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Mya Anderson
February 11,2014
5th hour
Illegal Immigration
They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one; on paper
- President Obama. (Smith, 9). Illegal immigrants are everywhere. Some could be sitting in this
very room and nobody would even know. They look the same, act the same, and even talk like
an American citizen, but as soon as someone finds out theyre not legal, they get treated terribly.
Illegal immigrants should be granted U.S. citizenship because they help with jobs, they arent all
criminals, and they want to experience the American dream. Just like anyone else.
The first reason illegal immigrants should be granted their citizenship is that they take the
jobs most Americans dont want, but we need to get done. If Americans dont do the job it will
never get done because Americans are lazy. Tamar Jacoby stated somewhere between 7 and 8
million of the 11 million immigrants in the U.S. are working, doing jobs we need done and
contributing to the economy(Jacoby, 22). The immigrants that are here are working, doing the
jobs that arent being taken care of. Immigrants are doing a lot of the jobs that educated
Americans could do too. But everyone in America is so worried about trying to be rich, and
making it big that they are letting immigrants have jobs. If its the Americans not working for it
then why are they the ones that seem to be upset about it?
Another reason is that most of them are not criminals, not saying that there aren't
criminals in Mexico that have tried to come over, but most Mexicans that come over are just here
for a better life. Armida is a young girl that isnt legal that lives here in the United States she
says in the movie we're not criminals, Im actually doing really good in school (30 days, FX).
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Yes some may be criminals but they shouldn't all be punished. in the news it states in an article
This young drug runner helping Mexico's drug cartels feed a $65 billion a year U.S. market for
illicit drug- represents the other group that's more common among those now crossing illegally;
professional criminals (Lacey,21). You can't judge all immigrants as a criminal because of a
mistake that someone else did. If so then Americans are criminals as well. In America there are
people that steal, sell drugs, and do even more horrific crimes than what is being done in Mexico.
Nobody ever says that all Americans are criminals, because thats not the case, but people can call
Mexicans criminals for trying to come over to the U.S. for a better life?
My last reason that immigrants should be allowed is that its the American dream to live
the life you want and dream. Alvarez said hes determined to make his way back ive got my
kids over here he explained my family, my whole life (Lacey,20). would anyone like to be
pushed away from everything that they loved and cherished? Most people would not want to be
forced away from their families. Isn't America all about freedom? A man was deported back, lost
his family, and everything he owned because he was illegal. He had to leave his family, thats the
toughest thing ever. If its the American dream to be free why can't illegal immigrants stay? if
they learn english, maybe pay fines, and wait their turn to be considered they can be citizens as
well.
People who think otherwise might say that immigrants are taking jobs and wasting
money. People say Illegal immigrants is not only unneeded, it imposes great costs on our
county and cheapens the value of legal immigration (Tancredo, 22). Or even conservatives
often say that illegal immigrants take jobs from americans and are draining U.S. resources they
want to tighten border security with some talking about deporting all people here
illegally(Lacey, 20). If they are really wasting money wait till the government deports all of
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them and their kids that were born here will have to be taken care of by the state. They won't
have any relatives here because their parents are being deported back. Why waste that money
when illegal immigrants can just have their citizenship and the government won't have to worry
about paying for the immigrants kids a place to sleep, eat, or go to school. Thats really going to
waste a lot of money that the United States needs.
Not here to say what's good or bad. Or that everyone should believe that illegal
immigrants should be able to get their freedom or even be allowed in the united states, but people
should give them a chance and not ruin their lives before they are able to start it over again.
Hatred towards illegal immigrants isnt going to get the United States anywhere. Just think about
it. Everyone deserves a second chance thats why illegal immigrants should be granted U.S.
citizenship because they help with jobs, they arent all criminals, and they want to experience the
American dream. Which they deserve, because just like us they are people. Legal or not.













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Works Cited
Immigration. 30 Days. FX. 26 July 2006.
Jacoby, Tamar and Tom Tancredo. Does the U.S. need illegal immigrants? Upfront Magazine.
12 March 2012: 22.
Lacey, Marc and Damien Cave. scenes from the border. Upfront Magazine. 2 January 2012:
18-21.
Smith, Patricia. The great immigration debate. Upfront Magazine. 8 October 2012: 8-11