Other Public Issues to Consider...

Over the past month I have devoted myself to presenting various aspects of immigration, especially in regards to education. I hope that as a reader you have enjoyed reading my posts and have gained an exceptional amount of knowledge about the binary public issue. Immigration is only one of the many public issues that are highly debated in today’s society. Below are a couple of other controversial issues you should check out.

Crossing the Border Crossing the Line
This blog is also about immigration; however, its focus is more geared towards immigrants and their role in the American economy. Although the blog exudes a more emotional appeal, it still has a factual basis. The posts are very informative and well organized. There is an exceptionally low amount of bias present in the posts creating credibility. The blogger’s opinions are encompassed by lots of evidence which makes the blogger seem very knowledgeable and trustworthy. The posts are designed in a manner so the reader can interpret and formulate his or her own opinions about the subject manner. The addition of pictures embedded within the text adds sentiment. I read the blog on a consistent basis and found it to be very enlightening. I was able to gain a different perspective on the subject as well as become more versed in the resources available to me in my own quest concerning immigration.

Secondhand Smoke is No Joke
I was a fan of this blog from the beginning because I have very strong opinions about smoking. My personal convictions and advocacy towards the issue allowed me to relate to the blogger’s viewpoints. Initially, much of my opinions about smoking were very biased and based on personal experience. After continually reading the bloggers posts, I was able to formulate stronger opinions that were backed by credible evidence. The blogger did a good job of analyzing the contentious issue by exploring a variety of sources. This allowed readers to become well versed in the subject matter and not just in the statistical numbers. The recent changes in our campus smoking policy instigated my attraction to this blog. Reading about the harms of secondhand smoking helped my understanding of the reasoning behind the legislative changes on campus.

This is why WE hjot…. Global Warming
The artistic elements of this blog made it particularly appealing to read. The blogger’s creativity creates a light hearted and somewhat comical mood. Titles such as “Singing our way to a better Earth,” “Extra Extra Read All About it” and “When I say GO you say GREEN… GO GREEN” all emphasize the pleasurable tone. The innovative use of language keeps readers interested and engaged. Although the blog has a hip flavor, it still maintains significance. Posts are simple, yet informative. Several posts are devoted to sharing ideas on how we can help stop global warming. The blogger also uses politics to persuade readers to act. The importance of global warming and its potential affects on my life inspired me to become informed.

Expanding Your Immigration Knowledge!

Immigration has become an important issue because of its affects on virtually every aspect of life in America. With more than a million legal and illegal immigrants settling in the United Sates each year, immigration has an impact on education, health care, government budgets, employment, the environment and many other areas of American life. This post presents a list of helpful links to further enhance your knowledge about immigration. It also gives you a glimpse of the websites that I have used to develop my arguments and postings thus far.

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF ISSUES
http://www.fairus.org/
The Federation for American Immigration Reform is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation’s immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest. FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest-more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year. The website provides excellent resources and links to policy, legislation, media and press. The immigration centers are also a great place to read discussions about popular issues.

http://www.cis.org/
The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization. It is developed exclusively to the research and policy analysis of economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States. The center is animated by a pro-immigrant, low-immigration vision which seeks fewer immigrants but a warmer welcome of those admitted. The website is organized in a manner that is accessible and easy to naviage through. The two major sections are topics in Immigration bar which provides info about history, illegal immigrants, statistics, costs, and also current news articles

HISTORY
http://www.weareellisisland.org/
Immerse yourself in the stories of immigrants who traveled to the U.S. in search for a brighter future. This website examines the humanistic side of immigration and gives the reader a different perspective of the struggles and thoughts of immigrants coming into the U.S.

http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Eihist.html
Discover the history of Ellis Island, “the island of hopes.” Review the timeline to understand key developments thus far. This website highlights immigration in the past and talks specifically about other races of immigrants besides Hispanics. It is very helpful for readers to gain a clearer understanding of how immigration has effected our country since the beginning.

LEGISLATION AND IMPLICATIONS
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/
This website offers a detailed description of the proposals of President Bush’s Immigration Reform. It is beneficial for readers to become familiar with the current immigration legislation in order to decipher whether or not improvements occurred.

http://www.nwi.com/articles/2007/08/09/updates/breaking_news/doc46baf816bebac774730631.txt This article explains how the minority is slowly becoming the majority. The implications are braced by the use of statistical evidence to support the need to improve our immigration laws.

