Montealegre1

EmilyMontealegre
Ms.Douglas
ENG11201
10July2016
AmnestyIsEssentialfortheUnitedStates
HowdoyouthinkofIllegalImmigrants?Aretheyhumanbeingsthataresimplyseeking
abetterlife,oraretheycriminalsanddangeroustothecitizensoftheUnitedStates?Theseare
thekindsofquestionsthathavethegreatesteffectonhowamnestyisperceivedintheUnited
States.AlthoughAmnestyisdefinedasapathwayforillegalimmigrantstoreceivecitizenship,
manycitizensandpoliticalauthoritiesviewthistermtomeanseveralothernegativethingsin
whichareexpressedbytheiropiniononillegalimmigrantsandtheeffectthattheybringintothis
country.Inresult,manypeopleintheUnitedStatesproposethatillegalimmigrantsarenotgood
forthecountryseconomy,safety,orfuturewhichiswhytheydonotbelieveingrantingthem
amnesty.Ontheotherhand,severalothercitizensproposethatamnestyshouldbeallowedfor
thesakeofimmigrantshumanrightsaswellashowbeneficialtheyaretoallthesamefactors
thatopposingviewpointsclaimwillbeaffectednegatively.IllegalImmigrantsshouldbegranted
amnestyintheUnitedStates,asitwillimprovetheirhumanrights,bringstabilitytothe
economy,andhelpbringinnovationtothiscountry.
Amnestygivesillegalimmigrantswhatimmigrationlawscannot,theirhumanrights.As
timehasprogressedalongwiththepopulationofillegalimmigrantsintheUnitedStates,sohas
thediscriminationtowardsthebasicrightsofthesehumanbeings.Partofthereasonforwhich
citizensdonotsimplyapproveofamnestyisbecausetheyareunawareoftheinjusticethatthese

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immigrantsarefacing.Tobeginwith,manypeoplewouldeasilysupposethatall11million
illegalimmigrantsmusthavecrossedintotheUnitedStatesillegallyinordertonothavetodeal
withgoingthroughalegalprocessinordertobegrantedcitizenship.Whatmanyofthese
citizensmaynotknowisthatagoodmajorityofillegallyimmigrantsactuallyenteredthe
countrylegallythroughapolicythatwascreatedbetweenMexicoandtheUnitedStatesduring
WorldWarII,butwasthenbroughtdownbyseveralactsduringthe1990s,suchastheChinese
ExclusionActandtheNationalOriginsSystem(Huh).Notonlydotheseactsandexisting
immigrationlawsdiscriminatetheseimmigrantsoftheirhumanrighttobegivenbetter
opportunitiesoflifeandrefugee,theyalsocontributetoacorruptsysteminwhichlaborersinthe
UnitedStatesabusetherightsofillegalimmigrantswhoareinneedofworkbutareonlylimited
tocertainareasoftheworkforce.Byallowingamnesty,theseimmigrantswouldhavethe
opportunitytoexpandintheworkforceandbeabletohavevoiceonhowtheyaretreatedandthe
rightsthattheyaregivenwithoutfearoflawenforcementwatchingtheireverymovement.
TheUnitedStateswouldnotbewhatitiswithoutillegalimmigrantscontributiontoits
innovations.Severalpeoplemayactuallyopposethatimmigrantsincreaseinnovationsbecause
theyclaimthattheyarelessintelligentandcapablethancitizensandsincetheUnitedStates
economyiscurrentlyunstable,itwouldonlybemorebaggageforthecountrytocarry,which
wouldinitiallynothelpthecountrysincethegovernmentwillhavetoopenupjobsinareasof
theworkforcethatcouldbeimprovedwithouttheincreaseofemployees(Malanga).Onthe
contrary,theUnitedStateswouldimproveinitseconomyandinnovationsdramaticallyby
allowingamnesty.Ifanything,allowingcitizenshiptotheseimmigrantswouldmeanthatthey
wouldalsobecomeresponsibleinpayingtaxesandalltheduesthatarepartofbeingacitizenin

