Introduction
There are millions of immigrants across the United States, some being legal immigrants while others are illegal. This has created serious concern in the United States government. Illegal immigrants have been a significant problem facing the United States and caused a global uproar. They have been subjected to hostilities from the American authorities, which have worked against the immigrants by frustrating them in many ways. They include unwarranted arrests, denial of employment opportunities, education, and subjection to police brutality. The problem of illegal immigrants is of acute concern to American society because of the potential economic consequences.
The problem of undocumented immigrants has led to massive losses because this category of citizens does not pay taxes. Berger et al. (550) believes that “hostilities have mainly faced the undocumented immigrants who live in the United States legally but have not been recorded in the American society as immigrants or citizens of America”. Thus, the author concludes that the immigrant problem has specifically affected the government’s decisions regarding the economic freedoms of its citizens. This problem has specifically affected the federal government’s planning for the population, and therefore, they must address it immediately. The government is expected to take drastic measures, among them the expansion of quotas at the expense of U.S. citizens. This will lead to a clash of dissenting taxpayers, and those who agree will probably not be found except for the supporters of liberalism and globalism.
Health Insurance
One solution to the problems is to provide programs that will provide health insurance services for immigrant children. Many undocumented immigrants do not qualify for public health services. Alamilo et al. (150) suggest that “providing health insurance services for children through Children’s Health Insurance will solve the problem of suffering and deaths of immigrant children in the United States. It is likely to allow complete access to health care among children. Alamilo et al. (151) argued that it would solve childhood illnesses because of the availability of subsidized programs. However, this has not been achieved because of stringent health care measures in the United States. Adjustments would contribute to the success of this program by giving immigrants a chance to access subsidized health care.
Social Security
Another solution to the problem of undocumented immigrants is the provision of social security. As Raghvan (489) rightly notes, “provision of retirement benefits and other forms of income to the families and the vulnerable populations to help them afford to live better lives. He notes that creating particular organizations and groups could help solve the problem of distance from American society. Raghvan (491) believes that the federal government’s involvement would contribute to a high standard of living for vulnerable immigrant groups and support them. The challenge on this has been the unwillingness of the immigrants to register themselves for the services. They should be encouraged to enroll themselves in these programs to improve their lives to address this.
Government Role
State Economic
The federal government can provide temporary employment opportunities to the undocumented immigrants, for example, those in exile and refugees, before they get back to their countries. McBeth and Lybecker (877) suggest that the Texas federal government “should allow the immigrants to participate in the state’s economic development by working for the government. Work permits are a major attribute of this decision because they will provide jobs for immigrants. McBeth and Lybecker (880) argue that the Foreign Office has “central responsibility for this effort, with support from other government departments” on this issue. The authors argue for a transition to a welfare-oriented model of programs that would allow immigrants to earn a legal income (McBeth and Lybecker 881). The challenge of this program is the lack of the appropriate documents necessary to be absorbed into the job market. It can be solved through massive public awareness of the immigrants acquiring the documents.
Urgent Needs
Another assistance that the government can offer to undocumented immigrants is the provision of temporary assistance to the needy and most vulnerable families. “Through its special programs, the government can provide temporary help to less fortunate families” (Autin et al., 605). Free food, housing, and health care would improve immigrants’ quality of life. Autin et al. (605) explain that the role of the government in this is significant, and it is the only way immigrants will achieve well-being. In addition, the temporary government intervention to provide help to them enables the immigrants to plan well on their return journeys back to their homes. The challenge is the lack of proper records on the disadvantaged population. It can be resolved through an enhanced program that will ensure appropriate identification of the needy to address their needs directly.
Driven License
In addition, the Texas federal government can help undocumented immigrants by giving them equal opportunities to obtain a driver’s license. Autin et al. (603) point out that people need access to “appropriate training on driving and be given a chance to have driving licenses to drive vehicles on all American roads.” This would allow one to blend into society and understand the legal aspects of ordinary life. Autin et al. (604) argue that a driver’s license for immigrants is an opportunity to make their lives easier and equal opportunities. The problem with this program is that immigrants do not have the other necessary documents to obtain a driver’s license. The solution to this problem is the unconditional granting of driver’s licenses to avoid disadvantaging immigrants.
