. (2012). The economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform. CATO Journal, 32(1), 175-199. http://0web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=00507027 -2a15-42e5-bfe8-5d69d0e74b00%40sessionmgr111&hid=127. Lone Star Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. <http://www.lonestarreport.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5Vg_zxX8oz8=>.

COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT Martin, L. (2011). The geopolitics of vulnerability: children's legal subjectivity, immigrant family detention and US immigration law and enforcement policy. Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal Of Feminist Geography, 18(4), 477-498. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2011.583345

Preston, J. (2013, October 5). Thousands rally nationwide in support of an immigration overhaul. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/us/ralliesnationwide-in-support-of-immigration-overhaul.html?_r=0. Rol, A. (2013). U.S. VS. THEM: A perspective on U.S. immigration law arising from United States V. Rosales-Garcia and the combination of imprisonment and deportation. Denver University Law Review, 90(3), 769-800. http://0web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=00507027 -2a15-42e5-bfe8-5d69d0e74b00%40sessionmgr111&hid=127. Standard-Examiner. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. <http://www.standard.net/stories/2013/09/23/localgovernments-inherit-new-burdens-more-immigrants-cross-texas-border>. Tea Party. "Rep. Steve King: I Have No Moral Obligation to help illegal aliens stay in USA." Tea Party. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. <http://www.teaparty.org/rep-steve-king-i-haveno-moral-obligation-to-help-illegal-aliens-stay-in-usa-24120/>. VOAvideo. (2013). Doubts over 2013 immigration reform[Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxdNP8uRoHA