immigration argumentative research paper

The Hard Truth About Immigration

If the United States wants to reduce inequality, it’s going to need to take an honest look at a contentious issue.

“T his bill that we will sign today is not a revolutionary bill,” President Lyndon B. Johnson said as he put his signature on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, at the base of the Statue of Liberty. “It does not affect the lives of millions.” All that the bill would do, he explained, was repair the flawed criteria for deciding who could enter the country. “This bill says simply that from this day forth those wishing to immigrate to America shall be admitted on the basis of their skills and their close relationship to those already here.”

Edward Kennedy, the 33-year-old senator who had shepherded the bill through the Senate, went even further in promising that its effects would be modest. Some opponents argued that the bill would lead to a large increase in immigration, but those claims were false, Kennedy said. They were “highly emotional, irrational, and with little foundation in fact,” he announced in a Senate hearing, and “out of line with the obligations of responsible citizenship.” Emanuel Celler, the bill’s champion in the House, made the same promises. “Do we appreciably increase our population, as it were, by the passage of this bill?” Celler said. “The answer is emphatically no.”

Johnson, Kennedy, Celler and the new law’s other advocates turned out to be entirely wrong about this. The 1965 bill sparked a decades-long immigration wave. As a percentage of the United States population, this modern wave has been similar in size to the immigration wave of the late 1800s and early 1900s. In terms of the sheer number of people moving to a single country, the modern American immigration wave may be the largest in history. The year Johnson signed the immigration bill, 297,000 immigrants legally entered the United States . Two years later, the number reached 362,000. It continued rising in subsequent decades, and by 1989 exceeded 1 million.

How could the law’s advocates have been so wrong about their own policy? One explanation is that they engaged in motivated reasoning. They believed, justly, that they were righting a historical wrong by remaking the racist immigration system that the country had adopted in the 1920s, which allocated almost all of its slots to Western Europeans. The new law created a first-come-first-served system that treated all parts of the world equally, and it made the United States a fairer society. In their eagerness to achieve that victory, however, the reformers dismissed almost any criticism of the bill as unreasonable and even hateful.

In part, they were reacting to the identity of the bill’s critics: Many were opponents of the civil-rights movement who indeed made racist arguments against the immigration bill. Yet skeptics also raised legitimate questions about the bill, pointing to potential loopholes, including that its annual worldwide quota did not apply to many immigrants. These immigrants were considered “nonquota” entries, allowed to enter the country without being counted. The most consequential nonquota entries proved to be family members, including extended family. The law declared that immigrants who were coming to join relatives already in the United States would not count toward the quota. That loophole was not wholly new. But it had not mattered much before 1965, because the overall system was so restrictive. The new law opened the doors to the entire world without solving the nonquota problem.

The critics’ predictions—that annual immigration might soon triple, as one conservative congressman forecast, and eventually surpass 1 million, as another anticipated—ended up being more accurate. The advocates of the 1965 law also incorrectly promised that any increase in immigration would come from white-collar professionals filling specific job shortages. Willard Wirtz, Johnson’s labor secretary, went so far as to tell Congress that the bill offered “complete protection” against increased labor competition. In truth, many arrivals have been blue-collar workers, admitted as extended family, seeking a broad range of jobs.

I realize that some readers may be feeling a little uncomfortable about the history described here. The celebration of immigration has become core to the political beliefs of many Americans, on both the left and the right. Immigrants are underdogs, heroes, and—for most of us—ancestors. Many opponents of immigration are xenophobes. In the 21st century, the contours of the immigration debate can seem binary: Somebody is either in favor of immigration or opposed to it.

Historically, however, the debate was more nuanced. It included many people who were comfortable distinguishing between the issues of who should be admitted and how many should be admitted. Separating these two makes clear that it is possible to honor immigrants and decry bigotry without believing that more immigration is always better. The people who wrote the 1965 law claimed to hold precisely these beliefs.

That law deserves to be remembered as a monumental civil-rights achievement. It ended decades of discrimination against Asians, Africans, Eastern Europeans, Southern Europeans, and disabled people. In other respects, though, the law represents a failure of democracy: It was sold to the American public with repeated promises that it would not do what, in fact, it did. In particular, it was sold with the false claim that there would be no increase in the number of immigrants seeking low-wage jobs.

In 1965, the United States already had a more open immigration system than many other countries, with a higher percentage of foreign-born residents than most of Europe, and a far higher share than Japan. The 1965 bill went further, and became what the journalist Margaret Sands Orchowski has called arguably the world’s most liberal immigration law. Theodore White, the chronicler of 1960s political history, described the law as “noble, revolutionary—and probably the most thoughtless of the many acts of the Great Society.”