Financial Aid
Another critical issue is the education of students who could receive financial aid from the state. According to Autin et al. (605), providing access to general education is the key to potential career advancement. Further, Autin et al. (607) point out that “governments miss out on making the most of their huge investments in the over 100,000 immigrant students. The study cites the high cost and inability to go out of state, which negatively affects the overall level of education in the community. Autin et al. (608) believe that the places provided to the states for immigrants will bring results in the form of qualified employees in the long run. The challenge in implementing this program is the lack of proper records for students, which prevents full access to such services. The solution to this problem is an enhanced program that will ensure outreach to every student.
Results
Over the years, many attempts have been tried out by the federal government of Texas. Berger (551) states that “the government has provided temporary travel visas and work permits”. However, Berger (552) points out that many attempts by the government have not worked, primarily because of the inability to move quickly to public services. The provision of free housing, medicine, and education are economically unprofitable constants, especially given the lack of documentation. The plus side of this solution is the potential benefit in the long run, but the government is not willing to invest. A win solution is social groups that aim to integrate immigrants into U.S. society gradually. A significant disadvantage of this solution is the need for constant monitoring and consideration of many factors to implement. The decision to switch to meeting daily needs will help immigrants much more than getting papers.
In my opinion, to successfully ensure the welfare of undocumented immigrants, instead of arranging documents for them, the government should first take an active role in providing for their daily needs. It is a good strategy because it ensures that immigrants will have access to government services without going through formalities that only work to shorten the process by making it quick. The system can be accomplished in the short term by primary needs-food, water, temporary housing, and in the long term for work and education. It can be achieved by providing the population with education, food, and decent housing to ensure a decent living standard and give immigrants the dignity they deserve as human beings. This action is achievable because it involves only goodwill on the part of the government and the subsequent implementation of decisions. Performance can be achieved by anyone who cares about the globalization of society and the exchange of cultures.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of immigrants in the United States and specifically in Texas has been discussed over a long period. The immigrants have, over time, raised concerns about how they are treated by the government and the people around their places of residence. The federal government of Texas can significantly benefit from the undocumented immigrant issue. This is through providing services that will improve their living standards and ensure they lead a fulfilling life during their stay in Texas. Through enhanced programs to cater to their needs, such immigrants can provide themselves and their families’ access to subsidized healthcare services, schools, employment opportunities, and other services provided by the federal government. Therefore, the federal government should take full responsibility for providing for undocumented immigrants’ needs.
Works Cited
Alamillo, Rudy, et al. “Framing and Immigration through the Trump Era.” Sociology Compass, vol. 13, no. 5, 2019, pp. 126-760. doi:10.1111/soc4.12676.
Autin, Kelsey L. et al. “Career Development Among Undocumented Immigrant Young Adults: A Psychology of Working Perspective.” Journal of Counseling Psychology, vol. 65, no. 5, 2018, pp. 605-617. doi:10.1037/cou0000280.
Berger, Joseph R. et al. “Dialysis for Undocumented Immigrants: Challenges and Solutions.” Kidney360, vol. 1, no. 6, 2020, pp. 549-552. doi:10.34067/KID.0000682020.
McBeth, Mark K., and Donna L. Lybecker. “The Narrative Policy Framework, Agendas, and Sanctuary Cities: The Construction of A Public Problem.” Policy Studies Journal, vol. 46, no. 4, 2018, pp. 868-893. doi:10.1111/psj.12274.
Raghavan, Rajeev. “Caring for Undocumented Immigrants with Kidney Disease.” American journal of kidney diseases: the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation, vol. 71, no. 4, 2018, pp. 488-494. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2017.09.011.