EDUCATION
http://www.helium.com/channels/583/debates/sbs/80892
A helpful website devoted to the debate over whether or not Americans should fund the education of illegal immigrants. It clearly outlines each side's arguements in an organized chart format.

http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9217/children.htm
This website outlines successful strategies and policies for undocumented children in schools. It offers suggestions for school leaders on how to help immigrant children succeed and how to make the school environment more welcoming. Additionally, it examines the difficulties immigrant children face.

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/Leav171.shtml
This website focuses on the affects of No Child Left Behind in schools and how students with limited English proficiency can potentially hinder school achievement . It provides background information about the legislation and describes the standards schools are held to. The article suggests that the goal of No Child Left Behind is unrealistic even if the resources were made available to underfunded schools. It further supports the claim by recognizing that there are too many other variables in children’s lives to hold 100 percent of them and their schools accountable for anything.

Bilingual Education or ESL?

Immigrants who come to the United States are primarily Hispanic. Due to the large influx of Hispanics, the need to know Spanish has risen. It has become increasingly hard to ignore the spread of the Spanish language. Bank ATM’s, directions for appliances and other machines and many documents offer translations in Spanish. Americans are finding that not knowing Spanish can be a handicap. Sam Slick, who founded Command Spanish, the nation’s largest firm specializing in teaching Spanish for the workplace says, “There’s nothing foreign about Spanish anymore. It’s the second language of the United States.” Mujica, a native of Chile states, “The problem is we are slowing down the assimilation of new immigrants by making it way too easy to come to this country and not learn English. An immigrant is an invited guest to this country. We invited ourselves. The least we can do is integrate and become part of the new country.”

Spanish dominates all other foreign languages in public schools. Spanish immigrants enter American schools with little or no knowledge of English. Educating and integrating these students is essential. Bilingual education involves teaching all subjects in school through two different languages. According to the National Association for Bilingual Education goals include teaching English, fostering academic achievement, acculturating immigrants to a new society, preserving a minority group’s linguistic and cultural heritage, enabling English speakers to learn a second language and developing national language resources. A major longitudinal study, released in 1991 by the U.S. Department of Education, found that the more schools developed children's native-language skills, the higher they scored academically over the long term in English. Students also benefited from acquiring fluency and literacy in two languages.

Currently there is a strong need for teachers. Bilingual education requires specialization which creates an even smaller pole of possible hires. Teachers must be fluent in not only English, but Spanish. Most hired teachers are not well versed in Spanish or to the extent that bilingual education entails. The difficulty of finding teachers and the lack of funding for training lessens the possibility of expanding bilingual education to more school systems across the nation.

A majority of school systems use English as a Second Language or ESL. The difference between ESL and bilingual education is teachers do not utilize native languages to instruct their students. In elementary schools, ESL teachers typically provide individual and small group instruction. They go into classrooms to assist teachers with ESL students and modify curriculum goals and assignments so they are attainable. The goal for ESL students is to experience success as they meet increasingly difficult academic challenges. ESL teachers also prepare students for the standardized tests. An increasing number of schools, under pressure from the No Child Left Behind Act, have narrowed the curriculum to focus exclusively on test preparation in language arts and math. ESL is better option in schools with a smaller percentage of Hispanics. ESL programs tend to be easier to fund and require less training for teachers.

The thing to keep in mind regarding education is that there is no “one size fits all.” Children’s backgrounds and needs are diverse and so are the aspirations of parents and communities. Some Program models are appropriate in some situations, but not in others. It is imperative that the government increases funding for teachers in special programs to meet the growing needs of the population.

My Growth in Complexity of Thinking

As I have searched through multiple websites outlining the issues of illegal immigration, I have uncovered numerous aspects of my own personality and style of thinking. The realization of the complexity behind the issue of illegal immigration is overwhelming. It has become a challenge to pin point resolutions to the dilemma that don’t negatively affect another aspect of society. I have had to come to the realization that making decisions about complex problems gets down to deciding which solution affects the most in a positive way and minimizes the negative affects. The overwhelming nature of illegal immigration has taught me that in order to be successful at an argument I must narrow my focus. My choice was to narrow the topic to focus on the affects on public schools. This decision was based on my personal connections with the topic. Having gone to a public high school with a growing Hispanic population, I experienced the tremendous growth of the population and it’s affects on class size, support, communication and programs.