From the November 1983 issue: Immigration–how it’s affecting us

My goal is not to convince you that any specific view of immigration policy is correct. But I hope to demonstrate that every piece of evidence does not line up neatly to support the conclusion that more immigration is always good or always bad. The advocates of the 1965 law did such a poor job of anticipating its effects partly because they tried to ignore facts that they found inconvenient. The rest of us do not need to repeat their mistakes.

A t a moment when immigration has returned to political prominence, it helps to think about the continuing post-1965 immigration wave through three empirical questions. First, how have the immigrants fared in this country? Second, what have been the economic effects for people who were already in the United States? And third, how has the immigration wave altered American politics?

Many Americans—across the political spectrum—think they know the answer to the first question. They believe that immigrant families in recent decades have been less likely to climb the country’s ladder than those of earlier generations. But that bit of conventional wisdom is inaccurate.

Children of post-1965 immigrants have ascended at a pace strikingly similar to their predecessors, as two economists—Leah Boustan of Princeton and Ran Abramitzky of Stanford— have documented . As in the past, immigrants themselves tend to remain poor if they arrive poor. And as in the past, their children tend to make up ground rapidly. Overall, most children of the recent immigration wave have grown up to earn at least a middle-class income. “The American Dream is just as real for immigrants from Asia and Latin America now as it was for immigrants from Italy and Russia one hundred years ago,” Abramitzky and Boustan write . There is no permanent underclass of American immigrants.

There are certainly caveats. In a country as large as the United States, averages hide a lot of variation. Some immigrant families suffer discrimination and remain in poverty for multiple generations, much as some native-born American families do. It is also worth pointing out that intergenerational research necessarily comes with a lag. Many recent immigrants have indeed been poorer than earlier immigrants were, and perhaps their children will struggle. The children of undocumented immigrants face particular hardships.

In the big picture, however, past patterns seem likely to continue: Many immigrants themselves will remain poor, but their children will do considerably better. This may also be true for most children of undocumented immigrants, given that anybody born in the United States automatically becomes a citizen. In their research, Abramitzky and Boustan examine not only income but also other measures of assimilation, such as where immigrants live, whom they marry, and whether they speak English. On these metrics, recent immigrants look similar to those from past generations. And by some measures, like intermarriage, the current wave is assimilating more rapidly than previous generations.

T HE SECOND BIG question about immigration is how it has affected the living standards of people who were already in the United States. On the surface, the facts look damning.

The decades when the American masses enjoyed their fastest income gains—in the middle of the 20th century—were also the decades when immigration was near historic lows. The 1965 law ended this era and caused a sharp rise in the number of immigrants entering the workforce. Shortly afterward, incomes for poor and working-class Americans began to stagnate. The 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s were a time of low immigration and rapidly rising mass living standards. The period since the ’70s has been neither.

Correlation and causation, obviously, are not the same thing. To distinguish between the two, economists have devoted extensive effort to figuring out how much immigration has affected the living standards of native-born Americans. One finding from these studies is that immigration has not been the dominant cause of post-1970s wage stagnation, despite the suspicious timing. You do not need to be able to read peer-reviewed articles in an academic journal to grasp this conclusion, although those articles support it. You simply need to notice that the regions attracting the largest number of immigrants are not the ones suffering the worst wage stagnation.

But the story does not end here. The same evidence suggests that immigration has played a meaningful, if secondary, role in holding down wages. In 2017, the National Academy of Sciences released a 600-plus-page report on immigration, produced by a committee of prominent scholars. The committee reviewed the relevant research, including studies of surges of immigration to specific metropolitan areas. The report included a table summarizing the estimated effect of immigration on native wages, from each of the relevant studies since the 1990s. The table is dominated by negative numbers. Immigration does have costs.

Logic and history point to the same conclusion as the economic data. That is why CEOs long favored high levels of immigrants and labor leaders such as A. Philip Randolph and Samuel Gompers long opposed them. It is also why the architects of the 1965 law vowed that it would not allow more manual workers to enter the country. When immigration increases, employers often have the upper hand. When immigration is low, the economist Sumner Slichter explained a century ago, employers are forced “to adapt jobs to men rather than men to jobs.” People sometimes claim that immigrants work in jobs that native-born Americans do not want. But Christopher Jencks, a social-policy professor at Harvard University, has pointed out that this statement is incomplete: Immigrants typically work in jobs that native-born Americans do not want at the wages that employers are offering. One reason that employers can offer such wages, Jencks adds, is the availability of so many immigrant workers.

