The House of Congress Needs to

Address The Pathway to

Citizenship

Celina Navarro Writing 10Kris Van Bebber

THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN!

• It is operating under old adversarial principles that have not adapted to benefit the country economically.

• Economically Self-Deteriorating

House of Congress

• The House of Congress Disagrees

• Support from majority House members

SENATES PASSES COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

1. Offers Extensive Border Security

2. Punishes companies that hire illegal immigrants

3. Holds immigrants accountable for coming to this country illegally; withholds full citizenship rights until some conditions are met, such passing background check, paying taxes, fees, learning English

Main Principles

CONGRESS DISAGREES WITH SENATE’S IMMIGRATION REFORM

Too BroadPiecemeal Approach

Own Version

Focus on Border Security

Source: Northwest Asian Weekly

ComprehensiveImmigration reform

Definition• Common- Sense Step-by Step

Process

• Series of bills

Why this Process?• It gets easier to address

the pathway to citizenship if they deal with other issues first; such as border security

Source: The Washington times

House Representatives Believe a Piecemeal approach is The Best Way to Address Our Broken

Immigration System

NEVER ENDING GOAL POST?

Enforce Border Security

Double Border Security

Triple Border Security

X

X

X

• What Do Republicans Really want?

• Is it A Way to Avoid the big picture?

• Will they get away with it?

• Is the Bill not Offering Enough?

Source: Congressional Research Service

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY GOES BEYOND LEGALIZATION

• “We cannot afford a system that creates a group which can never become fully American, denying equal rights to people who pay the same taxes and play by the same rules even after they've paid a penalty and gotten on the right side of the law.”

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless,Tempest-tossed to me I lift mylamp besidethe golden door

Source: The White House Blog

BENEFITS TO THE PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP

MYTH VS. FACTAmnesty

• Amnesty for illegal immigrants is a government pardon for violating policies specifically related to immigration and grants immediate relief to all undocumented immigrants without criminal prosecution

Pathway to citizenship

• A pathway to citizenship is based on requirements that undocumented immigrants have to meet in order to receive permanent residency and eventually receive citizenship

Pay Taxes

Backg

round

Chec

k

Learn EnglishPay

Fees

Wait at Back of the line

Requirements

WILL THE GOVERNMENT REWARD OTHER LAW BREAKERS AS WELL?

• “We have criminals who broke the law to enter the country and most of them continue to break the laws daily as they refuse to meet the same standards as other workers do…are law breakers going to be given the benefits that people who obey the law don't get?” - Beaufort Observer

• President Obama recognizes that this is not a free ride for undocumented immigrants. He emphasizes that while undocumented immigrants are illegal, majority of them have a strong allegiance to the country’s founding principles, and actually are willing to contribute to the country, as well as willing to pay for coming here illegally.

NOFaulty Assumptions

Fact

IDEAL CONCEPT

Expedient

• Attainable

• Flexible

• Affordable

• Unifying

Secure

• Protects human rights of illegal immigrants

• Uphold confidentiality

• Fair

Source: CHIRLA

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM IS FALLING BEHIND SCHEDULE

• The longer we wait the more dysfunctional it becomes

• House representatives keep pushing it aside

• Hope to take action by middle next year

• President Obama Is okay with Piecemeal Approach as long as all core elements get done.

SOLUTION• Expedient and

Secure Immigration Reform

• More Solid Economic Benefits for the country

HOWEVER• Due to the House of

Representative wanting to focus on Stricter Border Security

• I am Left to Proposed, for the House of Senate to Consider the Pathway to Citizenship one of their main points

WORKS CITED1. "CHIRLA." Principles on Immigration Reform. Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, n.d.

Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

2. Elliott, Philip. "Immigration Bill Faces Uncertain Future in House." Northwest Asian Weekly: 4. Jul 2013. ProQuest. Web. 9 Dec. 2013

3. Koslowski, Rey. "Hey, Congress: It's comprehensive immigration reform or nothing." Christian Science Monitor 21 May 2013: N.PAG. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

4. Poe, Catherine. "Senate Passes Immigration Reform: What's Next?" Washington Times Communities. N.p., 30 June 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013

5. Roseblum, Marc R., and Ruth Ellen Wasem. "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in the 113th Congress: Short Summary of Senate-Passed S. 744." ProQuest. Congressional Research Service, 10 July 2013. Web.

06 Dec. 2013

6. Seguritan, Reuben S., Esq. "Despite Lopsided Senate Vote, Immigration Bill Faces Rough Road in House." The Filipino Express: 10. Jul 2013. ProQuest. Web. 9 Dec. 2013

7. USA. The White House. “Creating an Immigration System for the 21st Century.” Immigration N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.

8. USA. The White House. Executive Office of the President. “The Economic Benefits of Fixing Our Broken Immigration System.” By National Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council, and Office of

Management And Budget. Washington: n.p., 2013.