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theUnitedStateswhichwouldinitiallyhelptheeconomy(LynchandOakford).Byallowing
amnesty,illegalimmigrantswouldbeallowedtobeapartofavastamountofopportunitiesin
thecountryandhelpinnovationbyexpressingtheirideasandviewpointswhichcanhelp
increasethepossibilitiesoffindingnewsolutionstoverysignificantproblems.Thiscountryis
knownforthechangethatitbrings,andastheUnitedStatessupportstheideaofallowingpeople
tovoicetheiropinionsonanissueinordertocometoasolution,itshoulddothesameforthese
immigrantsbecausetheyarewhatmakesdiversityandchange.
Illegalimmigrantsarenotbadpeoplebutsimplypeoplewhoareputinbadsituations.On
thecontrary,manycitizenssimplyviewthemasbadpeoplebecauseratesofterrorisminthe
UnitedStateshasincreasedalongwiththepopulationsizeofillegalimmigrants,theyare
claimedtosupposedlytaketheopportunitiesofnaturalborncitizens,andcitizensfinditunfair
forillegalimmigrantstoaskforrightsinacountrythattheydidnotlegallyfollowaprocessfor
entry.DespitethevastamountofillegalimmigrantslivingintheUnitedStates,notmuchof
citizensopportunitieshavebeenstolen.Asamatteroffact,illegalimmigrantsactuallyhavelittle
tonorightsaslongastheyareillegalintheUnitedStates.Alongwiththeimmigrationlawsthat
wereenacted,otherlawswithinthecountrywereenforcedtopreventopportunitiesforthese
immigrants,suchasthehighenforcementofdocumentationintheworkforce,financialaid,and
eventheabilitytoobtainalicense.IntheUnitedStates,documentationandidentificationare
essentialinordertobeabletodoanythinginthiscountry,whichiswhyitiscrucialthatcitizens
understandthatillegalimmigrantsarenotabletotaketheiropportunitiesasmuchastheyseekto
haveany.Asforthefearofterrorism,thewholepopulationofillegalimmigrantslivinginthe
countryshouldnotbeputatfaultforthecrimesthatotherswhojustsohappenedtobeillegal

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immigrants,committed.Forexample,theenforcementofgunlawshasnotchangeddespitethe
amountofviolenceithascreated,thereforeillegalimmigrantscannotbeblamedfortheinjustice
thatafewpeopleoutof11millionillegalimmigrantsareapartof.Lastly,citizensoftheUnited
Statescannottrulybefairindecidingthefateofillegalimmigrantsbecausetheycannot
understandthesituationthatthisvastgroupofpeoplearefacing.Themajorityoftheseillegal
immigrantscamefromverypoororviolencedrivencountrieswhichkeptthemfromfollowinga
processoflegalizationthatcouldtakeyearsandalotofmoneytoobtain.Naturalborncitizensin
theUnitedStateshavenotfacedwhatisitliketoliveunderthesekindsofconditionswhichis
whyitcanbeconsideredunjustfulforcitizenstoclaimthatillegalimmigrantsdonotdeserve
amnesty.
AmnestyforIllegalImmigrantsintheUnitedStatesiscrucialforthehumansrightsof
immigrants,theabilitytostabilizetheeconomyandhelpbringmorechangeandnew
innovationstothecountry.Despitethenegativeviewpointsthathavebeenmadeoverillegal
immigrants,theseimmigrantshavecontributedtothiscountryinseveralwaysanditisonlyfair
tothemaswellasthecountryasawholetograntthemamnesty.Immigrantsweretakenfrom
theirrightstostayinthecountryduetoseveralactsandimmigrationlawswhichdiscriminated
themoflegallylivinginthiscountrywhichiswhyitisonlyfairtograntthemthoserightsback.
Alongwithgrantingillegalimmigrantsfairrights,itwouldbebeneficialtotheeconomybythe
increaseinincomethattheUnitedStateswouldreceivebytheamountofcitizensinthecountry.
Itwouldalsoallowimmigrantstohaveavoiceinthiscountryandbeabletoexpandinthevast
amountofopportunities,nottotakethemawayfromcurrentcitizens,butrathertohelpbring
anotherperspectiveorsolutiontoalltheissuesthatthiscountryiscurrentlyhavingtoface.

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IllegalimmigrantshavejustasmuchpartinthechangethattheUnitedStateshascreatedother
thanjustitscitizensandtheydeservetobeacceptedintothiscountryduetotheharshconditions
thattheyhavehadtofaceintheirnativecountries.ItisforthesereasonsthattheUnitedStates
shouldallowamnestytoillegalimmigrants.