The post-1965 immigration wave has had both benefits and costs. On the plus side, it has probably accelerated economic growth, mostly by expanding the labor force. With a larger population, the United States has been able to produce more goods and services. Immigration also appears to have benefited many high-earning, native-born professionals. The costs of immigration for these workers have been fairly low because they face relatively little competition from immigrant workers. Few of the highly educated immigrants who come to the U.S. are lawyers or doctors, partly because some professions have created barriers that restrict entry. In medicine, foreign doctors are required to complete a multiyear residency program in the United States, regardless of their prior experience. Professionals who have enough political influence to shape labor-market rules, like doctors, understand that a larger labor pool can reduce incomes.

For many lower-earning workers, there are no such protections. In retail, construction, and child care, more immigrants have been able to compete for jobs. Their entry has had two separate effects that have increased inequality. For the lower end of the income distribution, the expansion of the labor pool has held down wages. For the higher end of the income distribution, these lower wages have held down the prices of frequently used services such as restaurant meals and landscaping. Still, several other forces, including the decline of labor unions and the rise of trade with China, have almost certainly had a larger impact on depressing wages.

If the United States wanted to keep immigration high and ameliorate the effects on inequality, it could do so—say, by cutting taxes for low-earning workers and raising taxes on high-earning professionals. The problem is that the country has not used government policy to reverse the growth of inequality; the tax system has instead exacerbated inequality. For all the benefits of the post-1965 immigration wave, American workers are not delusional to think that it has had costs—and that they, rather than more affluent Americans, have borne those costs.

T he third big question involves the political effects of immigration—and the discipline of economics is less helpful than psychology in answering it.

In the 1990s, an American psychologist named Jonathan Haidt was thinking about how notions of morality differed from one culture to another. Together with Brazilian psychologists, he designed a survey based on very short stories in which somebody violated what Haidt called a “harmless taboo.” In each anecdote, a fictional person took an action that did not hurt anybody else but that might nonetheless seem wrong. The survey’s respondents had to judge whether the behavior was immoral or simply a matter of individual choice.

From the May 2022 issue: Wh y the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid

In one story, a boy refused to wear a required school uniform. In another, a woman cut up a national flag that she no longer needed and used the pieces as cleaning rags. The researchers conducted the survey in two Brazilian cities, and Haidt repeated it in Philadelphia, where he was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. In all three cities, the psychologists surveyed people in two different social classes, one higher and one lower.

As Haidt expected, the answers varied by city. In Philadelphia, people were less likely to judge the violation of a social convention—like refusing to wear a uniform or cutting up a flag—as immoral. Philadelphians were more individualistic: If nobody was harmed, what was the problem? In Recife, a poor Brazilian city, more respondents judged violations of social convention as wrong: Society has rules and traditions, and defying those norms is immoral. In Porto Alegre, a relatively affluent, European-influenced city, the responses fell in the middle.

But the data also contained a surprise. The class differences within each country were larger than the differences between Brazilians and Americans. In all three cities, lower-income people were much more likely than upper-class people to judge the violation of social conventions as wrong. The working-class respondents emphasized communal standards and traditions. The professionals emphasized individual notions of freedom. “I had flown five thousand miles south to search for moral variation when in fact there was more to be found a few blocks west of campus, in the poor neighborhood surrounding my university,” Haidt wrote .

In the years that followed, Haidt and his colleagues created a broader version of the survey, known as the Moral Foundations Questionnaire . Around the world, educated professionals emphasize two values above all: care for others, especially the vulnerable, and fairness. Working-class people put significant weight on those values, too, but not quite as much. And working-class respondents emphasize values that are of little import to college graduates, such as respect for authority, appreciation of tradition, and loyalty to family and community. Other researchers have come to use the terms universal and communal to describe the two belief sets.

Both universalism and communalism have important advantages. The universalist passion for fairness and harm prevention has undergirded every great social-justice movement of the past century. While some communalists defended racial segregation and sexism as cultural traditions, universalists refused to accept them. In foreign policy, universalism helped lead to the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II. Universalism has made the world both freer and more equal.

Communalism can claim its own accomplishments, though. Without loyalty, tradition, and respect, human beings would not have been able to form groups that allowed them to survive. In modern times, communalism has inspired Americans to enlist in the military and become teachers at local elementary schools. The same outlook helps explain why working-class households tend to give a greater percentage of their income to charity (often their churches) than upper-income households. Communalism also played a central role in social-justice movements: Religious groups, and the loyalty they inspire, were crucial to both abolitionism and civil-rights activism. Today, communalism continues to promote equality of opportunity: According to research by the Harvard economist Raj Chetty and his colleagues, children are more likely to escape poverty if they grow up in a place where people have strong social connections.

