The Ugly Truth About Immigration and its Effect on Homeland Security

The Ugly Truth About Immigration and its Effect on Homeland Security

Since the beginning of time, societies have been at war over land procession and spiritual beliefs. For example, early era, humans had to fight for their kindred, their nation, and their right to believe in the trinity. From a biblical perspective, enemies enter new territories with the aim of stealing, killing, and destroying those that are not in their bloodline or those that do not believe in their God. The “Holy One” encouraged the people by confirming that he would grant peace in the land and remove any sword that tried to pass through his country (Leviticus 26:6, New International Version). One of the challenges facing the United States (U.S.) is illegal immigration. In contrast to the early times, individuals enter the U.S. illegally with the aim of gaining access to opportunities that they lack in their home countries. However, when these illegal immigrants are not able to access the opportunities, they resort to crime for survival. It is this phenomenon that links immigrants to deteriorated homeland security. Ultimately, illegal immigrants in the U.S. are closely related to increased crime rates while their subsequent deportation has a far-reaching impact on their families, especially the children.

Crime Rates of Illegal Aliens affect Homeland Security

Immigration and increased crime rates

Since 2016, immigration, and particularly undocumented immigrants have formed an essential component of the U.S. elections. Political aspirants at all levels have used this issue as a bargaining chip in their quest to mobilize voters. The issue of undocumented immigrants has thus given rise to varied passionate responses from different parts of the U.S. political spectrum (Kamarck & Stenglein, 2019). Determining the actual number of illegal immigrants is difficult since these individuals do not reveal their legal status during surveys. For instance, despite President Trump’s focus on Mexican immigrants, this group represents less than half of the overall undocumented population in the U.S. There is a shift in illegal immigration from border-crossings to visa overstays, with the latter representing the highest percentage of undocumented individuals. Therefore, Trump’s plan to build a wall across the Mexican border is misinformed and may not deal with the problem adequately. While the cost of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy is an issue of concern, another notable implication is the impact of immigration on homeland security. In particular, immigrants are likely to engage in crime once they are unable to take advantage of the opportunities they had initially planned to exploit.

The link between crime and immigration has been hotly debated in recent years. However, this issue is not new but rather historical. In the late 19^th century and early 20^th century, the U.S. experienced record rates of immigration. This phenomenon gave to increased concerns that immigration was closely associated with an increased rate of crime. Consequently, in congressional debates, it was often claimed that there was the active involvement of foreign nations in encouraging homegrown convicts to immigrate to the U.S. Likewise, immigration was claimed to be closely associated with a rise in such criminal outfits as the mafia (Orrenius & Zavodny, 2019). Moreover, the conceptualization of the U.S-American border as a place with no respect for the law and full of crime and illegal activities is dated as far back as more than a century ago. Thus, the debate on whether or not immigration results in increased crimes is also as old.

The claim that immigrants, especially the undocumented ones, negatively affect public safety has risen again in recent years. In particular, the debate played a crucial role in both the 2016 presidential elections and the shutdown of the government in early 2019. Immigration increases the number of people entering the U.S. Since this phenomenon is not counterbalanced by emigration, the volume of crime is undoubtedly expected to increase. Likewise, most immigrants are young men who are in the early stages of labour market entry and career advancement. These males, due to their age, are more likely to engage in crime hence affecting homeland security (Mastrobuoni & Pinotti, 2015). Despite concerns about the number of young immigrants entering the U.S., their contribution to the labour market is often desirable. Their desirability is attributed to the existing shortages in particular classes of workers, specifically those required to carry out manual duties. Owing to increased crime rates, the number of immigrants in the U.S. criminal justice system has increased in recent years. Therefore, apart from affecting the U.S. homeland security, illegal immigrants cost taxpayers a considerable amount of money.

The role of policy

Immigration has been the bedrock of U.S. politics for many years. Policymakers, in their bid to resolve the issue, has considered the security, economic, and humanitarian impacts of immigration. Despite these efforts, the Congress has failed to attain a long-term solution through immigration reforms. Nevertheless, the Congress has consistently forwarded various policy proposals to the judiciary and the executive arms of the federal government with the aim of initiating conversations on illegal immigration (Mastrobuoni & Pinotti, 2015). Recently, President Donald J. Trump was elected partly due to his intentions of implementing stringent measures to curb illegal immigration. President Trump shared such proposals as building a controversial wall on the U.S-Mexican border, and the temporary banning of Muslims from entering the U.S. The president has implemented these measures following his election although this has led to legal and public protests. The different strategies have not deterred immigrants from entering the U.S. illegally. For instance, immigrants constitute fourteen percent of the total U.S. population. Combined with their children, this group makes up 27% of the population. This figure makes illegal immigrants a vital component of the U.S. economy.

