Essay Example: Immigration and Undocumented Workers

Immigration, which refers to the action of coming to live permanently in a different country, remains one of the main problems facing numerous developed countries across the world (Anderson 1). Undocumented workers are people who work in various industries in their corresponding foreign countries without official recognition as their citizens as well as lacking legal immigration status. The existence of such workers in foreign countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, could also be as a result of entering the country without inspection or having overstayed their visas and other entry terms and conditions. In general, immigration and undocumented workers pose a significant challenge to the foreign country despite their positive contributions to its economy, such as availing adequate labour force (Semotiuk 1). This paper relies on two current articles obtained from different reputable sources to provide a personal opinion on the issue of immigration and undocumented workers.

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Discussion on the Two Articles

The first article, written by Semotiuk, reviewed and summarized some of the restrictive immigration policies taken by the United States federal government under the leadership of President Donald Trump and their effects on undocumented workers. Semotiuk underscored the fact that President Trump suggested a plethora of restrictive administrative policies that are making life miserable for a plethora of immigrants in the United States alongside their employers, advisors, and families (1). Some of the restrictive policies pursued by President Trump's administration include travel bans, building a wall between the United States and Mexico, extreme vetting commands, directives to reduce or stop the admission of foreign workers and business people into the United States (Semotiuk 1). The first challenge associated with the restrictive immigration policies is that they result in the jailing of families together longer than expected, particularly at the United States southern border

According to Semotiuk, the new policy for restricting families at the border increased the number of days from 20 to 60 (1). Secondly, these immigration policies led to the deportation of approximately 2,100 families alongside restricting Central American migrants from attempting to cross the Southern border (Semotiuk 1). Thirdly, the restrictive policies resulted in multi-prolonged attacks on companies alleged to be hiring undocumented immigrants. Approximately 3,282 companies across the United States submitted their payroll document for reviewing in 2018, an approach that could lead to immigrants losing their jobs (Semotiuk 1). Fourthly, the country implemented the public charge policy to disqualify green cards of various immigrants seeking for a status upgrade. Fifthly, the expedited removals implemented by the United States federal government aims to deport immigrants with less than two years in the country (Semotiuk 1). Lastly, the country seeks to deny asylum claims for people who pass more than one country before entering the United States from their origin.

On the other hand, Jordan examined the challenge of undocumented immigrants who end up working in various industries in the United States economy (1). The New York Times columnists point to the fact that the United States receives approximately 350,000 travellers by air from various parts of Asia, Africa, and South America daily (Jordan 1). These visitors arrive in the United States with different visas that allow them to study, tour, conduct business, or attend conferences for a predetermined period. However, most of these travellers end up overstaying in the country to the extent their visas expiring, which, in turn, changes their status to illegal immigrants and undocumented workers (Jordan 1). Therefore, travelling on a United States visa and extending the period of stay guaranteed by the country's immigration department is the leading cause of the increasing number of illegal immigrants in the country.

Jordan (2019) found that nearly half of the undocumented immigrants in the United States overstayed their visas. Data gathered from the United States migration-centre showed that 46% of the 10.7 million undocumented immigrants in the country overstayed their visa (Jordan, 2019). Mexicans account for the most significant number of immigrants and undocumented workers in the United States. Currently, the number of undocumented immigrants of Mexican origin in the United States exceeds one million (Jordan 1). However, the United States witnessed remarkable changes in its immigration patterns between 2007 and 2017 with more than 330,000 Indians overstaying on their visas (Jordan 1). More travellers that later became undocumented immigrants and workers came from China, Philippine, Columbia, Venezuela, and Brazil.

Personal Opinion

The articles reviewed in this paper indicate that immigration and undocumented workers remain a significant challenge in the United States. However, there are different strategies that the United States federal government needs to undertake to solve the immigration issues not only at its borders but within its territories. For instance, instead of addressing the immigration issues by using comprehensive reforms, President Trump's administration should engage the Congress and the House of Representatives to develop appropriate laws that will not become extinct due to discontent increased resentment, delays, and litigation (Anderson 1). The congress can implement a directive applicable to the country as a whole on the need to protect borders and ensure that all travellers do not overstay their visa. Lastly, the state should not only focus on restrictions at the border but also hire more police officers at grassroots levels to ensure that all immigrants who came of short visas return to their countries within the period stated at the immigration centres.

Conclusion

Immigration and undocumented workers remain a critical challenge in the United States. Most of immigrants come from different parts of the world to settle in the United States for various reasons, including tours, asylum-seeking, and searching for job opportunities. However, many undocumented workers end up overstaying on their visas and putting pressure on limited resources in the foreign country. However, undertaking appropriate strategies can help in solving the issue of immigration and undocumented workers alongside addressing the challenges that they face in foreign countries, as discussed in this paper.

Works Cited

Anderson, Stuart. Nobody believes a wall will stop illegal immigration. Forbes. January 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/01/28/nobody-believes-a-wall-will-stop-illegal-immigration/#3d5cb1d33b16. Accessed December 10, 2019.

Jordan, Miriam. The overlooked undocumented immigrants: From India, China, and Brazil. The New York Times. December 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/01/us/undocumented-visa-overstays.html. Accessed December 10, 2019

Semotiuk, Andy, J. Immigrants troubled by trump's new immigration policy restrictions. Forbes. August 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyjsemotiuk/2019/08/23/immigrants-troubled-by-trumps-new-immigration-policy-restrictions/#488dd23c3b34. Accessed December 10, 2019.