Many employers today, from small farms to huge corporations, hire illegal workers to do the job Americans don't want to do. These businesses lure in illegal workers desperately seeking to feed their family. The relative ease of getting a low-paying job in America attracts thousands of illegal immigrants every day. These businesses rarely go unpunished by the government, so their use of illegal labor continues. As long as employers are willing to hire illegals, there will be new illegal immigrants crossing our border everday.
The government has done little up till now to penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants. Worksite enforcement programs were scaled back 95 percent between 1999 and 2003. Also between this time period, the number of businesses prosecuted for hiring illegals went from 182 in 1999 to only FOUR in 2003, and the fines collected from these businesses dropped from $3.6 million to $212,000. The government also issued fine notices to only three employers in 2003 compared to 417 in 1999. The gradual step down in enforcement of employers who hire illegals came with the move of President Bush into the White House. The more relaxed enforcement has also been caused by immigrant rights groups, business lobbies, and members of Congress. Recently, however President Bush has improved the E-verify system (formerly the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program) which is an online system that verifies the eligibility of a potential employee. The system is run by both the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. The system works by comparing the employee's I-9 form against the SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases. More than 87,000 employers are currently enrolled in the program. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have also recently arrested seven current and former supervisors of IFCO Systems North America, who were accused of transporting and harboring illegals. If convicted, the company executives could face jail time and a $250,000 fine. Hopefully, this is a positive sign that the government is cracking down on companies like IFCO.
This aspect of illegal immigration promises to be a hot topic for the future president, either Barack Obama or John McCain. Both believe that a stronger crackdown on employers who hire illegals is needed. Whoever is chosen as our next president needs to be prepared to enforce all regulations that will decrease the attraction that immigrants feel for the United States.

Before beginning this blog I considered myself well-informed on the issue of illegal information, and I believed my opinions were set in stone. I also assumed that I had an accurate view of Obama's view on immigration, when I fact I had a few details wrong. I knew I had a basic idea that I didn't like the border fence, but I wasn't really sure why.
First off, I must declare that I am now so much more informed on this issue than I was previously. I was unclear as to each president's views on immigration, and I just assumed that since Obama was a Democrat, he believed the same as I did. I now am confident and informed on the issue of illegal immigration and was proud when I casted an informed vote in this year's election.
I never fully realized how similar Barack Obama and John McCain's views were until I did the research. In nearly every aspect they are similar which caused me to rethink my candidate for one sad day. However, after doing more research I realized that Obama was still my candidate of choice. Every reader should know by now my position on the border fence, but they also understand that toward the beginning of the blog, I believed that Obama was against it. But, McCain and Obama are both in favor of the fence. This caused me to stop and think , "maybe I should research the independent party candidate?". So I began my research on Ralph Nader.
Nader believes in the basic human rights of all Americans and wants to raise the minimum wage to 8 dollars an hour, then raise it again to ten dollars an hour. Like Obama and McCain, Nader also wants to crack down on employer's who hire illegal immigrants, and certify a guest worker program. But unlike Obama and McCain, Nader believes in giving driver's licenses and all benefits to illegals. He also believes in enforcing a Canadian-type temporary permit system for immigrants. Nader definitely is taking a personal approach to this issue as his vice-presidential candidate, Matt Gonzalez, is an activist for immigration and is of Hispanic origin. However, casting a vote for an independent party candidate seems like a waste of a vote.
As for the border fence that I was against, I had no reasons as to why I opposed it. However, now I can firmly say I am against the border fence because it's an environmental, personal, and agricultural hazard.
I also could not comprehend the price that illegal immigration is costing us every year. The numbers are outrageous. But as much I believe in the good of our economy, I also believe in the welfare of every human being. Every person deserves "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and immigrants are no exceptions. The naturalization process is ridiculously long and tedious and it just discourages illegal immigrants to actually become documented. As I have stated before, what's the point of waiting 5 years to become a citizen when you can work illegally right now?
Class-wise I found this project to be very helpful in not only getting to know my classmates, but also discussing important topics with them. Commenting on each post also forced me in a way to learn even more about my topic and go beyond the realms of everyday thinking. The relaxed, no-pressure environment the internet provides allows for comment replies that are well thought out and constructed. Public speaking is hard for many people and, when put on the spot, an answer can be uninformed or short. By writing on the internet, an individual gets better information.
Towards the beginning of the project, with the first few posts, I found it extremely difficult to come up with a topic for each post. Therefore, the blog was slow to get started and I really didn't enjoy it initially. It was a chore to google possible topics and then research them. As the weeks progressed though, I found it easier to take a suggestion from someone's comment or delve deeper into a different aspect of immigration. I realized that these posts don't have to be specifically about immigration, they could be about the effects immigration has on society or the naturalization process. Once I got into this mindset I found the whole process easier.
This blog also allowed me to examine my preconceived notions on illegal immigration. Before starting this project I based most of opinion on my conservative parent's opinion, my job, and the place I lived. My parents are pretty strictly Republican and believe most of the things that go along with that. As I listened to them discuss illegal immigration and all the negative effects it has on society, I began to agree with them. I also worked at my town's grocery store and sold food to many Hispanic people. I found it difficult to converse with these people or tell them how much their order was if they didn't speak English. So then I began to think that illegal immigrants (although I can't assume all of the Hispanic customers are illegal) would benefit from learning English, and I still do. I grew up in a town that has quite a high percentage Hispanic population. Again, I can't assume that all Hispanics are illegal, but I began to relate Hispanics with illegals and always saw them in the bad part of town or being convicted of murders, so I also related illegals with crime. I didn't even realize how biased I was until I started doing this project. Although experience is good to shape an opinion, it can also alter the actual reality of an issue.
Other student's blog helped me to become informed on issues ranging from global warming and oil to healthcare, the economy, and the situation in Iran. More than likely, I would not have chosen to research these topics on my own, and the fact that I had to comment on the information I was reading helped me connect more the material.
In summary, my views have stayed relatively constant. I still believe that all illegal immigrants in our country now should become naturalized and learn English and I still believe in stronger security at the border (which doesn't include the border fence). The only true thing that has changed is that I now am considerably more informed on the topic.