I have grown throughout this project to be a more confrontational thinker by examining the binary arguments that lie within the issue. I have not had strong opinions in the past regarding the issue of illegal immigration. As I have read other’s postings, web sites and research, I have become stronger in my awareness and convictions. I’ve improved on critical analysis skills and become more discerning in my use of web sites. I have found numerous websites that are against illegal immigrants and fewer sites with a liberal stance. The conservative view has a higher level of organization and group advocacy that sponsors the websites and research. The liberal websites are narrative in nature and lack statistical evidence. By reading the accounts of immigrants and researching immigration since its beginnings, I have expanded my compassion for immigrants. Both types of websites have been important and crucial parts in my quest to gain more knowledge about my issue. The Center for Immigration Studies and The Federation for American Immigration Reform have been excellent sites in my investigation.

According to Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, I have reached stage 5 of Postconventional Morality. I have begun to understand societal ethics and not just the black and white of whether something is right or wrong. I recognize that different social groups within a society will have different values, but I believe that all rational people agree on two points. First, that we all want certain basic rights, such as liberty and life and to be protected. Second, that we want democratic procedures for changing unfair law and for improving society.

Furthermore, I have learned to question my own beliefs through reflection about the topic. My ability to look at issues from multiple perspectives has increased tremendously. By researching an issue from many different viewpoints, I have had to establish my own opinions more firmly. Recognizing the need for evidence to back your conclusions prior to judgment has been part of the process. Kohlberg states, “We can reach just decisions by looking at a situation through one another’s eyes. Any good argument can be resolved by examining both sides of the issue. Through interaction with my classmates, I have expanded my ability to take on others perspectives and have empathy for different group’s views.

Before this project, I had no idea what magnitude this issue held within our society. I hadn’t really thought about what the issue of illegal immigration meant to me or how it affects my own life. I have come to recognize the need for fluency in a second language, specifically Spanish. Half of the population of the Western hemisphere speaks Spanish. The Spanish language has become the dominant second language and culture as evidenced by numerous articles. For example, a Denver public school classroom displayed the Mexican flag beside the United States flag. The action sparked controversy among the community when a picture was displayed in the town's newspaper. The article gained naitonal public interest and was covered by CNN. This story demonstrates the influence of Hispanic culture on our society. The importance of being able to communicate with Hispanic people has grown significantly due to the large population of Hispanics. I have considered minoring in spanish. Effective communication in the workplace will help me become successful in any field.

Ending Polarized Sides: Is It Needed?

The issue of illegal immigration and its affect on public schools has grown significantly over the past two decades. Following the Pyler vs. Doe ruling in 1982, many undocumented students began attending public schools. States can no longer use residency requirements to deny undocumented children access to a tuition-free public education. Under Plyler, undocumented immigrant students have the same right to attend public schools through grade 12 as do citizens and permanent residents. Plyler, moreover, requires that schools apply the right of access to all immigrant students. This legislation has created an escalating contentious issue due to the current major influx of Hispanic students and the lack of resources available. The spiraling cost of educating illegal alien students is resulting in larger classes, a demand for bilingual teachers, and cuts in other programs. Teachers are required to meet the needs of non English speaking students without adequate training support. In addition, the federal government requires schools to meet federal legislation and “leave no child behind” as an unfunded mandate.

I support The Immigration Reform Agenda for the 110th Congress as a move towards resolution. The legislative agenda lays out the critical reforms to federal immigration laws and enforcement capabilities needed to redirect U.S. immigration policy and get it back on track. I also support The Dream Act which gives amnesty to illegal aliens who arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16 and reverses the current law to allow states to provide in-state tuition to illegal aliens. Due to the complexity of the problem, the government has not agreed on a bi partisan approach while daily the concerns in schools grow.

From my humanistic side, I recognize schools are a safe haven for children. In spite of all the problems that parents, the government and other citizens have, teachers and administrations must foster acceptance, security and trust in both schools and communities, all of which undocumented children desperately need. We cannot hold children accountable for their parent’s decisions to break the law and remain an illegal alien. We need resources to hire, train and retrain competent staff that can provide appropriate services and develop strong working relationships with the families. An open and hospitable climate is imperative for all children. Illegal immigrant children desperately need a positive climate as they transition to an unfamiliar setting with rules and boundaries. Our government must set aside more resources to education in order for illegal immigrant children to be an effective and productive contributor to our society.

