George Lakoff And Ferguson's The Framing Of Immigration

In “The Framing of Immigration,” George Lakoff and Sam Ferguson claim that issue defining framing is narrowing, particularly in the case of immigration reform. Immigration reform, they claim, is a complex issue whose simple frame ignores security, economic, and social concerns. The authors organizes their claims through the use of specific subclaims, counter arguments, reasons, and evidence. The first subclaim Lakoff and Ferguson mention is that security concern is at the center of the immigration reform. This subclaim is chosen to support the claim because it explains both the current narrow “illegal immigrant” frame, as well as the frames from conservative aligned groups that are not covered. The reasons used to support this subclaim are …show more content…
This subclaim was chosen because the fear of job and benefit loss is at the center of the immigration debate while America also ignores the economic benefits of undocumented immigrants. The first reason discussed is that undocumented immigration is a cheap labor problem (4). This reason was chosen because cheap labor affects the economy. Evidence used to support this reason include specific companies use of undocumented immigrants for their low wages (4). Furthermore, the authors also use the evidence about supply and demand — specifically how increase supply of workers drive down wages (9). The last piece of evidence used to support the reason is that undocumented immigrants do the same work but employers do not have to give them benefits (10). This evidence was used because all of those reasons mean employers spend less money on their employees and can sell their products for cheaper which impacts the economy. The second reason Lakoff and Ferguson use to support their subclaim is that the undocumented immigrants are mostly economic refugees (9). The authors use the definition of refugees as the first piece of evidence to connect undocumented immigrants to refugee status (9). The second piece of evidence is that undocumented immigrants are fleeing economic insecurity which justifies the reason because if they are fleeing economic insecurity then they are economic refugees (9). The third piece of evidence is that if undocumented immigrants refugee status then they deserve the compassion and benefits of the Universal declaration of human rights (9). The third reason Lakoff and Ferguson discuss in their work is that the “undocumented worker frame” is dehumanizing. They use the evidence that the word worker implies that “undocumented workers” are only there to work. Something about how progressives frame immigration as a cheap labor/lifestyle frame that values