I have included in this blog some links to other sites that will better inform on the topic of illegal immigration.

American Heritage: History: This website gives an in-depth look at the history of illegal immigration. It's always important to the know the history and facts on a subject before beginning a series study or forming opinions.

National Public Radio:This site gives a brief and easy to understand list of the pros and cons of illegal immigration. This website is good if an individual wanted to take an initial stand on the issue.

Different Views: This site explains the different views that Republicans and Democrats have on the subject of illegal immigration. Very good site if you want to figure out what party holds your ideals and values.

Barack Obama's view: Obama's own website which details his stance on illegal immigration.

John McCain's view: McCain's personal website that explains his stance on illegal immigration.

Washington Post: A discussion on the fact that Americans are very split on the issue of illegal immigration. It explains the idea that no one is actually totally democratic or totally republican on this issue. Gives an interesting account in to personal lives of Americans.

Huffington Post: Written on a liberal website, John Ridley discusses why illegal immigration is no longer an important issue to the candidates. He ponders whether it's because of the current economic situation (but isn't immigration connected with the economy?), or the similar candidate's views on immigration. He discusses these issues and more. Simple and informative.

Obama's Immigration Reform: A transcript from a floor statement made by Barack Obama about immigration reform. This is a very good speech to read as it gives a person an idea on what exactly Obama means when he says America needs immigration reform.

McCain's Immigration Reform: Article about the immigration reform views of John McCain.

Border Fence: Basic information and pros and cons of the border fence that is currently being constructed. Both candidate's have voted for the border fence, so it's Americans duty to understand what that will mean for the environment, land, and immigration all together.

