Immigration Issues in the United States

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Immigration Issues in the United States

Introduction

Historically, individuals have moved from their home countries to become permanent residents or citizens of other countries. Many modern states are characterized by varied ethnicities and cultures, which can be traced back to immigration. Various States have attempted to address immigration through various policy approaches. These policy approaches involve establishing rules regarding the rights of immigrants to bring in family members, acquisition of citizenship, access the labor markets through work permits, and rights to access the territory of the destination country (Perez, 2015). In the United States, there is a stark division between Democrats and Republicans on the policy approaches towards immigration, with Republicans viewing border control and the deportation of illegal immigrants as a significant issue compared to Democrats, who do not view it as an urgent need. Moreover, these differences are also evident in opinions on whether to admit refugees and the creation of opportunities for immigrants to stay legally in the United States. This paper focuses on examining the problem of immigration in the United States and how the issue can be addressed amidst increasing calls for diversity, preservation of human rights, and equal distribution of resources and opportunities.

The History of Immigration

According to the United Nations, individuals move for various reasons. Some individuals move in search of economic opportunities, education, and to join their families. However, some individuals have no option but to move as they seek to escape natural disasters, climate change effects, conflict, persecution, and human rights violations. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the effects of immigration. Women are more vulnerable to mistreatment during the immigration process, where they may become victims of gender-based violence. Refugee and migrant women also experience health complications during transit, especially pregnant women at risk of physical injuries. Additionally, they face further discrimination in the host countries, where they may encounter double discrimination as women and immigrants, limiting their access to economic opportunities. Women, particularly mothers, are often burdened with caring for children, which places additional barriers and responsibilities on them, making the often-treacherous immigration journey much more dangerous (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2019).

Furthermore, women are tasked with caring for the elderly, further enhancing their need for protection and support. In situations where they gain entry access to the destination country, they also face further challenges in accessing economic opportunities due to the added strain of domestic chores and primary caregiving roles. Moreover, due to changes in cultural values, immigrant women may face additional risks of domestic violence and, due to their status, find it difficult to seek legal redress from formal institutions (Okeke-Ihejirika et al., 2019). According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (2023), by the end of 2021, there were 89.3 million people forcibly displaced due to human rights violations, conflict, violence and persecution. As of May 2022, there was an increase of 10.7 million people displaced, primarily attributed to the war in Ukraine and other ongoing conflicts. The Covid 19 pandemic also significantly impacted immigration policies with restrictions on people's movement during the pandemic's peak. Immigration and forced migration continue to be a significant challenge as worsening environmental crises, wars and economic recessions continue to push individuals to seek better opportunities and conditions in other countries.

            In the United States, there has been a significant increase in the number of individuals attempting to cross the border into the United States. According to Gramlich (2023), encounters between U.S. Border Patrol agents and migrants attempting to cross the border between Mexico and the U.S. are at an all-time high, with numbers hitting record highs. There have been 206,239 reported encounters as of November 2022, exceeding previous figures. Migrant encounters at the border include apprehensions, where migrants are taken into custody in the United States, or expulsions, where the migrants are immediately expelled to their country of origin or transit without U.S. custody. Moreover, most encounters involve individuals from countries other than Mexico or other countries in the Northern Triangle region, with some of the most significant increases noted involving individuals from countries such as Venezuela, Peru, Nicaragua, Cuba and Colombia (Gramlich, 2023).

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