Immigration policy presents a distillation of the tensions between the two worldviews. To communalists, a government should limit arrivals and prioritize its own citizens. To universalists, national loyalties can be dangerous, and immigration can lift global living standards by allowing more people to share in a rich country’s prosperity. In recent decades, this debate has become part of the growing political polarization in many Western countries, including the United States. Surveys show that liberals tend to be universalists who support higher levels of immigration, and conservatives tend to be communalists who favor less immigration.

This polarization is relatively recent. Across American history, communalism has not been simply a synonym for conservatism. Many communalists were progressives who emphasized fairness and equality within a community. When they had to choose between protecting neighbors who were vulnerable and others who were vulnerable, they were comfortable focusing on the needs of their vulnerable neighbors.

A lmost 30 years ago, President Bill Clinton asked former Representative Barbara Jordan to lead a federal commission studying immigration. Jordan, a Houston native, had become famous during the Watergate hearings for a stirring speech that denounced Richard Nixon and celebrated the Constitution. For many Americans, it was the first time they had heard a major speech from either a female or a Black member of Congress. The speech also put Jordan’s communalism on display. She believed that loyalty, tradition, and social connection were crucial to the struggle for a fairer world. She knew that human beings had a natural urge to be part of a group and feel pride in that group. “We are all in this little village called America together,” she once told a group of schoolchildren.

As she studied immigration policy, Jordan came to believe that being strongly pro-immigrant and strongly pro-immigration were not the same thing. Americans needed to make decisions about whom they would and would not admit, as every other nation did. They had to decide what forms of immigration were in the national interest and what forms were not. The drafters of the 1965 law had claimed to be prioritizing the national interest, but the law’s loopholes had come to dominate the immigration system. As a result, that system did not maximize the well-being of Americans, immigrant and native-born alike. The country had an immigration system that almost nobody had meant to create.

Unlike the authors of the 1965 law, Jordan tried to separate the issues of who should be admitted and how many people should be admitted. She decried the long history of racist opposition to immigration and denounced the immigrant-bashing of the 1990s. “There have always been those who despised the newcomers,” she said. Borrowing John F. Kennedy’s phrase, she described the United States as a nation of immigrants. To her, though, both parts of his phrase— immigrants and nation —were vital.

From the May 2021 issue: America never wanted the tired, poor, huddled masses

The United States had been such a successful society, where millions of people aspired to move, because it was a distinct nation. It was a community, with traditions and bonds that fostered trust among citizens and investments in their shared future. Immigrants had become a part of this community, first by choosing to leave their home for a new land and then by embracing their new home. Jordan’s preferred word for this process was Americanization . “That word earned a bad reputation when it was stolen by racists and xenophobes in the 1920s,” Jordan said, “but it is our word, and we are taking it back.”

To nurture the American community, the federal government first needed to regain control of its immigration system, Jordan believed. Her commission called for a major effort to reduce illegal immigration, by cracking down on employers who hired undocumented workers. “Any nation worth its salt must control its borders,” she said. On legal immigration, the commission pushed for some increases, including a temporary rise in the admission of immediate family members, to reunite families, as well as an annual floor on refugee admission to ensure that the United States remained a haven of freedom. On net, however, the commission called for a large reduction—by roughly one-third—in legal immigration from about 800,000 annual entrants the year before down to about 550,000. “The commission finds no national interest in continuing to import lesser skilled and unskilled workers to compete with the most vulnerable parts of our labor force,” Jordan said. Her commission effectively tried to undo the unintended consequences of the 1965 law.

But by the 1990s, a powerful bipartisan coalition had come to support the status quo, and the commission’s recommendations quickly came under attack. Business lobbyists and Republican leaders in Congress favored high immigration partly because it restrained wage growth. Liberal groups saw immigration as a human-rights issue and pointed out that any reductions would especially affect Latin American and Asian immigrants. Clinton, after initially embracing Jordan’s recommendations, backed away from them. Congress instead passed several provisions to reduce illegal immigration, though they were less aggressive than the commission’s proposals. The laws governing legal immigration remained largely the same. The few members of Congress who complained tended to be conservative Republicans.

To many Democrats, support for immigration had come to feel like a moral imperative. Immigration lifted people out of poverty. It enhanced the country’s cultural diversity. It reflected a universalist belief in equality, regardless of a person’s country of origin. Democrats cherished the legacy of the 1965 law, accidental though it may have been.

