Immigration Reform (Merlin Del Rosario)

Research:
 Immigration has always been a controversial topic but the reality is that the immigrant population stood at more than 42.4 million, or 13.3 percent, of the total U.S. population of 318.9 million in 2014 (U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey).

Immigrants in the United States and their U.S.-born children now number approximately 81 million people, or 26 percent of the overall U.S. population. Of those parents with U.S born children only 11 million fall under the the unauthorized Immigrant Living in the U.S (ACS). Meaning, second generation of immigrant parents are growing in a country they call home but unfortunately their family members are not considered part of their home country, thus their children become affected by their parents residency in form of mass deportations that separates families.

Since 1996 4.5 million non-citizens have been removed after Congress passed the sweeping legislation Act in 1996 to toughen the nation’s immigration enforcement system. So, the U.S went from 70,000 deportations in 1996 to 419,000 in 2012 (Meissner). In order to stop families from separating an Immigration Reform will allow amnesty for immigrants so that they can quickly fix their immigrant statues without having to wait years, and risk the fear of deportation that would separate them from their loved ones.
                                                             References:

Meissner, D. (2015). The Deportation Dilemma: Reconciling Tough and Humane Enforcement.  Retrieved November 29, 2016, from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/deportation-dilemma-  reconciling-tough-humane-enforcement
U.S Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey. (2016). The Frequently Requested  Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States. Retrieved November 29, 2016,  from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-  immigration-united-states#Children with Immigrant Parents

 Personal:

As a child of Immigrant parents, an Immigration reform will personally help my family become permanent residents and not be afraid of deportation. Hearing deportation stories from friends and family terrifies me, and everyday I have that feeling in the back of your mind that it can also happen to my parents.

My parents made a though decision by leaving their country and migrating to the US in hopes of finding a better future for themselves, over the course of their stay in the U.S they have abided every law and also paid their taxes to the government.

There is a stigma that immigrants are lazy, don’t pay taxes and steal people’s jobs but the reality is that immigrants are hard working people. All they want is a chance to stay, and not be afraid that some day they can be deported and have to leave their families behind.

The government should listen to the pleas of the people it serves and grant an immigration reform to allow families to stay together.