Bretton Cole
Editor-in-Chief
There are more pressing issues concerning the current state of immigration in the US than the construction of a physical barrier on the southern border. Heated debate about immigration has proven to be a divisive centerpiece of political discussion, with no established, driving cause behind it.
Several factors are at play: cultural differences, economic panic as well as dangers that come with the illegal nature of immigration. All these ideas culminate to a media-induced frenzy over immigration, and the United States is left with a populace widely divided and no clear path to bridge the gap.
That is, nothing is concrete – aside from the proposed wall President Trump and his supporters are adamant is necessary.
We’ve seen a wall in other places – Berlin in post-WW2 Germany, China during the Qin dynasty, and even in Biblical Jerusalem. None of them were fool-proof.
It’s not a wall that will alleviate the pains of illegal immigration, but embracing the ways that change can help the United States. Proper immigration benefits the United States.
Instead of prematurely trying to block immigration, renewed efforts by the presidential administration should be made to remedy the current legal system as well as the border security in a move that is less expensive, more effective for long-term sustenance, and helps bring the most out of immigration to benefit the United States.
The movement to build a wall to prevent crime and illegal immigration is often predicated on the idea that too many immigrants are entering illegally and flushing the job market for American-born citizens. But, historically speaking, immigration isn’t at an all-time high.
In fact, were we to adjust to increased population, the United States has admitted roughly 30% more immigrants per capita since 1820 than in 2017, according to the New York Times. Much of this has to do with immigration quotas remaining static rather than changing with a growing population.
The current plans to build a wall and cut back immigration don’t appear favorable with a glance backward in American history.
After volatile era of Reconstruction, the United States government passed the Immigrant Act of 1882, more aptly dubbed the Chinese Exclusion Act. This legislation prohibited the migration of Chinese people into the United States.
The rationale behind the act has not been explicitly determined, but historians agree it was racially and economically motivated, two of the same motivating factors for the construction of a border wall here in the United States.
The president has painted immigrants in a dismal light, using inflammatory rhetoric dating back to his announcement speech for presidency.
The simple truth is that, while illegal immigration can pose some regulation issues, the net benefit of immigration, particularly legal immigration, outweighs the cost it would take to build a wall.
More than numbers, building a wall would be a symbol of division with Mexico. The United States has traditionally been a nation built by immigrants. Diversity has been a point of emphasis in recent years.
History is a guide to learn from previous mistakes. The United States, unfortunately, has a dark past, ranging from slavery, Native American displacement, the Chinese Exclusion Act and several other shameful decisions made against people who weren’t immediately assimilated to the “American way.”
Instead of another move towards nativism and intolerance of other cultures, we ought to embrace immigration and recognize the benefits. The cost of the wall is estimated to be a lot more than the $12 billion President Trump suggested, according to a review by Brookings Institute.
The wall would also have its own weaknesses. Smuggling could still continue through tunnels and drones, making the wall merely an expensive Band-Aid to cover the bleeding, not stop it.
Instead, addressing more important areas such as expanding and making the documentation process easier and quicker would be much more beneficial to the United States in the long run. The danger of the wall is primarily this: it would cost an enormous sum of resources to construct, it would symbolize division and wouldn’t guarantee a fix to the seepage of illegal immigrants.
History has taught us that procedure matters more than product. A wall with a broken system would not solve the crime or economic issues we’re facing as a nation. We can still build something – a system that is mutually beneficial to immigrants and the states. This one won’t be concrete.
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