Resolved: Immigration policies should be expanded to compensate for a growing U.S. society

IntroductionAmerican inventor and engineer Charles Franklin Kettering was once quoted for saying, “We must all be concerned about the future, because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.” We must assure ourselves and citizens that the future will remain prosperous and maintain beneficial attributes. As increased immigration would attack these principles, we must negate the resolution.Before delving into arguments too quickly, there are three questions of optimal priority: a) what immigration laws we have b) what purpose these laws serve and c) why immigration even happens.A. What Immigration Laws Do We Have?According to the Immigration Policy Center in 2015, “U.S. immigration law is very complex... The Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), the body of law governing current immigration policy, provides for an annual worldwide limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants, with certain exceptions for close family members. Congress and the President determine a separate number for refugee admissions. Immigration to the US is based upon the following principles: the reunification of families, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy, protecting refugees, and promoting diversity.” [1] Our U.S. immigration laws vary due to different circumstances, but the central law is an annual limit of roughly 675,000 immigrants each year. Take note that these immigrants are all considered legal.B. What Purpose Do US Immigration Laws Serve?Immigration laws are in place for many reasons, but primarily to avoid an excessive population without sufficient necessities (including housing, work, medical services, etc.). The Legal Information Institute of Cornell University Law School expands on the purpose by saying, “Federal immigration law determines whether a person is an alien, the rights, duties, and obligations associated with being an alien in the US, and how aliens gain residence or citizenship within the US. It also provides the means by which certain aliens can become legally naturalized citizens with full rights of citizenship. Immigration law serves as a gatekeeper for the nation's border, determining who may enter, how long they may stay, and when they must leave.” [2] Accordingly, these laws normatively prevent problems within the country itself.C. Why Does Immigration Even Happen?There are a variety of reasons as to why people immigrate. The Watson Institute for International Studies of Brown University published an article titled “US Immigration Policy: What Should We Do?” that described a little about this subject: “The idealism surrounding immigration explains in large part the deep feelings it evokes in the public policy arena. These sentiments have jostled with concerns about the economy, ethnic relations, social services, the environment, and other issues. In recent years, the debate over immigration has expanded to incorporate a broad range of foreign policy issues.” [3] Besides this, reasons for immigration can be reduced to four, which are as follows: “1. to be reunited with family 2. to seek a better financial situation 3. to seek freedom and safety and 4. to follow their faith.” [4]C1) Excessive immigration becomes a burden to society.Inefficiency of extensive immigration has been proven over time and, expanding the policy include more people, coming illegally, would only result in problematic and dangerous circumstances.If illegal immigration stopped now, the numbers would be permissible; however, the problems we see exist because illegal immigration is not stopping, or even slowing down; rather, it is accelerating. According to Peter Ketel of the University of Idaho, “More than 10 million illegal immigrants live in the US, and 1,400 more arrive every day.” [5] Refer back to the IPC [1] where they specified that immigration laws restrict access of legal immigrants at 675,000 annually. 1,400 new “citizens” every day calculates to a conservative estimate of 510,000 annually, all illegal. On average, that’s the US gaining in population by 1,185,000 yearly. Such an increase is positive to have detrimental effects.Considering the dilemma from a moral standpoint, Manuel Velasquez, professor of business ethics at Santa Clara University notes, “Because immigrants from less-developed nations are usually willing to work for less than citizens, employers hire the immigrants, pushing wages downward. At the same time, aliens take advantage of government services such as schools and health care. So nations have a moral right to exclude immigrants because they harm citizens by taking away jobs, reducing wages, and draining social services.” [6]Furthermore, illegal immigrants also unintentionally receive benefits that legal residents aren’t granted. Jack Martin and Eric A. Ruark of Federation for American Immigration Reform explain, “Most illegal aliens do not pay income taxes. among