The relationship between immigration and crime has significantly influenced immigration policies in the U.S. The most famous and controversial policy is President Trump’s proposal to build a war across the U.S-Mexico border. Such a policy is anchored on the claim that immigrants contribute to increased crime rates, and therefore, allocating more resources to enforce immigration may curb illegal immigration and the resultant crime (Orrenius & Zavodny, 2019). Other policy proposals for reducing illegal immigration and increasing public safety include enhanced interior and border enforcement, reinstating Secure Communities, and increasing crackdown on sanctuary cities.

The crimes committed by illegal immigrants are often preventable. However, due to policy gaps, this has not always been the case. The immigration policies developed in the twenty-first century have resulted in an overflow of illegal immigrants (Mastrobuoni & Pinotti, 2015). The U.S. federal government has, since the 1860s, been known for regulating the number of immigrants seeking refuge in the country. Following the National Origins Act of 1924, and the Immigration and National Act of 1952, quantitative limits on immigration were enacted for the first time in favor of the Europeans. By the 1960s, the discriminatory underpinnings of the national origins system had been discredited. Amendments on the Nationality Act were integrated in 1965 during President Kennedy’s era. This legislation raised the numerical limits on immigrants from 154,000 to 290,000, of which 120,000 were reserved for immigration from the Western Hemisphere.

The U.S. also terminated “bracero,” a program that allowed Mexican agricultural workers to enter the U.S. to offer farm labor after the Second World War. The immigration Act of 1990 addressed legal immigration deficiencies by restructuring categories of admission and job-based entry provisions for both temporary and permanent admissions. In 1994, California passed a controversial law referred to as Proposition 187, through which undocumented immigrants were denied access to basic public resources such as medication, education, and other social services.  While the law was scraped off later, it had already set the tone for other states.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, international terrorism was recognized as a critical threat to U.S. national security. Consequently, the department of defense was reorganized, leading to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. This move had far-reaching implications on both terror suspects and the foreign individuals living in the U.S. Another renowned Act is the USA Patriot Act that was signed by President George W. Bush in October 2001. This Act defined immigration terms and expanded the powers of respective bodies, mandating them to search, monitor, detain and deport any terror suspect. Other legislative strategies aimed at combating terrorism, entailed enactment of the Visa Reform Act of 2002. This Act tightened the visa screening process, border inspection, and emphasized tracking of foreign immigrants.

In 2000, the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. was 11.5 million. This figure was close to surpassing the number of legal permanent immigrants allowed. It is still difficult to establish the actual number of undocumented immigrants at any given them. The reason for this is that illegal immigrants often operate in secrecy and rarely share their legal status during surveys. Therefore, the actual number of immigrants is usually higher in comparison to the official figures given. The majority of illegal immigrants go to the U.S. to search for work and other opportunities. These immigrants seek to provide a better life for their families and children. The unlawful hiring of undocumented immigrants has been claimed to contribute significantly to the economic crisis. Likewise, it increases the rate of unemployment amongst citizens (Alexandru, 2015).

The Impact of Illegal Immigration on Homeland Security

The presumption that immigration of undocumented individuals into the U.S. is a threat to homeland security has advanced in line with the rapid increase in the number of immigrants globally. Amadeo (2019) cites that the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. was about 10.7 million in 2016. This is approximately 3% and 25% of the total U.S. population and immigrant population, respectively. Half of the undocumented immigrants are said to have lived in the U.S. for more than ten years. In 1990, the total number of immigrants was estimated to be 3.5 million, implying that this number has tripled since then.

The increase in the number of illegal immigrants has put a considerable strain on the department of Homeland Security. The department has spent significant amounts of financial resources on the deportation of these individuals. For instance, a total of 434,015 illegal immigrants in 2013. Overall, President Obama’s administration deported about 2.4 illegal immigrants making it the most effective administration regarding the deportation of undocumented immigrants. The administration also offered deportation relief for up to 580, 946 young immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Currently, there are approximately 1.9 million criminal aliens who ought to be deported. This number includes both legal and illegal immigrants. One of the biggest challenges facing U.S. border patrol agents is the increased attempts by immigrants to enter the U.S. illegally. This phenomenon implies that the department of homeland security has to use immense resources and workforce to curb this illegal entry (Hodge, 2018). Also, the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants that are apprehended cost the department significant amounts of resources.

The U.S. border patrol apprehended approximately 415,816 illegal immigrants in 2016 (Amadeo, 2019). According to the law, anyone presenting themselves at the border is allowed by the government to apply for asylum. However, the number of those applying for asylum at the U.S. borders has grown since 2018. This surge further stretches the department of homeland security. This surge has been attributed to increased drug-related violence in such places as Honduras. Indicating the government’s commitment to addressing the challenge, President Trump proposed to deploy 5,800 troops to the notorious Mexico border towards the end of 2018. The president reckoned that the forces would help prevent the illegal entry of Honduran refugees into the country.

