The problem of illegal aliens is one of the vital nowadays in the U.S. Millions of people from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe are storming the U.S borders for to get an opportunity to live in their dream country, a place where opportunities and wishes come true. The expansionist policy the USA led from the middle of sixtieth to the middle of ninetieth brought millions of people from all over the world to America. But in 1996 it turned out that the U.S is unable to accept so many immigrants any more. That was when the flaw of immigrants was circumscribed legislatively. Unfortunately this measure didn’t lessen the number of those who dreamed of moving in the USA.
People who have no hope for normal life in their home countries are ready to live illegally in America, without the proper medical insurance, non-socially secure, doing the most dirty and low-paid work. When asked about the reasons most of them say that they want their children to have an opportunity to get education, decent work, and to live in a free country, were they won’t be punished for their religious or moral beliefs. Linda, the Latino women who lives in the USA illegally says: “I’m illegal, and my kid is illegal, and I know I won’t get a citizenship. But I will not return to Mexico, and I will not take my kid there. There are opportunities for my kid here. I hope he will become the citizen when he grows up, and he will go to college”.
Like many other immigrants she believes that her kid has a chance for better life here, in the U.S.
The congressmen offer various solutions for the problems with illegal migrants that exist nowadays. Some, like McCain-Kennedy, offer an amnesty bill, which “offers amnesty to the approximately 11 million illegal aliens in the United States, by re-labeling them “temporary” workers, and after six years, granting them permanent residence”.
On the contrary, the Cornyn-Kyl bill requires illegals to return home and sign up for its version of a “temporary” worker program from abroad and there is no permanent-residence offer, as this congressman feels the USA is unable to provide decent working and living conditions for all of the people who desire to live there. (Krikorian, 2005). Even more strict versions about the immigration law exist, that foresees a penalty for anyone caught giving a “ride” to an illegal alien.
There is no doubt, that the U.S borders should be protected from the flow of illegal migrants, as American economy is unable to support all of the people that desire to become its permanent residents. The thing is that the considerations of humanity and human right should also be considered in this situation. When you see a person, who is ready to leave everything in his previous life just for to have an opportunity to live in the USA, you can make an assumption, about the motives of this decision.
The USA declares it is a democratic country, thus it has to provide refuge for those people who suffer from the lack of democracy in their home countries. Just imagine a situation, when a family with kids, a pregnant woman, or a hungry and cold teenager is asking you for a ride from a Mexican border. Would you be able to refuse them, to let those people walk the highway just because you are afraid of being punished for giving them a ride?
The recent research shows that most of the American citizens, at least the ones, who dwell in California, doesn’t share the humanistic views and attitudes towards the illegal immigrants. ” A decade ago, California voters passed a referendum measure that would have denied publicly financed health care to people, including children and the elderly, who did not have proper immigration documents “.
In 1996 the Congress passed The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the one that denied immigrants (regardless of their ability to work) nutritional and medical safety net programs, such as Supplementary Security Income (SSI), food stamps, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Of course, some of those programs were restored, but still, the immigrants have minimal access towards the U.S social safety net. (Franken, 2005). Linda, our interviewee encountered with this problem. She has problems with medical service. She notes: “Before we went to the hospital, but now we can’t. The say they can’t accept us. We go to my friend, she is a nurse, and she says which medicine we should buy.” Like other people, who live in the U.S illegally she does not have a chance to get proper medical service for her kid and herself.
Of course, the flow of immigrants to the U.S should be regulated, but the officials and the U.S citizens should also consider the humanity and human rights principles.
Works Cited
- Krikorian, M. Not so realistic: why some would-be immigration reformers don’t have the answer. National Review, 2005
- Franken, M. TOWARD IMMIGRATION REFORM. Health Progress, 2005
- Personal Interview. Linda Cardona, 2005