People immigrate to this country looking for a better life. For many it's not a choice, rather the only option they have for survival. There aren't a lot of work opportunities which leads to severe poverty in their home country. Coming to the U.S. in itself is a journey and having to navigate in a foreign country is just the beginning. To add to the stress of a new country an immigrant has a limited list of jobs they can apply for. One of the main reasons they are limited is because of their immigration status. Many jobs require either citizenship, green card, or a work visa. It can be difficult to obtain either of these coming from another country. An amnesty for people who immigrate to the U.S. would open hundreds of doors to Individuals in many ways.
What is an Amnesty?
When immigrants illegally cross into the U.S. under federal law this is a crime. This creates a barrier when they are trying to become documented because they committed a political offense. An amnesty granted can help get this “crime” off their record. This pardon makes it easier to become documented because then it shows they didn't violate any immigration laws.
Hard Workers…
According to the Center for Migration Studies “ Despite having relatively low levels of education, Hispanic undocumented immigrants have high labor work force participation and employment rates…(Miller & Pavilion).” To most it doesn’t matter how much education they have because they will find a job in anything that is available. This is due to jobs in their home country being underpaid, so any job in the U.S. will still pay better. They care about sending money back to their families more than how much they like the job or even how they are treated. For example, when my father came to this country he worked as a landscaper. He says he didn’t like how the boss treated the workers because he knew of their legal status. Many jobs take advantage of their employees if they are undocumented because they will most likely not quite due to having limited job options. If given an amnesty this grants employees, the upper hand because they will not have to succumb to a job just because they are worried of being unemployed.
https://cmsny.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Hispanic_undocumented.pdf
The graph shows the percentage of the hispanic immigrant undocumented vs documented population and their different level of education.
Contributors…
As part of being in the U.S. it’s required by law to pay taxes. Undocumented people don’t have a social security number (SSN) which is needed to file taxes. Due to this the IRS created what's called Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). ITIN’s are being used today so undocumented people can pay taxes yearly. They are contributing to the economy daily, but the government isn’t helping them in return. They’re many taxpayer funded help programs that immigrants are not eligible for because they don’t have a SSN. For example, in order to apply and get social security retirement benefits you need to have a social security number. Elderly immigrants who have contributed to the economy their whole lives, but only have an ITIN are being prohibited from this benefit. It’s unfair because they have a right, it’s their money as well.
Is Money Really for All?
If an amnesty was granted sooner immigrant workers would have already received benefits. A more recent case when people with ITINs were excluded from benefits that social security holders received was during the stimulus relief check disbursements. HuffPost states that, “ Congress unconscionably still continues to exclude 9.3 million immigrant workers and from eligibility for stimulus checks (Ruiz).” That number means the government believed 9.3 million didn’t need help. A lot of people were unable to work when places were shut down because of covid. 9.3 million people were excluded from this help that could have put food on their table or a roof over their head. They also deserved a relief from the economy Covid left behind.
Requirements…
Although I believe that an amnesty should be given to immigrants, I still think that some requirements should be met. There has to be evidence that people are coming to the U.S. looking for opportunities not here to take the easy route. If I had the power to give an amnesty some requirements I would propose would be as follows.
Show proof of five-year employment
Be at least 25 years old
Have no past felonies on record
How Does this Issue Affect Me Directly?
This issue affects me directly because I’m first generation in this country. This means that my family and extended family around me immigrated to this country. They came here with the hope of reaching the “American Dream” for their future kids. I’ve seen firsthand how the previous amnesty of 1986 in the U.S. opened a door of opportunities for my family. I believe immigrants that continue to come to this country should be able to benefit like an American citizen because they work in this country, and one way or another make it run.
Why this Issue?
I choose this issue because it reminds me of how my parents came to this country with nothing and have built for themselves from the ground up. My father was part of the 1986 amnesty and due to this my mother was able to be granted legal status as well. An amnesty is the reason that my parents, siblings, and I don’t have to live in fear of them getting deported every day. Today, many immigrants live with this fear, when they should be able to live their life freely. After all, isn't this the place of “Home of the brave, land of the free?”
Resources
Millet, E., & Pavilon, J. (2022, November 16). Undocumented Hispanic immigrants in the United States. The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS). Retrieved April 18, 2023, from https://cmsny.org/publications/hispanic-undocumented-immigrants-millet-pavilon-101722/
Ruiz-Grossman, S. (2021, March 9). Undocumented immigrants won't get stimulus checks - for third time around. HuffPost. Retrieved March 14, 2023. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/undocumented-immigrants-no-stimulus-checks-coronavirus-again_n_6048025fc5b636ed3376acac
Ernesto M.
Yo estoy de acuerdo que den una aminstia para la genete trabajadora que lo merece. Porque ami me ayudo y abrio muchas puertas, mi esposa tambien pudo arrelgar sus papeles.
Maria M.
Ayudaria a la gente trabajadora porque a la gente a veces no le quieren pagar su salario, porque no tiene sus papeles
Jacqueline M.
I agree with amnesty because it helps people have a better living and become successful. I think about my parents and how they came to this country to have a better life and overcome their struggles. It opened many doors for them.
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