Example of a Good Synthesis Essay

Question

Illegal Immigrants Issues

Over several decades, the United States of America has become one of the most powerful states in the world. Despite the several challenges it is facing, people travel to the U.S. in search of a better life. Thus, the issue of immigrants has become one of the major concerns, as the country does not have adequate laws governing the issue. During the years of establishing the nation, the immigrants did not seem to be a major concern.

However, with the increase in the population taking place, as well as the problems caused by the immigrants, the need to address the issue occurs. Owing to the strict rules governing the nation, entering the country illegally has become harder. Nonetheless, the determined immigrants have found their way into the country through working around with the law.

"Anchor Babies" Problem

For instance, research has shown that most immigrants cross the border and have a child. Based on the American 14th Amendment, the baby automatically becomes American citizenship (Knickerbocker 1). The American-born babies are referred to as the ‘anchor babies’. As such, over the years, society has developed great concern over the economic effects the whole process of ‘anchor babies’ is costing the country. It is important to establish a structured way of handling the whole process of automatic citizenship, especially regarding the change of the 14th Amendment.

In the paper presented by Carlson, ‘Welcome to Maternity Hotel California’, the focused couple made payments of close to $35, 000 to have a child born in the US. Additionally, 2012 saw the Chinese State media report 10,000 ‘tourists births’ by their Chinese couples in the United States (Arnold 12). The figures exposed by Carlson act as a confirmation of how serious is the current menace. Moreover, the research by the Center for Immigration Studies states that about 350,000- 400,000 children are born on an annual basis to immigrant parents (Arnold 18).

By the year 2010, at least four out of five alien children living in the United States were born there. Due to the immigrant’s high birth rates, their population raised dramatically, which resultantly increased the US population. The associated cost cannot be neglected based on the inflation-adjusted figures released by the United States of America. They made projections that any child born in the US would approximately cost their parents $304,480 from the day they are born to the age of 18 years. Thus, the illegal-alien households are rated as low-income households, which automatically shifts the expectation that a significant cost of the child-raising will fall on the state's government.

According to the results released by CIS in 2009, 71 percent of the illegal immigrant households with children received more welfare, as compared to the 39 percent of the native-headed households with children (Haugen, David & Musser 125). Illegal immigrants gain access to welfare through their United States-born children, who obtain automatic citizenship as the government assistance is guaranteed. Moreover, the United States children born to immigrants have an automatic entitlement to the American health care facilities, public schools, and other social welfare. Even in the aforementioned circumstances, undocumented migrants rarely pay taxes.

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Although the 14th Amendment qualifies the child born to illegal immigrant automatic citizenship, the recommendations published in The Journal for American Physicians and Surgeons present a different perspective. In the research, the ‘anchor babies’ were seen to cause a huge rise in the medical costs as well as the stipends found under the Supplemental Security Income and the Disability Income. For instance, in the California state in 2003, approximately 70 percent of children born in the Joaquin Maternity hospital were the ‘anchor babies’ (Osterhaus et al. 98).

However, it is only humane that measures relating to health such as emergency medical treatments be given to all persons regardless of nationality, documentation, or their ability to make payments. The cost of raising the anchored child to the age of 18 years is a huge burden to the state and federal budgets. In the current challenging economic times, the burden of raising illegally-born children rests on the American citizens, who are also facing economic difficulties.

However, the real intention of the parent bearing the child may not exactly be to enjoy the free benefits but rather to obtain a good life in America. The goal eventually has a consequence on the U.S. economy. The American tax-supporting dollar needs to fund the needy in society rather than an illegal immigrants. There are a significantly higher number of legitimate U.S. citizen, who deserves the assistance rather than the illegal immigrants (Galvez 35).

Automatic Citizenship Poses a Huge Economic Burden to the US

The United States citizenship should not be granted to the ‘anchor babies’. The reason is that once the parent of the illegal child is caught by the law enforcement agency; it is likely that they will be deported leaving the child for the care of the state. In addition, deportation also raises many controversies, especially regarding the welfare of the child who is a U.S. citizen by default. People have a feeling that parents and child separation are not right. However, granting citizenship to already existing aliens will prompt others to think they can also have their way out. The process can eventually lead to bigger problems within the state.

In the reports from the National Council of La Raza and Urban Institute, it is evident that hundreds of the children in America suffer from psychological trauma after an immigration raid that led to parent’s detainment or deportation (Osterhaus et al. 43). The proposition continues to raise moral questions about the deportation of the parents. As a result, several tactics to fight deportation and abandonment of the immigrant’s children have been devised. In the media, use of the young children as showpieces or demonstrations has become a popular method to fight deportation. For example, the media highlighted the case of a two-year-old Tomasa Mendez for the government to grant amnesty to her parents or give them citizenship (Knickerbocker 2).

However, the supporting arguments often overlook the importance of addressing the cause of the problem. The issue of illegal immigrants needs a policy change to address it effectively. It will be important to consider changing the 14th Amendment to eliminate the confusion created by granting the child U.S. citizenship but denying the parent the same right. Nonetheless, there are different points of view opposing the amendment of the constitution. Policymakers believe that anchor babies do not attract other illegal immigrants to enter the United States. In addition, the attempt to change the 14th Amendment would only distract the country from other important issues such as strengthening the nation’s borders security.

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