In the last decade or so, many important issues that were debated did not have much of an impact on local communities. However, one issue that is being debated today that will directly affect local communities is the policy on illegal immigration and how to control it. As we all know, immigrants looking for a new beginning founded this country and it has since been known as the country of second chances. The thought of the American Dream is what convinced so many people in centuries past to immigrate to America. This same reason is why today in America there are a large number of legal and illegal immigrants hoping to achieve this same dream. Over the years, the number of illegal immigrants has drastically increased. States with high concentrations
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Long before the current situation, Texas had immigration issues but in contrasting form. Immigration in Texas during the 1830s consisted of “white, English-speaking Americans who were looking for a better life in Texas. And the authorities who were trying to keep them out were Mexican” (Root, 2012). Centuries later this situation evolved into the illegal immigration issue that Texas is dealing with today. What makes this situation more of a controversy now than before is the vast numbers of illegal immigrants seeking a new beginning in Texas and the limited economic resources that are available to support them. Before having this issue, attempts at finding solutions for illegal immigration were almost non-existent because, the amount of illegal immigrants in Texas was roughly 450 thousand in 1990 (Passel, 2011). In 2014, Pew Research Center conducted a study, which estimated that there were 1.65 million illegal immigrants in living in Texas in the year 2012 (Passel, 2014). Although the number of illegal immigrants in Texas is small compared to the population of the state, the costs of dealing with illegal immigration are enormous. Jack Martin, a Director of Special Projects for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), stated in a 2013 report on illegal immigration that Texas taxpayers spent $12.1 billion dollars per year on illegal immigration (Martin). Anyone that has an idea of how much money is involved in the yearly Texas budget would realize that this is an enormous amount, which can possibly be used further enhance other necessary
Long before the current situation, Texas had immigration issues but in contrasting form. Immigration in Texas during the 1830s consisted of “white, English-speaking Americans who were looking for a better life in Texas. And the authorities who were trying to keep them out were Mexican” (Root, 2012). Centuries later this situation evolved into the illegal immigration issue that Texas is dealing with today. What makes this situation more of a controversy now than before is the vast numbers of illegal immigrants seeking a new beginning in Texas and the limited economic resources that are available to support them. Before having this issue, attempts at finding solutions for illegal immigration were almost non-existent because, the amount of illegal immigrants in Texas was roughly 450 thousand in 1990 (Passel, 2011). In 2014, Pew Research Center conducted a study, which estimated that there were 1.65 million illegal immigrants in living in Texas in the year 2012 (Passel, 2014). Although the number of illegal immigrants in Texas is small compared to the population of the state, the costs of dealing with illegal immigration are enormous. Jack Martin, a Director of Special Projects for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), stated in a 2013 report on illegal immigration that Texas taxpayers spent $12.1 billion dollars per year on illegal immigration (Martin). Anyone that has an idea of how much money is involved in the yearly Texas budget would realize that this is an enormous amount, which can possibly be used further enhance other necessary