As a House of Representatives member, I will vote for the Equal Protection for American Workers Legislation. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess, who introduced it to the House floor on January 3 2019. Understandably, the Equal Protection for American Workers Act (EPAWA) fights to protect the legitimate U.S. workers from unnecessary competition. The bill bars and prohibits the Homeland Security Department from granting work permits to aliens who have been termed in immigration proceedings to have been present within the U.S. boundary unlawfully (United States, Congress 1). The passing of the bill means that illegal immigrants will not qualify to get employed within the country. Currently, there are zero related bills and a single committee. Thus, the Equal Protection for American Workers Act will ensure that immigrants follow the required steps before staying in the country legally.
As mentioned above, the benefit of the Equal Protection for American Workers Legislation is that it will safeguard Americans’ jobs and value different occupations. According to Borjas and Cassidy, research shows that illegal immigrants in the country are reducing employment worthiness, considering that they are desperate, forcing them to be cheap laborers (1). Illegal immigrants lower the cost of service, whereby companies and other related employers prefer them because they are cheap, hence looking over the legal Americans. The EPEWA legislation will positively impact people’s lives since legit Americans, whether legal immigrants or native Americans, will have a chance to work for fair pay. Therefore, Americans will benefit from the EPAWA legislation since the unfair competition for work will cease to exist.
Additionally, the EPAWA legislation will allow the country to end the menace of illegal immigration. Light and Miller opine that unlawful immigration is destroying the economic stability of the U.S (370). For instance, illegal immigrants in the country do not pay taxes because they are not captured in the citizens’ database. As a result, the U.S. is losing millions of dollars that legit citizens could have paid as tax if they got the same opportunities that the illegal immigrants are taking away. Connectedly, the EPAWA legislation will benefit the government immensely since it will give legit citizens a chance to work and pay taxes accordingly.
Arguably, it is true that the Equal Protection for American Workers Act oversteps the U.S. Constitution. According to the present U.S. Constitution, illegal immigrants that have not committed brutal criminal acts in the country can apply to receive the Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) status and apply for U.S. citizenship after the next five years (Light & Miller 374). As such, the EPEWA legislation goes against the depictions of the Constitution. However, laws exist to be changed to fit the existing situation better. The U.S. Immigration Act of 1924 should be changed to better fit the current situation, whereby illegal immigration is a colossal menace and a threat to our security.
Notably, I think that the EPEWA legislation will be challenged in the courts. Human rights, activists, and other related parties might challenge the ruling, outlining that it goes beyond the Constitution’s jurisdictions. Hitherto, I believe that the courts are run by patriots and citizens who love and want the very best for their country; hence, they will not rule against the legislation. The Act aims at safeguarding American workers from unfair competition. The court cannot rule against the bill since the Constitution states that immigrants that have ever engaged in crime within the U.S. borders cannot receive LPR. Thus, the court can interpret immigrants’ unlawful presence as a form of crime, hence ruling in favor of the legislation.
Conclusively, voting for the Equal Protection for American Workers is a bold step towards reducing unemployment rates in the U.S. Also, I believe that every House Representative is for the idea of Americans’ prosperity; hence, they will support the legislation. Above all, the EPEWA legislation will ensure that immigrants follow the right channels of obtaining the LRP status and subsequently obtaining citizenship, hence reducing insecurity ordeals and contributing exponentially to the U.S. economy.
Works Cited
Borjas, George J., and Hugh Cassidy. “The Wage Penalty to Undocumented Immigration.” Labor Economics vol. 61, 2019, pp.1-3.
Light, Michael T., and Ty Miller. “Does Undocumented Immigration Increase Violent Crime?” Criminology vol. 56, no. 2, 2018, pp. 370-401.
United States, Congress. “Equal Protection for American Workers Act.” Public Law 109 116.Congress Gov. 1st Session, 2019, Web.