Implications for The Immigration Explosion and No Child Left Behind

Public schools continue to be a mirror of the problems within our society. The United States has found that there is no simple solution to the exponentially growing illegal immigrant problem and its demands on public schools. As the government struggles to find a solution, public schools are increasingly feeling the burden to educate all children and “leave no child behind.” There are a number of implications for the future if this growing problem is not resolved. They include significant communication breakdowns that affect safety and lack of educational support to meet regulations set by federal standards. Current statistics prove the minority is slowing becoming the majority in schools. There are more than 4.4 million LEP children in public schools in the United States - twice the number of a decade ago, and nearly 10 percent of total enrollment. Whites are now in minority in nearly one in ten U.S. counties. As of 2006, non-Hispanic whites made up less than half the population in 303 of the nation's 3,141 counties, according to figures the Census Bureau. Both populations, minority language speakers and limited English speakers, are growing rapidly because of immigration and birthrates higher than the U.S. average. The reality is that language and cultural barriers and misunderstandings can get in the way of effective communication and create complications within schools, including problems with safety. It is not unusual for immigrant children to get over looked merely because of their limited English speaking abilities and their cultural differences. Immigrant children tend to be very compliant, with the goal of blending in. This poses great challenges for teachers who have difficulty recognizing the child’s true understanding of concepts and safety rules. Public schools do not have adequate support for bilingual education in order to effectively teach the growing numbers and meet targeted proficiency goals set by No Child Left Behind. Bilingual education is necessary to smooth over the transition of increasingly diverse classrooms. Addressing the illegal immigrant problem is necessary for all aspects in society particularly in education. It is not difficult to see what lays on the horizon if the immigrant population continues to grow faster than the English-speaking population without significant changes.

Controversy Over Illegal Immigrant Children In Public Schools

As a student and the daughter of an elementary school principal, I am very interested in the debate over illegal immigrant children in public schools. Education is the key to success and the ticket to a better future. Illegal immigrants potentially pose threats to the educational system; however, they are still entitled to an education by law. School systems are suffering because of the government’s inadequate funding.

The increasing number of illegal immigrant children filling public school seats has caused controversy over reshaping education policies. By denying children of illegal immigrants a basic education, we foreclose any realistic possibility that they will contribute in even the smallest way to the progress of the nation. Every year teachers and administrators work hard to understand the strengths, lives and cultures of uncommented immigrant children. They do their best to help create a school environment that benefits all students. Many attest to the fact that illegal immigrants aren’t going anywhere so it would be better to educate their children and give them the tools they will need to make a better life for themselves. Even if they were deported, sending educated people back will help ensure that they are able to secure viable employment and thereby helping their country build a solid economy. Won’t this help the United States in the long run? ( http://www.city-data.com/forum/immigration/51574-illegal-immigrants-public-schools.html)

To bolster academic achievement and performance for all students nationwide, the Bush Administration has implemented No Child Left Behind. Some states have made great strides in raising achievement and narrowing gaps among elementary students. For example, the gap in Delaware between the percentage of reading-proficient white and Hispanic fifth-graders narrowed from 31 points in 2001 to less than five points in 2004, and for African-American students, the gap narrowed from 22 points to 16. While some states have made great progress, critics of No Child Left Behind argue that the bill must be revised in order to help urban schools that have large percentages of Hispanic children. They claim suburban schools receive more funding because they meet their target goals. According to the National Education Association, average per- student spending in the United States rose from less than $2,500 in 1966 to nearly $5,200 in 1989. Over that same period, combined verbal and math scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (now called the Scholastic Achievement Test), dropped from about 960 to just over 900.

Immigration does not explain rising enrollment in every single school district in the country, but the national increase in the number of children in school is a direct consequence of recent immigration. The Department of Education’s report shows that the number of students in public school has grown by about 7 million since the early 1980s. In 1998 there were 52 million school-age children, roughly 8 million of whom were either immigrants themselves or the child or an immigrant mother who had arrived since 1965 when current immigration wave began. The total k-12 expenditure for illegal immigrants costs the states 7.4 billion annually, enough to buy a computer for every junior high student nationwide. Although this is not a legislative issue yet, many illegal immigrants cannot register for college because they do not have a social security number. States such as Utah and Virginia are threatening to eliminate in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrant students who attend public colleges and universities. The fact of the matter is illegal immigrant children are here to stay and it's in our best long term interest to educate them.

Under the 1982 Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court ruling, illegal alien students are entitled to enroll in public schools at taxpayer expense. The court believed that denying undocumented children access to education unfairly punished the children for their parent’s undocumented status. As a result of the ruling schools may not: 1) deny admission to a student on the basis of undocumented status 2) treat a student fundamentally different from others to determine residency 3) engage in practices to “chill” access to school 4) require students or parents to disclose or document immigrant status 5) make injuries of students of parents that may expose their undocumented status and 6) require social security numbers from all students. The ruling was issued at a time when the amnesty program was already being discussed and it was felt that these students would be amnestied away. The students were small enough in number that they posed no threat to the education of America’s students and were not a financial hardship to taxpayers. Congress can reverse the decision if these illegal alien students prove to be a financial hardship to taxpayers and if the students who are legally residing in the United States begin to have their own education negatively impacted by the presence of illegal alien students.