In the 2000s, the Democratic Party has moved even closer to a universalist position. Democrats now speak more positively about immigration than any party has in the country’s history, according to an analysis of the Congressional Record. Many liberals have grown uncomfortable talking about restrictions and criticize both Clinton and Barack Obama for their positions. Obama combined full-throated support for immigrants, including legalization for many who were undocumented, with support for border security. When “an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers,” Obama said , it violates America’s promise.

Top Democrats would not make such an argument today. They are also unlikely to revere assimilation, as Jordan did. To universalists, glorifying American culture is jingoistic.

This new Democratic approach, however, is not popular with most Americans. Polls have long shown that most Americans oppose very high levels of immigration, as the authors of the 1965 law knew. Americans, to be clear, are not opposed to immigration. Most believe that it has strengthened the country, but they favor it in moderation. If immigration policy reflected public opinion, it would have been very different over the past half century.

The new Democratic consensus on immigration is part of the rise of what the economist Thomas Piketty has called “the Brahmin left”—the shift of progressive parties in both the United States and Western Europe toward the views of highly educated professionals. For much of the 20th century, left-leaning parties attracted the bulk of their support from working-class voters. Today, college graduates make up a growing share of these parties, and their upscale voters have pushed the parties further to the left on social and cultural issues than on economic issues. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the Democratic Party actually moved to the right on economics, as it adopted pro-market positions on global trade and regulation that were often described as neoliberal (a word that echoes the classical definition of liberal , which implies skepticism of government). Although the party has since tacked back to the left on economics, especially on trade, the Democratic economic agenda is not significantly more progressive than it was in the postwar decades.

Immigration is a fascinating part of this story. If you think about immigration as a social issue—a question of human rights—you might say that Democrats have moved to the left by favoring more immigration. If you think about it as a domestic economic issue—one that affects the power dynamic between American employers and workers—you would instead say that a policy of more immigration is a right-wing position. After all, the conservative intellectual giant Milton Friedman also favored high levels of immigration. Either way, the Democratic Party’s shift on immigration policy is consistent with Brahminism, in which the party has become more progressive on social issues than economic ones.

Today, immigration is the one issue on which even the left flank of the Democratic Party continues to support the neoliberal position. Democrats have grown more skeptical of deregulation and the free flow of trade than they were during the Clinton years. But they have grown even more supportive of the deregulated flow of people across borders. Many liberals are passionately universalist on the subject.

Most voters take a more communalist view, which makes sense when you consider that most are not highly educated professionals. The American majority is a working-class, communalist majority. Most people without a four-year degree say that the United States is the greatest country in the world; most college graduates (and most Democrats) do not. Most Americans also believe that the country should prioritize its own citizens while welcoming a limited number of immigrants each year and taking steps to reduce unlawful immigration.

The universalists may have won the struggle over government policy, but their victory has come with a political cost. The high level of immigration since the 1960s helped move the working class to the political right. A rich stream of social-science research has documented the phenomenon, and not only in the United States. Immigration helped Donald Trump win the presidency in 2016 and helps explain why many working-class voters distrust Democrats.

Racism, of course, is part of this story. In both the United States and Europe, right-wing politicians like Trump have tried to raise fears of immigrants by using xenophobic stereotypes and lies. This racism can be anti-Latino, anti-Asian, anti-Black, or anti-Muslim, depending on the time and place. The tactic has proved distressingly effective at winning working-class voters.

But the distinction between communalism and universalism is important partly because it highlights the fact that immigration is not only about race. There are good reasons that every country in the modern world maintains borders. Some high-income countries, such as Japan and South Korea, have maintained very restrictive policies. Once a country has established borders, it must confront the unavoidably thorny issue of which outsiders it should admit and which it should not. In the United States—a nation of immigrants, where most of us, me included, live here only because of previous immigration—the question raises poignant tensions.

“For those who believe in a multicultural America, this question can be uncomfortable to confront, because any system short of open borders invariably requires drawing distinctions that declare some people worthy of entry and others unworthy,” Jia Lynn Yang, a journalist, wrote in her history of immigration law . Because of this discomfort, the modern Democratic Party has struggled to articulate an immigration policy beyond what might be summarized as: More is better, and less is racist . The party has cast aside the legacies of Jordan and other progressives who made finer distinctions.

In response, many working-class voters have decided that the Democratic Party does not share their values. Notably, some of these voters are not white and are themselves the descendants of recent immigrants. In the 2020 and 2022 elections, the Republican Party made gains among Latino voters, especially in Texas and Florida, as well as Asian American voters. Polls showed that a sizable chunk of both Latino and Black voters who otherwise leaned toward the Democratic Party preferred the Republican position on illegal immigration. “Immigration,” Haidt, the psychologist, told me, “is one of the top few blind spots of the left, which causes right-wing parties to win all over the Western world.”

