Migration policy in the United States and its reform is one of the most acute problems nowadays. The measures taken by the Trump administration significantly limited the rights of migrants and even the possibility of foreigners entering the country. However, reforms aimed at offering unauthorized immigrants “a path to citizenship” are favorable for the US as they will help thousands of people get decent living conditions and contribute to the development of the American economy.
Migrants in the United States are a large and active group of the population regardless of their legal status in the country. Immigrants and their children make up about 28% of US residents, and more than half of them living in the state for more than ten years (Felter, Renwick, & Cheatham, 2020). During this period, they brought significant benefits to the American economist, often performing work for which a US citizen would not agree because of low pay or poor working conditions. According to Felter, Renwick, and Cheatham (2020), in 2014, migrants made up 17% of the US workforce, and only two-thirds of them were legally in the country. At the same time, the state has a high demand for highly skilled and unskilled labor (Felter, Renwick, & Cheatham, 2020). Consequently, the desire of some political forces to deport all unauthorized migrants can cause significant damage to the economy.
These factors demonstrate that initiatives that offer to help unauthorized immigrants to obtain legal status in the country are the most optimal solutions for the modern USA. For example, in 2013, a draft law, members of Congress offer migrants who enter the country before December 11, 2011, to apply for temporary legal status by paying a $500 fine and any back taxes they owe (Vallejo, 2013). In addition, each candidate will be tested for compliance with other criteria. Consequently, the state will receive not only legal labor but additional income to the budget.
Moreover, there is no reason to deport children who were illegally brought into the country by their parents if the family had already been assimilated. The population of developed economies is aging, so workable young people with a sufficient level of education should replace them (Edsall, 2016). Migrant children living in the US for a long period already have skills that will enable them to become part of American society. For this reason, instead of deporting children who can return to the US as adults without education, it is more profitable for the government to provide them with conditions for obtaining skills and knowledge. A similar decision was made by Obama in 2012 when he granted a two-year grace period and the right to work to unregistered migrants who arrived in the United States as a child (Felter, Renwick, & Cheatham, 2020). As a result, 900 thousand people took advantage of this opportunity (Felter, Renwick, & Cheatham, 2020). Consequently, decisions aimed at the legalization of migrants contribute to obtaining labor for American businesses and increasing the number of taxpayers.
In conclusion, the reforms of the modern USA should be aimed at obtaining benefits for the state and migrants but not mass deportations. These steps will help support the economy in the coming decades and will also show the humaneness and democracy of American politics. However, all reforms must be carefully thought out and created in such a way as to prevent a reduction in the supply of jobs for US citizens and a crisis in the labor market.
References
Felter, C., Renwick, D., & Cheatham, A. (2020). The U.S. immigration debate. Council on Foreign Relation. Web.
Thomas. (2016). What does immigration actually cost us? The New York Times. Web.
Vallejo J. (2013). Giving immigrants a path to citizenship is key to US economic growth. The Guardian. Web.