Historic Vs. Contemporary

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Historic Vs. Contemporary Immigration has been a significant issue in the United States over the past few decades, and economic issues mainly cause it. The changes implemented in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 have drastically increased the number of immigrants coming into the United States. This in return has negatively impacted the quality of life of many Americans due to the mass increase in population. Additionally, it is important to note that immigration has been a touchstone of the United States political debate for many years as the policymakers have to examine different economic, security and humanitarian concerns. This paper examines Barack Obama’s views about immigration in a news conference he held in 2005. When he was a Senator of Illinois, Barack Obama gave his speech regarding illegal immigration where he insisted on the need to hold employers accountable and on implementing strong border policies (C-Span). Illegal immigration is a major issue in America, and it is estimated that immigrants form about fourteen percent of the United States population which is about forty-three million people. Most of the individuals who cross the American borders are Central American asylum seekers who run away from violence in their countries, while others come to the United States in search of a better life. Furthermore, much focus is given on the policies which are aimed at reducing unlawful immigration through enforcing border security; however, individuals who arrive in the country and overstay their visas also constitute a considerable portion of the undocumented population. In 2004, President George W. Bush had put immigration reforms on the national agenda, and he had also outlined his general plans for a temporary worker program and increased border enhancement. Additionally, the interests in the immigration issue also spiked in state legislatures in 2005 where about three hundred bills were introduced and approximately forty-five legislatures passed across different states, including Illinois, where Barack Obama was the Senator (Ann Morse, p.1). Barack Obama provided his views on this issue, and since the presidential election was a couple of years away, just like the other potential candidates, he was outlining his position on immigration matters that figure prominently during presidential campaigns. In a news conference, Barack Obama states that individuals cannot be allowed to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented and unchecked. He framed his words in a manner which showed that this was wrong as it compromised the efforts of the people who were waiting and following the correct procedure to become immigrants in America lawfully. Moreover, he also added that it was essential to manage legal immigratio...