There are mixed opinions about what action the U.S. should take against illegal immigration in order to alleviate the strain on public school systems. Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say illegal immigration is a "very" serious problem. By eight-to-one, Americans think it is unfair to grant rights to illegal immigrants while thousands of people wait each year to come to the United Sates legally. 86 percent of Republicans think it is unfair, as do 77 percent of Democrats. The influence of Hispanic votes is likely to be amplified in the coming election due to the new immigration policy. Liberals say the bill is unfair because it limits opportunities for unskilled workers. Conservatives oppose what they call "amnesty" for illegal behavior and say it will encourage more. They favor “providing a way for illegal immigrants currently in the country to gain legal citizenship,” but support declines sharply when the concept of amnesty is raised. Click here for a closer look at the bill’s proposals.

For more information and articles about the issues presented in this post go to: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/2000032/8.asp
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-26-moving_N.htm
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/aliens_5-27.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071102010.html
http://cis.org

Ways to Stop Illegal Immigration

The U.S. borders are a pathway into the country. Lack of security leaves the country vulnerable to illegal immigrants. The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that in January 2000 there were 7 million illegal aliens living in the United States, a number that is growing by half a million a year. The numbers confirm that our borders are not secured. We are even left to wonder if some of those 7 million are terrorists. Many immigrants die in their efforts to get over the border. Border patrol agents have killed and have been killed. More money and technology should be invested to securing our borders and making them safer. The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 - Title I: Securing United States Borders - (Sec. 101) Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to take all appropriate actions to maintain operational control over the U.S. international land and maritime borders, including: (1) systematic surveillance using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground-based sensors, satellites, radar coverage, and cameras; (2) physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful U.S. entry and facilitate United States Customs and Border Protection border access; (3) hiring and training additional Border Patrol agents; and (4) increasing deployment of United States Customs and Border Protection personnel to border areas with high levels of unlawful entry. Click here for a complete summary of the act.
Increasing border control will help stop immigrants from entering our country illegally, but what do we do with the 7 million that already reside in the United States? President Bush’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform has several proposals. One of the major propositions is worksite enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security will raise the civil fines imposed on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants by approximately 25 percent. Efforts to secure the border will fail unless the “magnet” that attracts them is eliminated If employers are less inclined to hire undocumented workers, illegal immigrants will have nothing to come for. The fines for hiring illegals are so modest that companies treat them as a small cost of doing business. An addition to raising fines, employers with significant numbers of employees with inaccurate personal identity information will receive a “No Match” letter from the Social Security Administration. Employers will be held accountable if they choose to ignore the problems and fail to take the specified steps outlined in the letter within 90 days. Finally, the Administration proposes the use of E-Verify, The Federal Electronic Employment Verification System. This system ensures that employees are authorized to work in the United Sates. The key is to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain jobs. Other steps in combating illegal immigration include expanding exit requirements so persons who overstay limited-duration visits to the United States can be identified.
Removing the enticement to enter the U.S. illegally can be achieved by stronger border control and worksite enforcement.

No Child Left Behind

In response to a readers comments on NCBL : Illegal immigrants do not pay taxes to support the education system, but they fill up classrooms and place a financial burden on our school systems. The large population of students causes teachers and other resources to be stretched thin. Furthermore, most illegal immigrants do not learn our language and do not intend to assimilate to our culture. Therefore, English-speaking students must learn at a slow pace to accommodate students who can't keep up because of poor language skills. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, initially authorized in 1965 as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), was signed into law on January 8, 2002 as a means of holding states, school districts and schools more accountable for improving the academic performance of each student regardless of economic status, race, ethnicity, proficiency in English or disability. (http://www.nsba.org/site/page.aspTRACKID=&VID=1&CID=895&DID=11192)
Sanctions are put schools that don’t make AYP standards thus allowing every parent the choice to move their child to another school. It is unrealistic for a Hispanic child to pass a test given in English when they can’t even speak the language. It is not fair for schools to be held accountable for something they cannot change. By forcing schools to focus their time and funding almost entirely on bringing low-achieving students up to proficiency, NCLB sacrifices the education of the gifted students who will become our future leaders. Rather than acknowledging the need to provide a more advanced curriculum for high-ability children, some schools mask the problem by dishonestly grading students as below proficiency until the final report card, regardless of their actual performance. The government should consider how children of illegal immigrants are a setback to the system and revise the NCLB act. Click here for more information.