Most of my posts deal with the facts of illegal immigration and the pros and cons. Today, however I'd like to discuss the steps that Hispanics go through to become a US citizen after they have immigrated. Keep in mind, this is for legal immigrants only.
To be eligible for naturalization a person must be 18 years old, live in the USA for 5 years, be a lawful permanent resident, and be of good moral character. If a person is eligible, they must begin a series of tasks. The first being completing an application for citizenship called N-400. The second is to get two passport-like photographs taken, collect all necessary documents, and then send in the application along with fees. The fees include 320 dollar application fee and a 70 dollar fee for fingerprinting. After sending in an application it may be 5 months to more than 2 years before the immigrant is requested for an interview. However, considering the number of applicants that apply each year, the application waiting list can be more than 10 years. After waiting, the applicant goes through a series of interviews and tests (English and civics test). The test itself is quite difficult and many Americans can't even pass it. Here's some sample questions to test your patriotic skills (scroll toward the bottom of the page). If the immigrant passes the test, they are asked what they have been doing since the interview and then take the oath of allegiance before finally becoming a US citizen. The whole process is very long and tedious.
Given that the naturalization process is so long, many immigrants find it easier to just cross the border illegally and work right away instead of waiting 5 months to 10 years just work legally. In a way, the naturalization process encourages illegal immigration. What is needed is a total reform of the naturalization process. Less expensive fees for application, more employees to help sift through the pounds of applications, and a simpler test. Hopefully, if the process is simplified, many immigrants will see the advantages of becoming a US citizen, instead of the disadvantages.
Until next time...

For as long as illegal immigration has been around, the federal government has been the only system that has control over it. Recently, however, many states are getting in on the action. The states are frustrated with deadlocked Congress which can't make a decision on immigration reform, and complain that immigrants are slowly weakening America.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, forty-three states have enacted 182 immigration-related laws in 2007. The laws vary, however many focus on penalizing employers of illegals, restricting public benefits, and making it difficult for immigrants to find housing. "They're trying to scare people and they're saying 'We don't want you here,'" said William Sanchez, lead attorney for the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders.
One of the front runners in this situation is Oklahoma. In March of 2007, Oklahoma passed the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007 , which is considered one of the toughest in the nations. The act makes it a felony to harbor or transport illegals, requires local law enforcement and businesses to enforce federal immigration restrictions, and decreases public benefits for illegal immigrants. Many other states are looking to follow suit. State lawmakers have introduced about two and half times more immigration bills in 2007 than in 2006, and the number that have actually been passed is more than double the 84 bills in 2006.
Opponents of these actions claim that these decisions can only be made by Congress. Proponents of states' control over immigration say something similiar to Ann Morse, a policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures, "The federal government has authority over who comes in this country . . . but the people who are responsible for helping them integrate and acclimate are state and local governments".
Until next time...

What does the future hold for America if illegal immigration continues?
The main answer that I can produce is that American- born citizens would become a minority. A birth rate of 4 million people a year combined with a death rate of 2.4 million per year produces a growth of 1.6 million people a year. Compare that to the estimated 3 million illegal immigrants who enter the US, not to mention numerous legal immigrants who also enter the United States. America would become a huge melting pot, rich with diversity.
To me, this seems like a great thing. As hispanic and non-hispanic whites, along with the immigrants from other countries intertwine, more interracial breeding will occur, obscuring the line between "white", "black", "brown", or "yellow". In world without race their would be no discrimination, racial violence, or prejudice.
However, in a more logical view, could the population become too high? Since immigrants contribute to 3.3 percent of the nation's population and 28 percent of the immigration total, America's population is contributed to heavily by immigration. Our already large population will continue growing. As seen in many third-world countries, starvation and poverty would run rampant. Jobs and food would be scarce. However, this theory could be debunked considering the fact that as standard of living decreased, death rate would increase and birth rate would decrease.
Only time will tell however what the future holds for America in regards to illegal immigration.