In the United States of the mid-20th century, immigration was so low that it disappeared as a major political issue. Polls found that Americans’ view of immigrants became more positive. Many native-born Americans saw immigrants primarily as fellow citizens, rather than outsiders or recent arrivals. Americanization, in other words, described more than just the assimilation of immigrants; it described a national process of binding. A slowdown in the diversification of the country made Americans more comfortable with their newfound diversity. This cohesion fostered a progressive economic consensus, making possible high taxes on the affluent, large government investments in infrastructure and science, and modern welfare state programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Low immigration numbers in the mid-1900s improved the lives of recent immigrants by fostering a stronger safety net for everybody. The modern era of high immigration levels, by contrast, has hardly been a golden age for progressive politics.

P ERHAPS THE MOST important point about immigration is that it involves trade-offs. For centuries, opponents of immigration have portrayed it as inherently bad, and their claims have been disproved again and again. More recently, universalists have portrayed immigration as inevitably positive, an argument that depends partly on wishful thinking. Immigration can be wonderful, but good things are rarely free, as Jordan said.

The post-1965 immigration wave has had large benefits. Most important, it has helped lift millions of people out of poverty and allowed them to experience the American dream. Most immigrant families have both assimilated into their new country and changed it for the better. They have contributed to scientific breakthroughs, started businesses and community organizations, and enriched American culture, in literature, film, music, sports, and food.

Read: The immigration act that inadvertently changed America

On universalist grounds, a relatively open immigration system is easy to support. But the other side of the ledger matters. Immigration tends to impose costs on lower-wage workers and to alter the political atmosphere in ways that make government policy less generous to those same workers. The past century suggests that there are trade-offs between immigration levels and progressive policy goals. Reducing immigration would probably make reducing economic inequality in the United States easier. Lower levels could make Americans more amenable to policies that would benefit immigrants who are already here, such as a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented.

What might an ideal system look like? That is a difficult question, but Jordan’s basic principles still seem relevant. The United States should treat immigrants with decency. This decency includes the admission of immediate family members—but only immediate family members, such as spouses and young children. The country should embrace its role as a beacon of political freedom and prioritize the admission of refugees fleeing persecution, a group that in recent years has included Iranians, Cubans, Sudanese, Ukrainians, and Uyghurs from China. The United States should also make clear that it is a nation of laws, as Jordan said, and do more to reduce illegal immigration than it has in the past. When citizens of other countries believe that they will be allowed to remain in the United States so long as they manage to enter it, the country’s laws have little meaning. And high levels of undocumented immigration are a political gift for right-wing parties.

There is another theme from Jordan’s recommendations, one that was also part of the promises that the authors of the 1965 law made. Both called for a system focused on the admission of people with specific job skills that the American economy needed. Both argued against the wide-scale admission of workers who could compete for most jobs. Canada did adopt such a system in the 1960s, and the politics of immigration there are more muted partly for that reason. This approach tends to reduce economic inequality. It expands the labor pool for professionals, making them less scarce and holding down their future wage increases, rather than focusing the wage effect on lower-income workers. Professionals also tend to pay more in taxes, which suggests that the admission of more high-earning immigrants can improve the country’s fiscal situation as the population ages and more Americans retire.

The U.S. immigration system is always going to be complex, full of difficult decisions and trade-offs. But the system we have today is not the only option, nor is it the one that political leaders promised us. It has instead become one more way that the economy and political system have drifted from the interests and values of many working people.

This article was adapted from David Leonhardt’s new book , Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream.

​When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

Political Preferences and Views on U.S. Immigration Policy Among Immigrants in the U.S.: A Snapshot from the 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants

Audrey Kearney , Marley Presiado , Shannon Schumacher , Liz Hamel , Samantha Artiga , Drishti Pillai , and Mollyann Brodie Published: Nov 30, 2023

• Methodology

Immigration has been a hot-button issue in U.S. political debate for decades, with policymakers trying to balance economic, security, and humanitarian concerns , and candidates on both sides using immigration talking points to appeal to their base. Immigration policy at the federal level has often shifted dramatically between presidential administrations, and enforcement differs between states . However, debates over immigration policies, including those that restrict or promote pathways to citizenship and access to benefits for undocumented immigrants, often leave out the viewpoints of immigrants themselves, and in some cases, immigrant feel they are treated as pawns in a political game.

A majority of immigrants are naturalized citizens (58%) and thus eligible to vote in U.S. elections, but their views are not often explored in polls of the general public. Immigrants who are noncitizens may have other ways to influence the U.S. political process, but many face language barriers and immigration-related fears that make it difficult for them to engage in the political process.