Helping the Less Fortunate

I recognize and sympathize with those countries with harsh living conditions. I realize that many people don’t have fresh water to drink, food to eat, or even jobs to support their families. However, one must take into consideration how many less fortunate people we have in our own country. What efforts are we making to help them out? Our resources are going to people who aren’t citizens. Shouldn’t we take care of those hard working Americans first? Our government should send aid and relief to poor countries. We should help them establish a lifestyle in which they can succeed in their homeland since that’s where they prefer to be.

Immigrants do contribute to our economic prosperity by taking on jobs that would otherwise be unfilled. It is not okay though for employers to hire undocumented workers. Those employers are taking advantage of the fact that the immigrants will work for low wages. Illegal immigrants are paid cash under the table and as a result they dodge our nation’s social security. Jobs are swept up by illegal immigrants and consequently leaving our citizens unemployed. The Center for Immigration Studies states that competition between immigrants and natives is especially fierce at the bottom of the labor market, because so many immigrants are employed in the low-skilled/low-wage segments of the economy. Immigrants are 60 percent more likely to be employed in low-skilled occupations than are native-born workers.

The reader mentioned that immigrants can come legally and work for a certain amount of time. The truth of the matter is that most do not. They chose to enter illegally and do not contribute to the system they are benefiting from, thus becoming a burden to our country.

The Welfare State

A reader commented that the welfare state attracts numerous amounts of immigrants to our country. The reader makes a very good point. Massive social welfare programs have created large annual budget deficits and very high taxes which depress economic growth. We must strive to end welfare state subsidies for illegal immigrants. Some illegal immigrants receive housing subsidies, food stamps, free medical care, and other forms of welfare. Our current welfare system encourages illegal immigration by discouraging American citizens from taking low-skilled/low-wage jobs. This generates a demand for illegal foreign labor. Adding millions of foreign citizens to Social Security and Medicare will only hasten programs that already threaten financial ruin for the U.S. in the future.

Overcrowded Classrooms

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters51f8) provides the following statistics: The U.S. school-aged population has reached an all-time high of 55 million. Between 1990 and 2000, enrollment increased by 14 percent. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the size of the student body will almost double by 2100. Yet without school-age immigrants (about 250,000 a year) and the children of immigrants (about 725,000 a year), school enrollment would not be rising at all. Today, one in five students has at least one foreign-born parent. In California, almost half of the students starting school are immigrants or the children of immigrants.
Overcrowding in schools across the nation has become a major concern for many students, parents, principals and teachers. Schools have exceeded their capacity in order to accommodate large population growth. Portable classrooms and temporary instructional spaces like cafeterias and gyms are common ways managing overcrowded classrooms. These spaces are not preferable learning environments. Money is spent on building more schools rather than being used to improve the quality of education for current students. Illegal immigrants pose challenges to school systems struggling to raise academic achievement levels sometimes in order to receive more funding. Most illegal immigrants do not speak English which creates great difficulty for teachers and other students in the classroom. Special programs like ESL have to be funded to assist immigrants learning and communication skills.
Illegal immigration hinders the government’s ability to provide high quality education. The large numbers of children of illegal immigrants crowd classrooms and impede learning.

A Taste of Illegal Immigration

The United States is the “melting pot” of the world. Millions of people immigrate into the U.S. in hopes of finding a better life. Recently, the numbers of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has drastically increased. Illegal aliens live and work in our country by means of an expired green card. Hard working Americans are paying into our system, while illegal aliens are taking advantage of something that doesn’t belong to them. Illegal aliens are depleting our resources paid for by hardworking American systems. Poor working class Americans pay taxes to the government without reaping the benefits of their tax money. Illegal aliens receive valuable services reserved for law abiding American citizens such as healthcare and education. They receive aid in hospitals without payment and exploit free and reduced lunches in schools. These services are already under funded and exhausted without the addition of the non contributing persons. They crowd our classrooms, limit the amount of low class housing available and drain our precious resources like water and oil. Illegal aliens do not bother with getting citizenship rather they trust in the fact that they won’t be caught and deported. They do not get insurance and consequently become a burden to Americans when they get in car accidents. Immigration is the backbone of the United Sates, but when it is done illegally it becomes a burden to working class American citizens.