By: Emma Chistolini, Amelia Walsh, Emme McCabe, and Nicole Zhou Political Issues Research Project GRADE 8 Social Studies Block: A

Background/History The Pilgrims first came to America in 1620, they were technically the first immigrants Naturalization Act of 1790: "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States“ 1875: The Supreme Court decided that it was the federal government’s responsibility to regulate immigration 1891: The U.S. started the process of screening each person wishing to enter the U.S. and either rejecting or admitting them 1892: Ellis Island was started up as a place for immigrants to come through on their way to the U.S. 1907: The U.S. made a law that created a Mexican Border District along the bottom of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico in efforts to limit illegal immigration at the Mexican border 1940: U.S. requires all aliens to register with the government and get a Alien Registration Receipt Card (earlier version of the green card) 1990: U.S. sets an annual limit for the number of immigrants allowed in the country based on different categories. This was supposed to attract skilled foreign workers. The Pilgrims first came to America in 1620, they were technically the first immigrants Naturalization Act of 1790: "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States“ 1875: The Supreme Court decided that it was the federal government’s responsibility to regulate immigration 1891: The U.S. started the process of screening each person wishing to enter the U.S. and either rejecting or admitting them 1892: Ellis Island was started up as a place for immigrants to come through on their way to the U.S. 1907: The U.S. made a law that created a Mexican Border District along the bottom of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico in efforts to limit illegal immigration at the Mexican border 1940: U.S. requires all aliens to register with the government and get a Alien Registration Receipt Card (earlier version of the green card) 1990: U.S. sets an annual limit for the number of immigrants allowed in the country based on different categories. This was supposed to attract skilled foreign workers.

Issue Why do Americans even care about immigration? Illegal immigration is costly: it puts Americans out of work, we have to pay when they get sick or hurt, etc Legal immigrants can bring great culture and skills to our country we want to encourage Immigration, legal and illegal, will affect the order and regulation that makes our country work well: voting rights, jobs, etc

The cost of harboring illegal immigrants in the United States is $113 billion a year, from guarding borders and other protective tasks. Illegal Immigrants make up 5% of our civilian labor force. The amount of illegal immigrants is only increasing each day, causing the amount of money spent trying to keep them out is only growing rapidly. Each year an estimated 1.2 million illegal aliens cross our borders, contributing to our national debt. What are the economic costs of this issue?

Impact on What happens if we don’t fix the problem? If immigration is still going on, people will still believe that bringing in illegal immigrants is okay. Also the children of illegal immigrants face being deported back to their country, which would be foreign to them. That’s why there is the Dream Act. Children should not be punished for the actions of their parents.

Legal vs. Illegal Legal: Come for work with work visas or green cards Have legal permanent residence for at least five years Can enter if you have correct paperwork and follow State Department's rules. Apply and Interviewed by government Basic reading and writing skills Illegal: Someone living in the United States illegally Don’t have the correct legal documentation Overstaying the time period specified on a tourist visa Cannot vote, receive social services, social security benefits Can be deported anytime

DEMOCRATS President Barack Obama is ready to work with Democrats and Republicans to stop illegal immigration. He had announced that 1,200 National Guards will be sent to patrol the borders. He also wants to stop deporting the talented children of the illegal immigrants. Hilary Clinton thinks that exploitation of undocumented workers drives down wages for other legal employees. She wants to crack down on employers who allow illegal immigrants to work for them. She thinks that we should consider halting raids on some illegal immigrant families because it is unrealistic to deploy all illegal immigrants. She does not believe in giving illegal immigrants their driving licenses.

REPUBLICANS Mitt Romney disagrees with the Dream Act. He thinks that if people come to the US illegally, and are allowed to stay in the US illegally, then that will only encourage more illegal immigrants to come. Newt Gingrich thinks that immigrants should be allowed to stay if they are law abiding, pay their taxes, and are in a local church. He thinks it is wrong for the US to uproot someone and kick them out. Rick Santorum believes that legal immigration is very important because “we are that shining city on the hill” He thinks that there should be more done to prevent illegal immigration.

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