The Survey of Immigrants, a partnership between KFF and The Los Angeles Times , is the largest nationally representative survey focused on immigrants, interviewing 3,358 immigrant adults in 10 languages. This report focuses on the political engagement, attitudes, and policy preferences of the growing immigrant population in the U.S.

• Most immigrants (62%) say they pay attention to politics and government in the U.S. a least a “fair amount,” though few (17%) say they pay “a lot” of attention. Older immigrants, naturalized citizens and those who are English proficient are among the most likely groups of immigrants to say they pay a lot of attention to U.S. affairs.
• Immigrants, including naturalized citizens, lean more towards the Democrats when asked which political party represents their own views, which party best represents the interests of immigrants overall, and whether immigrants were better off under the Biden or Trump presidencies.
• However, many immigrants do not feel that their views or the interests of immigrants generally are well represented by either of the two major U.S. political parties, and half of all immigrants say that who the president is makes no difference in the lives of immigrants.
• Like most U.S.-born adults, a large majority (79%) of immigrant adults support allowing undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to apply for citizenship. A smaller majority of immigrants (59%) also supports allowing undocumented immigrants to sign up for government-sponsored health insurance, though immigrants who are naturalized citizens are split on this question and a majority (69%) of U.S.-born adults are opposed.

Attention to Politics and Political Leanings of Immigrants

Most immigrants report paying at least some attention to U.S. politics, with those who are older, English proficient, and naturalized citizens being the most engaged. About six in ten (62%) immigrants say they follow politics and government in the U.S. a lot (17%) or a fair amount (45%), with majorities across age and immigration statuses saying they follow it at least a fair amount. Immigrants ages 65 and older, naturalized citizens, and immigrants who speak English at least “very well” are most likely to report that they pay “a lot” of attention to politics and government in the U.S.

Twice as many immigrants say that immigrants in general are better off under a Biden presidency than a Trump presidency, but about half say who the president is makes no difference in the lives of immigrants. One in three (33%) say immigrants are better off under Biden, and one in six (16%) say immigrants were better off under Trump.

Immigrants who say they follow U.S. politics “a lot” or “a fair amount” are more likely than those who do not to say who the president is makes a difference, yet across levels of political interest, immigrants lean towards President Biden when asked which recent president was better for immigrants. While, unsurprisingly, six in ten immigrants who say they are best represented by the Democratic Party say immigrants are better off under Biden and about half (53%) of Republican-identifying immigrants say immigrants are better off under Trump, one-third of immigrants who say they are best represented by either the Democrats (34%) or Republicans (32%) say it “makes no difference” who the president is.

Larger shares of immigrants say that the Democratic Party represents their own personal political views better than the Republican Party. Immigrants overall are twice as likely to say that the Democratic Party (32%) represents their political views better than the Republican Party (16%). However, this still leaves about half of immigrants saying that neither party (25%) best represents their views or that they are not sure (27%). Majorities of undocumented immigrants (76%), recent immigrants (67%), immigrants who do not pay attention to U.S. politics (65%), and younger immigrants (ages of 18 and 29) (65%) say they are “not sure” or that neither party represents their political views.

Immigrants differ by race and ethnicity on their partisan leanings, with Hispanic, Asian, and Black immigrants leaning towards the Democratic Party and White immigrants more evenly split between saying the Democratic and Republican parties best represent their views. Across racial and ethnic groups, large shares—between four in ten and six in ten—say neither party best represents them or that they are not sure.

Although more Hispanic immigrants say they feel better represented by the Democratic Party, there are some differences by country or region of origin . Immigrants from South America (18%), Central America (15%), and the Caribbean (18%) are about twice as likely as those from Mexico (7%) to say the Republican Party best represents their political views. Roughly equal shares—three in ten—across these countries and regions say they feel represented by the Democrats, though larger shares of immigrants from Central America (41%) and Mexico (38%) say they are “not sure” which party better represents their views compared to those from South America (26%) or the Caribbean (23%). Among immigrants from Asia, there are few differences by country or region of origin.

Immigrants in California are more likely to say the Democratic party represents their views (36%) while a smaller share in Texas says the same (25%). Yet in both states, about three in ten immigrants say they are not sure and about one in four say neither party better represents their political views.

Nearly half of immigrants (46%) say they think the Democratic Party represents the interests of immigrants at least “somewhat well,” more than twice the share who say the same about the Republican Party (20%). Immigrants across immigration statuses are more likely to say the Democratic Party represents immigrants’ interests well than the Republican Party. Three in ten say they are “not sure” about how well the Republican (33%), or Democratic (31%) Parties represent the interests of immigrants. Noncitizens are more likely to say they are “not sure” how well each of the political parties represent the interests of immigrants.

