Those currently residing in the United States illegally ought to be granted amnesty.

I respectfully submit that those currently in the United States illegally ought to be granted amnesty. Definitions "Those in the United States illegally"- "According to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS), an estimated 11.5 million unauthorized immigrants resided in the United States as of January 2011." (1) "Amnesty"-" an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially to a class of persons as a whole." (2) (1)- http://www.migrationinformation.org... (2)- http://dictionary.reference.com... In the United States, a combination of porous borders and economics has led to a significant amount of people entering this country in violation of the immigration laws that are on the books. Policy makers, recognizing that many of the people who have entered illegally have not left, have some important decisions to make. The biggest of which is as follows: What should be done with these law breakers? I will argue that amnesty is the best approach. It is the best apporach for the following reasons: 1. Deportation is costly and unrealistic. 2. Many of the people who entered this country illegally have subsequently had children who, since born on US soil, are American citizens. 3. The vast majority of those who entered illegally are hard working, productive members of our society. 4. There are circumstances, such as this one, where amnesty is the best way to address a flawed law. Does the fact that so many people have entered illegally suggest that current immigration laws are flawed? Yes, after granting amnesty, the US should revise its current immigration laws to avoid a recurrence of this problem in the future. Argument 1. Deportation is costly and unrealistic Deporting over 11 million people is a task is virtually impossible given the following realities: A. We do not know where all of these people are. Many who are here illegally blend in. They live in the shadows. A tremendous amount of detective work will need to be performed in order to determine who is here illegally. Some states, including Arizona, have attempted to craft laws that would make it easier for law enforcement to demand proof of citizenship when a person commits another offense. Civil liberty advocates have warned that we need to be careful to not create an environment where law enforcement violates the Constitutional rights of individuals in the hopes of identifying people who have settled in this country illegally. B. Even if we could round up the millions that are here illegally, would we have the man power and resources to actually deport those apprehended? One source, a study conducted by the Center for American Progress, estimates that the financial cost of deportation would likely be as high as $23,000 per person deported. (3) . According to the source, "If US were to undertake a mass deportation campaign its cost over five years would be $285 billion." (3) Argument 2. Many of the people who entered this country illegally have subsequently had children who, since born on US soil, are American citizens. A. According to 2009 census data quoted by the New York Times, "Children of illegal immigrants make up 7 percent of all people in the country younger than 18 years old"" and "four out of five of those children " 79 percent " are American citizens because they were born here." (4). This is a huge number, and the consequences of breaking up millions of families are potentially catastrophic. Should we not consider the instability that a mass deportation would create if executed? What should happen to these children? Argument 3. The vast majority of those who entered illegally are hard working, productive members of our society. There is a perception among some in our society that those who are here illegally are leaches, meaning they consume our society"s resources without contributing to the public good. In fact, those who are here illegally do pay taxes. In fact, one study estimates that "households that are headed by undocumented immigrants (which may include members who are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants) paid $11.2 billion in state and local taxes last year. That included $1.2 billion in personal income taxes, $1.6 billion in property taxes and $8.4 billion in sales taxes." (5) Even if they are paid under the table, a violation of the law that both employees and employers are complicit in, these workers do pay sales taxes, school taxes, and property taxes. As workers, they also contribute to our economy, providing labor in many areas of the economy, including construction, farming, and the food service industries. Without these workers, American consumers would find that a major economic void would exist that would not be easily filled. If it were to be filled by more expensive American workers, consumers would have to adjust to the higher prices that would surely be passed on to them by the businesses impacted by this significant change to labor market. (3)- http://articles.businessinsider.com... (4)- http://www.nytimes.com... (5)- http://articles.nydailynews.com... Argument 4. There are circumstances, such as this one, where amnesty is the best way to address a flawed law. Granting amnesty to millions of people who have willingly broken the law is indeed a dramatic step. I do not support this point lightly. It is the only option policy option worthy of pursuing, considering the tremendous disruption to our social fabric and economic costs that would ensue if mass deportation were pursued. Those who support mass deportation underestimate how unrealistic this approach is. Rather than stubbornly supporting a rigid view of the law, we need to realistically assess the status quo, admit that current immigration policies have failed, and adjust. The most reasonable adjustment is to allow those who are in this country to continue to live in this country, to create a path to citizenship for them, and to thoughtfully move forward in our methods of dealing with those who wish to enter the United States. Thanks, and I look forward to your reply!