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Andrew Ovsepyan
Professor Noh
English 114A
12 October 2015
Will The Debate Ever End
America has been a place of interest for many foreigners that are looking for a second
chance and a better life. This has been the case since America was founded by foreigners
exploring for new land in 1492. Europeans moved to America in order to be free and make life
better for themselves. When America was found, the main and only inhabitants were Native
Americans. The term immigrant means: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign
country. In that sense, everyone that lives in the United States right now can be considered an
immigrant. Many people that are living here got either born, married or naturalized. Once you
have become a citizen, it is like the immigration tag is lifted off of you. The problem brought up
with immigration is that is negatively affects our economy. There have been complaints on
security, overpopulation, taxes and jobs. As of lately, President Obama is trying to pass laws that
help immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, stay in America longer and receive work
permits. The image of immigrants has been slightly damaged by stereotypes and accusations put
upon them by Americans. America is advertised as the home of the free and land of opportunity,
so it seems foolish to prioritize who can and cannot live in America.
The United States of America is home to many people who dream of having a successful
future. It is also full of people who want to move on from their past and start fresh. Many of
those people that fit into those groups are immigrants. The struggle to come to America is worse

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for some than others. There are four main ways a foreigner stays in America. One group
overstays their visa, another group are refugees, then the documented immigrants, and finally the
undocumented immigrants. It seems that the most scrutinized group is the undocumented
immigrants. According to the CAP Immigration Team, out of the 40.7 million foreign-born
people living in the United States in 2012, 11.3 million were unauthorized migrants (CAP
Immigration Team, 1). That is about 25 percent of the foreign-born population. The reason why
this group is put under so much scrutiny is because undocumented immigrants are accused of
stealing jobs for citizens and when as taking advantage of the governments money without
giving anything back. There is evidence to back up both sides of the argument, but it does not
seem morally correct to blame a group of individuals that they are the reason why Americans
dont get jobs or lose tax dollars.
Overpopulation has been brought up in the conversation about the debate with
immigration. The CAP Immigration Team reports, Between 2000 and 2012, there was a 31.2
percent increase in the foreign-born population. During this period, the immigrant population
grew from 31.1 million to 40.8 million people (CAP Immigration Team, 1). With the birth rate
outnumbered the death rate, it is viewed that the country cannot support the flooding of
foreigners while also caring for the citizens. The other side of the story is that the overpopulation
doesnt cause any negativity and actually helps bring a diverse culture to America. Regulating
the amount of people has always been brought up as a solution to this problem, but there hasnt
been much push to coming up with a solution for this problem.
Security is one of the top priorities for America. Since 9/11 and the Boston bombing,
America has become stricter about enforcing laws that will help keep the people safe. The
arguments have been brought up that the easier it is for a person to enter and stay in our country,

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it will be as easy for a person trying to cause harm to our country can enter too. This isnt saying
that immigrants are all terrorists, it is mainly applying that it should be made more difficult for
foreigners to enter and stay in America. However you look at it though, there doesnt seem like a
reliable way to make it harder for foreigners to enter and stay.
Immigration provides America with the diversity that it is known for. The different
cultures that flood into the United States help bring a uniqueness that makes the country what it
is. This topic does come with its negatives and positives. At a point, there has to be a tradeoff.
President Obama already seems to be coming up with solutions to help come up with a tradeoff,
but it wont be solved in a day. A solution will be brought up sooner rather than later, but for
now, immigration will always be a topic of debate.

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Work Cited Page

CAP Immigration Team. "The Facts on Immigration Today." Center For American
Progress, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.