The effects of Illegal immigration on Children Whose Parents are deported

For many years, it has been the responsibility of societies to protect their country from outsiders seeking to enter their lands. Enemies traveled near and far, in a bid to conquer lands that they did not own. They would enter lands unnoticed to cause an uproar. The many illegal immigrants in the U.S. have created an uptrend in crimes and have impacted the economy by taking jobs, resources, and health care from the U.S. citizens. The increased number of immigrants has put a strain on Homeland Security departments, which causes the department to struggle in fulfilling its designated mission of protecting U.S. citizens. While the department has been successful in fulfilling its mandate, the deportation of illegal immigrants has a profound impact on their children who are U.S. citizens legally. These children are forced to grow up without their biological parents, which has been associated with causing these children to turn into homegrown terrorists.

Deportation has many detrimental effects on those who are deported, their families, and the societies from where they are taken. According to the department of homeland security, the rate of deportation in the U.S. has been on the rise for the past three decades. A significant number of those deported have lived in the U.S. for over a decade while others are either caregivers or parents. Mathema (2017) estimates that 5.9 million U.S. citizens are attached to a caregiver who is undocumented and lives illegally in the U.S. The amendments done on the existing laws are against the reunification of deported immigrants with their families and this impacts negatively on the children who are U.S. citizens.

The family members left behind owing to deportation are bound to encounter multiple psychological effects. The deportation of parents has unprecedented psychological impacts on children following a forceful separation. For instance, in a study carried out on 190 children in 85 immigrant families across six cities in the U.S., it was shown that children encountered numerous developmental challenges owing to their parents’ deportation. This separation can be felt later through the instability of their subsequent families, economic challenges, and challenges in meeting basic needs.

Once an individual is deported, the remaining members of the family or close associates are forced to take up new responsibilities. For instance, the caregivers have to work for long hours, leaving very little time for contact with the children. In larger families, the eldest child may take over the role of providing basic needs to the other siblings. Deportation also has detrimental effects on the overall performance of the school-going children. The deportation of a close family member exposes children to varied emotional and behavioral problems, which are manifested in the form of anorexia, poor sleeping patterns, sadness, anger, and withdrawal. Despite attempts of reunification, the impact of the forced separation usually prevails. The legal children whose parents are deported are forced to make weighty decisions. They can either choose to leave the country of their citizenship with their parents to live in much poorer conditions or to remain in their country of citizenship but deprived of the right to be raised by their parents (Nessel, 2019).

The impacts of deportation extend beyond the nuclear family to other relatives and family members such as grandparents. Furthermore, approximately five million children live in families headed by the grandparents, with a large percentage these comprising of children of undocumented parents. The number of children being raised by grandparents is skyrocketing, creating more concerns that can result in the grandparents’ deportation.  Families that are headed by grandparents also faces many challenges compared to normal families. Despite the difficulties experienced by grandparents as they give care, their grandchildren have less psychological problems compared to those raised in foster care. Parenting by grandparents is depicted to facilitate the psychological maturity and wellbeing of the children.  When caregivers are deported, children are exposed to a lack of a crucial caregiver, which increases the possibility of their placement in foster care. The impact of deportation on children and other family members is exacerbated by inadequate access to mental health interventions. Additionally, when these services are available, access to them is limited.

Illegal immigration has an unprecedented impact on homeland security. Illegal immigration in the U.S. is caused by, among other factors, existing policy gaps. Besides increasing crime rates in the U.S., illegal immigrants have considerably increased pressure on the department of homeland security. This is particularly the case regarding increased cost of deportation. Further, deportation may cause children, who are legal U.S. citizens, to grow without parents. These children are faced with various psychological challenges while growing up, and ultimately reduces the quality of their lives.

References

Amadeo, K. (2019). Immigration’s effect on the economy and you: Its Pros and Cons. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/how-immigration-impacts-the-economy-4125413

Alexandru, G. (2015). Illegal migration, a key factor in the increase of organized crime 1. Research and Science Today, 18.

Hodge, T. (2018). Application of big data analytics to support homeland security investigations targeting human smuggling networks. Homeland Security Affairs, 15.

Mastrobuoni, G., and Pinotti, P. (2015). Legal status and the criminal activity of immigrates. American Economic Journal, 176.

Nessel, L. (2019). Deporting America’s children: The demise of discretion and family values in immigration law. Arizona Law Review, 609.

Kamarck, E. & Stenglein, C. (2019). How many undocumented immigrants are in the United States and who are they? Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/how-many-undocumented-immigrants-are-in-the-united-states-and-who-are-they/

Orrenius, P., & Zavodny, M. (2019). Do Immigrants Threaten U.S. Public Safety?. Working Paper. Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University. March 1. https://www. growthopportunity. org/research/working-papers/do-immigrants-threaten-us-public-safety.