Cubans have been migrating to the United States via Mexico for over a decade. Many immigrants pursue this route to avoid the hassles of dealing with the US Coast Guard. Instead, thanks to the wet foot, dry foot policy, Cubans are allowed to become legal US residents as long as they step foot on American soil. This path for Cuban migration has increased since 2006 because when Raul Castro took over power, many Cubans gave up hope that he would provide a decent life for them . More than 90 percent of Cubans immigrants now reach the United States this way.
Sunday, however, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said that Mexico had agreed to send back Cuban immigrants who arrive in Mexico without proper documentation. "The measures we have agreed on will include a mechanism for the swift return of illegal migrants who try to use Mexico to get to the United States," Perez Roque told reporters. Mexican officials did not comment on this statement. He also said the agreement, which is to be signed today, should help prevent people trafficking and illegal immigration.
This seems like a very positive step in the efforts to halt illegal immigration into the United States. Only time will tell however if the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States will decrease. I'll try to keep everyone updated on this situation.
Until next time...

I have included some links to some blogs that I find very interesting:

http://immigration-duckblogger.blogspot.com/:
This blog, written by DuckBlogger is also about immigration and immigration reform in the United States. This blog is fantastic because of the abundance of information available on it. The posts are well written and have excellent sources cited. I enjoy reading this blog not only because it's on a subject I'm very familiar with but also because it's so well-informed. He starts off with very basic information on immigration before branching out into more complex aspects of it.

http://kiasmideastpoli.blogspot.com/:
Written by Kia, this blog about Middle East Politics in 2008 not only has excellent information, but also has a unique perspective. The author grew up in Iran and offers a more personal perspective on the happenings in the Middle East. It's a really great blog if you want personal stories behind the abundance of information he also provides. Also includes a nice video bar for more information.

http://renewableenergy-tommy.blogspot.com/:
Well informed blog written by Tommy. This blog includes up to date information on renewable energy and the quest for these energies. Tommy does a great job at providing a great deal of information in layman's terms. He updates his blog quickly, using only the most relevant information. He seems to possess a real passion for his topic, which makes the reading that much more interesting. Tommy also does a great job of responding to each and every comment posted on his blog.

Enjoy!

These are hard times. Stocks are down, debts are up. On October 14 the US government did something about it. The treasury plans to pump $250 of the $700 billion rescue plan into national banks. This money is given in return of stock purchases from each bank. The first half of the money will go into nine large banks. Citigroup Inc., Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley are included. The money is to be given in three year securities. The banks can pay it back when the economy is stronger. Secretary Henry Paulson told the banks that they must take the money. It's all for the good of the economy. The FDIC also plans to provide insurance for loans made between banks. This will encourage more bank to bank lending.
The United States is copying Europe. Britain stepped it up last week. It made claim to take equity stakes in its banks. France, Italy, and Spain followed suit. This is a step forward for the economy. However, many conservatives are scared. They believe in little government interference. Could nationalization be a step toward socialism? They need to peer back in history. In 1932, bank stocks were bought by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The plan worked. Gradually. It has the potential to work again.

Here's a breakdown of the costs of illegal immigration:

1. The average illegal immigrant household pays $4,200 a year in taxes, but unfortunately, they impose costs of $6,950 per household. That's a deficit of $2,750 for each illegal immigrant household.
2. $2.2 billion is spent on food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal immigrants.
3. Medicaid for illegal immigrants costs the US $2.5 billion each year.
4. $12 billion is spent on education for illegal children, while another $17 billion is spent on American-born children of illegals.
5. Per day, $3 million is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.


There are just a few of the costs that begin to add up over time. These costs do not include the million of dollars in suppressed American wages that are instead paid to illegal immigrants. I chose not to highlight that cost because I realize that without the illegal immigrants taking certain low-paying jobs, no one would.
I also decided not to include welfare costs because illegal immigrants are actually not eligible to receive any kind of welfare benefits and even legal immigrants are severely limited in benefits, so the costs are non-existent.
This post was written to highlight the negative effects illegal immigration has on our country. I realize illegal immigrants cost us billions of dollars each year, but I also realize that without them, our economy would slow drastically. With or without illegal immigrants, our economy will suffer. Instead, we must work to legalize the current illegals and secure the border between Mexico and the United States.
Until next time...