those who do, much of the revenues collected are refunded to the illegal aliens when they file tax returns. many are also claiming tax credits resulting in payments from the U.S. treasury.” [7]Furthermore, complications arise particularly for places already facing problems. Economist John W. Schoen explained for NBC News, “The recent surge in immigrants is overwhelming the social services of many border counties... especially in states with relatively small budgets where resources are already stretched thin.” [10]C2) Immigration expansion would foster further illegal immigration.Increasing the amount of immigrants who are granted entrance to our country would only facilitate further illegal immigration, the very problem the increase attempt to fix. Making the system more complex, and adding unnecessary facets to the system would have the opposite of the intended effect.Take, for example, the Visa Waiver Program, a tangent of immigration policies that is intended to be expanded. In short, it is a Visa free pass to allow tourists to come to the US for a specific allotment of time, and then leave. Abuse of this system occurs regularly, and would only worsen if expanded. U.S. Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, an area closely affected by immigration laws and policies, explains, “[Expanding] the VWP (Visa Waiver Program) facilitates illegal immigration. An estimated 40 percent of illegal immigrants came to the U.S. under the VWP or with temporary visas and simply overstayed their period of lawful admission.” [8]Allowing intended tourists to stay longer encourages illegal action. This shortcut provides a loophole for individuals wishing to enter the US. The expansion of these systems in particular prove to once again be detrimental to society.There is a common saying that “if you give someone an inch, they’ll take a mile.” Granting more immigrants to enter the US, legal or otherwise, is sure to continue by leaps and bounds, if not strictly regulated or prohibited. Further, this increase harms an already delicate job market. Economist Jan Ting explains this effectively. “What is the impact of an executive order adding 5 million or so additional workers to the labor work force in America? How does that affect the job prospects of 9 million unemployed Americans, 2.9 million of whom are considered long-term unemployed, and another 7 million officially recognized as involuntary part-time workers because they want but can't find full-time work, and another 2.2 million who want and are available for work and have looked for work in the past year, including 800,000 designated as discouraged workers who have given up?” [9]C3) Immigration is a detriment to the economy.Beyond moral obligations to negate and the burden immigrants place on the society to which they assimilate, the economy is also adversely affected by immigration. Senior editor for The Atlantic supports this notion. “1.5 million fewer native-born Americans are working than in November 2007… there are 2 million more immigrants—legal and illegal—working in the US today than in November 2007. All the net new jobs created since November 2007 have gone to immigrants.” [11] This means, in terms of employment, that employment is at least completely stalled due to immigration, if not increased unemployment levels. With less native people working, we find unemployment levels to spike.Researcher and economist Eric Ruark sheds light as to why employment is a concern. “the immigration system... is bringing in workers faster than jobs are being created. Only a small portion of admissions are based on skills or educational criteria, creating an enormous glut of low-skilled workers who struggle to rise above poverty.” [12] With expedited immigration causing more unemployed impoverished families, the US cannot effectively sustain its existing society while supporting others as well.Moreover, policy analyst PhD Jason Richwine notes, “unlawful immigrant households together have an aggregate annual deficit of around $54.5 billion.” [13]ConclusionExpanding immigration would have an adverse effect on both the economy and the society as a whole. I have provided multiple reasons as to why this is true, and how it will become a burden to society, how it would foster further illegal immigration, and how it is economically unsound. Moreover, as Christian Science Monitor notes, creating a way for illegals to become legal would invite more illegal immigration. [14] Conclusively, we find that attempts to expand or increase immigration would be both a morally and pragmatically harmful decision. Thus, we must negate.Sources: [1] http://tinyurl.com... [2] http://tinyurl.com... [3] http://tinyurl.com... [4] http://tinyurl.com... [5] http://tinyurl.com... [6] http://tinyurl.com... [7] http://tinyurl.com... [8] http://tinyurl.com... [9] http://tinyurl.com... [10] http://tinyurl.com... [11] http://tinyurl.com... [12] http://tinyurl.com... [13] http://tinyurl.com... [14] http://tinyurl.com...