Since the 1970’s, as many as 700,000 undocumented immigrants have entered the United States each year, taking refuge in the country [1]. With the introduction of President Trump’s “wall” and his various immigration policies, much debate has been sparked on whether people who have come here illegally should be able to stay, or should be deported back to their home countries. Though the media always seems to display torn apart families and cover anti-Trump protests, reality is still reality; the U.S. government should not allow residents who have immigrated illegally to the U.S. to become citizens.

One who doesn’t support illegal immigration is not automatically heartless; it is indeed tragic when undocumented immigrant mothers are torn away from their U.S.-born children. But there are people who are waiting in line and working hard to legally become citizens. It is unfair if one comes into the country illegally and is able to obtain citizenship or a visa while others are still waiting.

The American Immigration Center has stated that if “you are the child (over 21 years of age) of a US citizen, you are in the first preference. The wait for a U.S. visa in this category can be six years. If you are the child or spouse of a green card holder, you are in the second preference. The wait for a US visa in this category can be five to ten years” [2]. Imagine waiting that long to come into the country the correct and fair way, while others are simply jumping borders to become citizens. People trying to come here legally work hard.

Julian Janzecko ’20 asserts that “people should work hard to earn, otherwise the equilibrium and balance of work itself fails.” So when people are entering the U.S. illegally, wouldn’t it anger the people who are working hard to come in the right way, and give others the idea of immigrating illegally as well? Those who are trying to immigrate legally must fill out countless paperwork, answer questions, and take courses to obtain a visa. They must work hard to become citizens, and the concepts of hard work and patience seem to vanish completely when people are swimming across the Rio Grande and crossing borders illegally.

We should look back on the past to the American dream, the dream that brought thousands of people to the U.S. in hope for a better life in past centuries. Though the system was different, the people trying to get in all had one purpose: to become an American out of love for the country. We should realize that this dream has now vanished, and has been replaced with risky undocumented immigrants coming into the country. We should promote the importance of legally immigrating to the United States all around the world. We should learn to support a president who will put the safety of Americans before anything else. And most importantly, we should defend the good name of the American people and use our history to help determine the future of immigration.

[1] http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/04/23/ii-migration-between-the-u-s-and-mexico/

[2] https://www.us-immigration.com/