U.S. Needs Immigration Reform

The U.S. is in desperate need of provided the foundation for our current “unreasonable” for today’s growing economy immigration refrom, and cooperation from the government is vital to make that happen. immigration policy. Altered slightly in 1996, the policy is broken up into four categories as stated by the Immigration Policy Center; family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, and the growing population of undocumented immigrants. Because today’s policies are based on the economy and labor demand of yesterday, THIS EDITORIAL REFLECTS THE VIEW OF THE LE JOURNAL STAFF. TWENTY-THREE OUT OF 23 VOTED IN SUPPORT OF THIS VIEW humanitarian-based immigration, and others. One would think that most immigrants would fit into one of these categories and be able to immigrate legally. However, with many insufficient number of visas are delivered to bring high-skilled workers to the U.S. Public Religion Research Institute performed a poll in June 2014 with results

The United States has been a home of much more complex than that. idea of undocumented immigrants becoming dreamers for the past two centuries, full of varying Although these laws may not appear like it citizens by way of an immigration bill. With nationalities from across the globe creating a at first they are severely outdated. The country America’s eye carefully watching what decision “melting pot.” Immigrants wanting to be a part of we were economically, politically, and in terms of will be made next, steps towards a solution have this blend of cultures come to the U.S. been made but not executed. hoping to fulfill their dreams or escape from a harsh reality. Change is needed. In 2013, a bipartisan immigration reform bill passed It is through these wide eyed and eager dreamers that our country blossoms and is set apart from the rest. Change is needed now. through the Senate but was never passed through the House of Representatives. The Center for But today’s immigration policies need American Progress said that this dramatic changes. labor at the time these laws were passed is not bill had undocumented immigrants on a 13-

Immigrants enter into the U.S. with the idea of like the country we are today. These immigration year path to citizenship, given a green card to a better life, opportunity, freedom, and the pursuit laws haven’t been changed to fit today’s economic the millions of people who have been approved of happiness. Today, it is difficult for immigrants and labor life. and are waiting so they can be reunited with their to live that out. Today’s immigration policies are The Immigration Policy Center points out family, increased border security, and simply unorganized and ineffective. that if one doesn’t “fit” into the four categories updated the immigration system among other

Problems can range from archaic immigration of immigration, as previously stated, they are not things. laws to the government’s insufficient attempts able to migrate to the U.S. But, those who do fit Despite the bipartisan bill’s inability to be at reform, according to the Immigration Policy into the system wait years upon years to receive passed fully, this proves that Americans and Center. The ranges of these problems only cause a visa. some politicians are ready to take action; all that distress and outrage among immigrants and Visa Now Global Immigration reports that is needed is a strong push to get there. activists which doesn’t help solve this prevalent over four million foreign citizens are awaiting However, that push doesn’t seem to be on all issue. This petty arguing only results in prolonging the arrival of their green card in order to politicians’ agendas. The current immigration an issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. permanently live in the U.S. policies have been like this for too long and it

Today’s immigration revolves around the The Open Society Foundation describes seems unreasonable for the government to have Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which today’s limits on green card availability as not made a decision yet.

Immigration By the Numbers

40.7 million foreign-born people lived in the U.S. in 2012.

If undocumented immigrants were granted citizenship, this would add an average of 159,000 more jobs per year. requirements, restrictions and regulations, it is showing 62 percent of Americans support the Of the foreign-born population in the U.S., more than half are homeowners. If immigration reform were passed, the federal budget deficit would decrease.

Allowing legal status and citizenship to undocumented immigrants would expand economic growth.

62 percent of undocumented immigrants have been living in the U.S. 10 years or longer.

U.S. Needs Immigration Reform

The primary source of inefficiency to solve this problem is lack of government infrastructure. This delay has thus turned into states using “enforcement-only” strategies where states pass harsh immigration laws hoping to find unauthorized immigrants. The result of those “enforcement-only” policies impair immigrant’s human rights and cost our country billions of dollars.

This has also resulted in the largest unauthorized population in the history of the US, all according to Immigration Policy Center.

“Common-sense reform would restore public faith in the system and level the playing field for all Americans, while supercharging the economic benefits from our immigrant population,” Center for American Progress said.

With the documented struggles and the government’s ineffective policies, it is imperative that the discussion remain open so that this national and personal issue can be solved effectively. Having a voice in this debate isn’t only important for Americans but for immigrants.

The nation needs immigration policies that relate to the difficult hardships immigrants undergo in order to live in the U.S. Solving the main problem of today’s immigration policy and its outdated structure requires the simple act of updating it to today’s standards.

It is essential to remember that the U.S. was built upon the values of freedom and opportunity and that our nation is a home of innumerable immigrants. The U.S. can’t be the nation it truly wishes to be if it doesn’t make a difference through immigration. Change is needed. Change is needed now.

Permitting citizenship for undocumented immigrants would provide a net of $606.4 billion to Social Security over the next 36 years.

Today’s immigrants come from more diverse home countries than those of 50 years ago.

(All statistics from Center for American Progress) Voters of all ages, many young, surround Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders. (Photo via MCT Campus)

Millenials Hold Power

Now is the time for young voters to wake up to politics as 2016 presidential candidates address issues, campaign with millenials in mind.

BY ELLIE SCHWARTZ CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Millennials. Sigh. Or at least that’s how many react towards the youngest generation, one supposedly obsessed with technology and themselves. Approaching the 2016 presidential election however, candidates can’t afford to push the new generation aside. Instead, they have already started catering to the 74 million young voters that will play a major role in next November’s showdown.

Research suggests young people are less likely to identify with a party and trust the political system after growing up in a divided government with more gridlock than policy passed in Congress, according to the Wall Street Journal. Because millennials are less likely to align with a party, candidates cannot automatically count on their vote and are forced to earn it. In short, a young voter’s voice matters more than ever.

As candidates and parties build their platforms, some of the biggest issues speak directly to young voters. With college prices and student indebtedness at record highs, many candidates are directly addressing student loans. Hillary Clinton advocates for federal aid to refinance student debt, and gaining candidate Bernie Sanders proposes tuition-free college.

On the Republican side, Marco Rubio wants students to pair up with private investors and pay off their loans as a portion of their income, and Donald Trump wants to keep the government from making profit off of student loans, according to MarketWatch.

The result of 2016 will follow millennials beyond the next four years through the Supreme Court appointments to come. With three justices approaching retirement, whoever wins in November will fill their seats with justices that they agree with, and those justices will likely vote on major issues such as abortion, voting rights and affirmative action in the upcoming years, according to CNN. Because Supreme Court appointments last the lifetime of the appointee, those justices will mold the country as young voters age.

Candidates are clearly campaigning with young voters in mind. Clinton recently sat down with millennial icon Lena Dunham to talk feminism and police brutality in a casual setting and asked voters to describe their student debt “in three emojis or less” on her twitter. Trump regularly calls Kanye West a good friend, according to thehill. com. 2016 has already been deemed “The Snapchat Election” with the app designing ways for users to connect with candidates and learn about politics, according to Time.

Even if young voters yawn initially at the thought of the Iran nuclear deal or the Supreme Court, now is the time to snap into the reality of 2016. Candidates are paying attention to millennials, so millennials hold some power. Staying informed, volunteering for campaigns and registering before voting day are all ways they can and should wield this influence.

By maintaining the trend of independent instead of party affiliation, young voters have the opportunity to make this election more about policy and less about partisanship. 2016 is the time to add “politically active” to the millennial stereotype.