Illegal Immigration In The 1900's

The true origins of illegal immigration have been linked to the early 1900’s and the end of the bracero program in 1964. In the early 1900’s, the United States did not consider illegal immigration to be an issue. As a matter of fact, up until 1914, points of entry were left largely unprotected and members of society were able to freely come and go. The beginning of security implementation came with the Immigration Act of 1924. From this point on, anybody entering the country without permission was considered to be an illegal immigrant. As the years passed, an influx of people were making their way into the country and a shortage of labor in world war two led the United States to enact the bracero program. The bracero program invited millions …show more content…
The task force consisted of 450 members assigned with guarding a small portion of the 1,933-mile Mexican border. In 1980, the border work force was expanded from 450 workers to 2,200 members and spending towards border control was increased. When the 9/11 attacks took place there was much concern for the security of our nation. The ability for the Al-Qaeda terrorists to easily enter the country sparked fear within the hearts of many, leading to the revolution of security. Today, 21,000 members guard the entry of individuals into our nation. Around 18,300 of these members guard the Mexican Border while close to 2,200 hold down the Canadian side. The remaining border patrol agents, about five hundred, guard points of entry into the United States. Budget spending for border security has skyrocketed and valuable technology has been implemented. As of 2012 the southern border alone was comprised of: 208 checkpoints; 12 bases for critical monitoring; 337 digital surveillance components; 13,406 ground sensors; 254 short, medium, and long range surveillance systems; 15 watch towers; and 10 drones (Reed). Since the 1980’s billions have been spent on border security. While illegally coming into the United States used to be an easy task, it has now become an extreme endeavor. Before there was extensive fencing, border patrol, and technology; Illegal immigrants simply had to find a spot that lacked supervision and cross into the United States. However, the ability to easily penetrate the border today is nothing more than a dream. To counter border security, illegal immigrants are now hiring what are know to be called coyotes. These expert smugglers know the ins and outs of every measure of the border and charge thousands of dollars for entry into the United States. While the use of coyotes can be successful, most of the time the trips end in the deaths of illegal immigrants. Half of the time deaths occur because of