Immigration Laws in the U.S. Should Be Reformed, Essay Example

According to the U.S. Immigration Reform website, the United States has long been the destination for immigrants who wish to find a more self-fulfilling life and to escape from persecution in their homelands. However, due to the complexity of immigration laws that are currently in force in the United States, immigrants find it difficult to adhere to the rules and regulations set up by the U.S. Department of Immigration and Naturalization (Immigration Reform).

The main problem appears to be linked to the number of illegal immigrants that manage to enter the U.S. illegally, usually to search for employment or to join their families that are already settled in towns and cities spread across America, especially in states like Texas and California. Estimates regarding the number of illegal immigrants that are already in the U.S. range from between twelve and twenty million with most of these living as undocumented workers (Immigration Reform).

Therefore, current U.S. immigration laws and policies need to be reformed to meet the growing challenges related to illegal immigration and to help decrease the number of illegal immigrants that arrive in the U.S. on an annual basis. Overall, there are five specific areas that need to be reformed–1), border security; 2), worksite enforcement; 3), guest worker programs; 4), the current immigration system; and 5), the current naturalization process (Immigration Reform).

Border Security

The first area that needs to be reformed is U.S. border security which could be accomplished by increasing the current number of officers by at least 25% and by adding hundreds of miles of additional fencing along the borders that are shared by the U.S. and Mexico. Also, there must be more barriers to help prevent cars and trucks from crossing the border with Mexico which would help to decrease the workload of the current border patrol officers. Additional surveillance cameras and infrared cameras should also be installed along the border on the U.S. side (Immigration Reform).

Worksite Enforcement and Guest Worker Programs

The second area that needs to be reformed is worksite enforcement. Some of the reforms should include 1), making certain that all immigrant workers are in the U.S. legally, and 2), a reduction in the number of documents used to verify a worker’s identity and eligibility which would help lower costs and make the process itself much faster and more efficient. The third area is related to guest worker programs which need to be reformed by changing the rules and regulations concerning seasonal agricultural workers and workers that are employed in businesses as cooks, waiters, waitresses, and custodians. Also, visa eligibility should be extended to at least three years which would provide more time for immigrants to go through the process of receiving their green cards (Immigration Reform).

The American Immigration System and the Naturalization Process

The fourth area that needs to be reformed is the American immigration system which is quite complex and very time-consuming. For instance, all background checks should be streamlined which would allow more immigrants to be screened by the FBI; also, a new system should be created in order to monitor and check for credits that could be used to acquire Social Security by illegal aliens and undocumented immigrant workers. Lastly, the fifth area is the long and tedious process of becoming a naturalized American citizen which needs to be reformed in relation to the exam for U.S. citizenship. Also, more specialized immigration trainers are needed in order to assist applicants with problems related to speaking and writing English. Perhaps the most important reform effort concerning the naturalization process would be to create an Internet-based teaching aide that would help immigrants to learn how to read, write, and speak proper English (Immigration Reform).

Works Cited

Immigration Reform. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.