A Simple Guide to Key Politics

Immigration Reform

Immigration is one of the most crucial political issues when it comes to affiliation. Democrats are accused of wanting open boarders, and Republicans are accused of being racists. The truth? Not everything is black and white. In fact, most things aren't. 

In this section, we will dive into the facts and statistics on immigration, and take a further look at what influential politicians from both parties believe when it comes to Immigration Reform. 

DACA and Dreamers

The Political Issue

The Obama-Era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program caters to immigrants that were brought here (America) as really young children. The idea is that these children have been here all their lives, and came here by the choice of somebody else. That is why this program grants said immigrants work permits and relief from deportation, even though they're undocumented. 

The Democratic View On DACA and Dreamers

Key Democrats, including Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, plan on paving a path to citizenship for all Dreamers. 

The Republican View On DACA and Dreamers

In 2017, Trump began efforts to eliminate this program, which 71% of his supporters told The Morning Consult was the right decision. According to Republican Views (republicanviews.org), many republicans are against DACA, but still support allowing current Dreamers (illegal immigrants helped by DACA) to remain in the country because of their proven positive impact on American society. 

Illegal Entry 

The Political Issue

Many people think that Democrats automatically want to open boarders to illegal immigrants, which isn't necessarily true in all cases. 

Let's look at some statistics before we proceed. 

According to information found in Dave Rubin's Don't Burn This Book, the fence that protects the U.S.- Mexican border in San Diego has had really good and measurable results, proving the fence has reduced illegal entry by 90 percent. 

Another great example of a successful border, also stated in Dave Rubin's book, is the border wall in Israel, which has significantly reduced suicide bombings and terrorist attacks. 

Many opposers of a more lenient immigration policy believe such a thing would spike the crime rate, which could be true, but many studies have shown no real correlation between an increase in the undocumented population of the U.S. and spikes in the crime rate. 

Another serious issue is the fact that families are being separated while fleeing to America from violent countries. In 2018, thousands of families were torn apart and the adults were charged with illegal entry and detained for prosecution, while the children were labeled "unaccompanied" and put in cages. 

Many people blame the Trump Administration for this awful occurrence, but fail to recognize that it was the Obama Administration that actually built these cages. This was during a period of mass amounts of immigration, where America was "running out of room" to detain these illegal immigrants. 

The Obama Administration claims that these temporary methods were necessary, and some agree, but it's still unsettling, and the Trump Administration took advantage of these cages and proceeded to lock large amounts of children inside them. 

All in all, it can be agreed upon by both parties that our Immigration system needs a lot of reform, so let's look at both parties plans to do so. 

The Democratic View On Immigration Reform

Influential politician Sen. Elizabeth Warren stated, "We must pass comprehensive immigration reform that is in line with our values, creates a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants including our DREAMers, and protects our borders."

Many big Democratic politicians, including Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, want to repeal a statute put in place by the Trump Administration that makes crossing the border without inspection by an immigration officer a misdemeanor offense. These politicians argue that migrant families are being charged too harshly. 

Other Democratic politicians, such as Joe Biden and Beto O'rourke, want to keep the statute in place, but advocate for immigration law rewrites. 

The Republican View On Immigration Reform

President Trump has stated many plans for Immigration Reform, including creating a merit system that modernizes legal immigration by legalizing individuals with skills beneficial to our economy, while protecting American jobs and wages. He has also mentioned plans of national unity through helping young immigrants receive citizenship since they have a lifetime worth of contributing to American society, and prioritizing US families and new immigrants.