Illegal immigration is a term that describes the immigration across national borders in a way that violates immigration laws of the destination country. This year alone, 900,000 illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross the US/Mexico border, that does not include the others that actually make it across the border. Illegal immigration from Mexico really took off in 1953 when President Eisenhower was in office. At this time, an estimated 3 million illegal immigrants had crossed into the United States. Seeing this situation, Eisenhower quickly cut illegal immigration with the help of 1,075 border patrol officers. Later, in 1954, "Operation Wetback" began. Operation Wetback called for a the rounding up of all illegal immigrants by random ID-checks in Mexican-American neighborhoods. In the span of a year, 130,000 Mexican immigrants were deported, but the INS claimed that an additional 1-1.2 million had fled in fear of being apprehended. Thus began America's obsession with Mexico to US immigration.

John McCain believes in higher immigration, population growth, and foreign labor. On the issue of border security, McCain has voted for the Secure Fence Act and has encouraged agreements that would let the government onto to private property to survey land. McCain believes in foreign labor and has voted for the failed Guest Worker Program that would allow illegal immigrants the chance to become citizens. He has struggled to convince others that his voting record and ideas do not insinuate amnesty. John McCain also strongly believes in immigration reform, which, in theory, increases legal immigration, while decreasing illegal immigration. McCain has been attacked repeatedly for his views on immigration reforms that many claim is just a code name for amnesty. Although Obama believes in immigration reform as well, it's not as big of a conflict with him because he is a member of the Democratic Party. About 50 percent of democrats oppose amnesty, while 80 percent of republicans oppose amnesty, so John McCain has more to lose when he talks about immigration reform.
Onto John McCain's vice president, Sarah Palin. Her view on immigration remains a mystery, as she has never made a statement about immigration, nor voted on any immigration laws.

Barack Obama also supports the Guest Worker Program, and has voted in favor of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. He also has claimed that there is no possible way to deport 12 million illegal immigrants, instead, he claims that they must be allowed a path to citizenship. He also supported the Secure Fence Act, as well as granting illegal immigrants the right to own a driver's license. As noted before, Obama believes in a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, which includes learning English and paying a fine, and wants to enforce penalties on companies who hire illegal immigrants.
Joe Biden, Obama's vice president, believes in guest-worker visas, the wall, a path to citizenship for immigrants, and social security for immigrants.

Before doing research, I staunchly supported Barack Obama, and that included his view on immigration. Recently, however, I have to come find out that he's in favor of the wall between Mexico and the United States. As I have stated MANY times before, I am strongly against the fence. So, I have to step back and dig a little bit deeper into the heaping political pile. After diving headfirst, I found myself still in favor of Barack Obama. Obama knows that deporting all illegal immigrants is ridiculous and instead wants to give them a chance to become legal residents. I support this decision along with the entire legal immigration process.
Until next time...


UPDATE:
After doing more research on the naturalization process and writing a blog post about it I now find myself in opposition of it. I did not realize how contradictory my last sentence in this post was until I read the post that I had just posted about naturalization.

The blog today will focus on the different views that each presidential candidate has on immigration. Let's focus on Obama's opinion first.
Barack Obama (democrat) believes that America needs stronger enforcement at the border between Mexico and the United States. He wants to improve the technology at the border and increase the number of staff positioned there. Obama also wants to crack down on the employers that hire illegal immigrants so that America will seem less appealing as a job opportunity. He seems to understand that immigration is good for America because he has claimed that he will allow the opportunity for illegal immigrants to pay a fine, learn English, and get in line to become a US citizen. Also, in a preventive measure, Obama plans to work with Mexico to "promote economic development" (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/).
John McCain (republican) also believes in tightening the security at the border. He will demand that all governors of border states be required to affirm that their border is secure. He has supported increased funding for Border Patrol and has voted for 700 miles of fencing along the border. McCain has been an advocate of the "guest worker" program, which would allow many illegal immigrants to become citizens (http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/68db8157-d301-4e22-baf7-a70dd8416efa.htm) (http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/issues.aspx?i=2&c=11).

It seems as though both parties have a very similar view on immigration which makes my decision in choosing a president that much more difficult. Although other issues are to be considered, immigration is a very important one to note. The small blemish of McCain's view in my eye is that fact that he supports the building of a border fence. Next post will go more in-depth about my view on the wall. Until next time...