What does our current system look like? There are many misconceptions about how the legal immigration system works, leading many Americans to believe …show more content…
Before going any further into this topic it is important to discuss the main goals of the immigration reform bill. Highlights include: strengthening our borders, streamlining legal immigration procedures, promoting citizenship, and cracking down on employers hiring undocumented workers. Strategies have already been implemented in hopes that this bill will be passed. Our borders are the only things that separate us from other countries. In 1990 to 2007, undocumented people in the United States soared from 3.5 million to 11 million. Increased Border Patrol agents and surveillance methods along the Southwest border have cut illegal crossings dramatically in half (“Border Security,” n.p.). In an effort to streamline legal immigration procedures, undocumented immigrants are required to come forward to register and pass criminal background and national security checks before provisional legal status to remain in the United States is given. This allows illegal immigrants to step out of the shadows and take pride in working toward gaining citizenship in the United States the correct way. For the individuals that do not pass the criminal background and security checks, deportation is necessary. Over 200,000 deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions took place in 2013 alone (“Strengthening Enforcement,” n.p.). The government has been cracking down on employers, regarding employee verification laws, with programs such as; e-verify. These laws have been implemented to force businesses to thoroughly check potential employees for citizenship. If a business fails to follow the guidelines set forth by the bill, stiff penalties are issued. Since 2009 more than $100.3 million in fines have been issued to businesses hiring undocumented workers (“Strengthening Enforcement,”