In Their Own Words: Views and Attitudes Towards U.S. Politics and Enforcement Policies

In focus groups, many immigrants expressed that they felt their lives were better off under President Biden than President Trump, though some participants expressed that who the president is does not matter. Many said they feel they are “used as pawns” or “just for their vote.” When asked whether they think their voices are heard, many in these focus groups expressed that they thought voting “doesn’t make a difference,” and many voiced frustrations with the U.S. political system. These mixed feelings are captured in the quotes below.

“I feel the whole thing about politics and immigration is like putting the immigrants as a bait. I see a lot of promises. They come to power and say we are going to do this and that for the immigrants but nothing ever happens. But I feel personally they put the immigrants as bait and of course everybody is better than Trump, which I have to agree but I don’t see any progress.” – 47-year-old Indian immigrant woman in New York

“I feel like they give us the right by voting when a Latino can vote. But other than that, forget it. They just take our vote.” – 36-year-old Mexican immigrant woman in Texas

“During that Trump Administration he built his platform on being stricter on immigration specifically. He said we are going to send out ICE agents to capture all the illegal immigrants and there [were] videos in the media of people being arrested and deported. My family, although we are of legal status here, the process for getting to that point for us was very traumatic. So even though we were of legal status, we still felt scared because all that kind of very extremist stuff about anti-immigration was very scary.” – 24-year-old Korean immigrant woman in New York

“I feel more human right now. Even if the money is not doing well, I feel human. Those of us who are here, we would want documents but I am very pleased that our current President [Biden] gives asylum to refugees” – 34-year-old Mexican immigrant woman in California

Attitudes Towards Immigration Policies

Immigrants have mixed views in their assessments of whether U.S. enforcement of immigration laws is too tough or not tough enough, which stands in stark contrast to the views of U.S.-born adults. 1 About one in five immigrant adults say the U.S. is “too tough” (19%) and a similar share say the U.S. is “not tough enough” (18%) in enforcing immigration laws, while about one-fourth (27%) say enforcement is “about right,” and about one-third (35%) say they are not sure. U.S.-born adults are much more likely to say that enforcement of these laws is “not tough enough” (52%), while one in six say enforcement is “too tough” (15%) or “about right” (14%). Immigrants vary somewhat in their assessments of immigration enforcement by immigration status, as naturalized citizens are somewhat more likely to say the U.S. is not tough enough in enforcement, while those who are likely undocumented are more likely to say they are “not sure.”

Immigrants’ views on U.S. enforcement of immigration laws are also largely divided by their political leanings. Immigrants who say their views are best represented by the Democratic Party (referred to here as Democratic-leaning) are more likely than Republican-leaning immigrants or immigrants who do not feel represented by either political party to say that enforcement in the U.S. is “too tough” (29%). Republican-leaning immigrants are most likely to say that enforcement in the U.S. is “not tough enough” (48%). However, many immigrants are not sure if immigration enforcement in the U.S. is too tough or not, including about one in four Democratic-leaning (26%) immigrants, one in five Republican-leaning (22%) immigrants and 45% of immigrants who do not have a political leaning.

The idea of allowing undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to apply for citizenship is widely popular, with about eight in ten immigrants (79%) and two-thirds of U.S.-born adults saying this is a “good idea.” This proposal has been introduced to Congress in a variety of forms over the past two decades as The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act , but has failed to pass. Immigrants across partisan affiliation and citizenship status largely support the policy, though fewer (55%) Republican-leaning immigrants say this is a good idea. Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created in 2012, eligible young adults who were brought to the U.S. as children can receive protection from deportation and work authorization for temporary, renewable periods. However, DACA does not provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship, and the federal government is not currently processing new DACA requests due to court orders .

While a majority of immigrants support allowing undocumented immigrants to sign up for government-sponsored health insurance, a majority of U.S.-born adults say this is a “bad idea.” Nearly twice the share (59%) of immigrants than U.S.-born adults (30%) say this policy is a “good idea.” Even still, immigrants are split by immigration status and partisan affiliation on their support for this policy. Immigrants who are likely undocumented or lawfully present are more likely to say this policy is a “good idea” (85% and 68%) while naturalized citizens are split, with half saying it is a “good idea” (49%) and half saying it is a “bad idea” (48%). Similar shares of Democratic-leaning immigrants say the policy is a good idea (71%) and Republican-leaning immigrants say it is a bad idea (71%).

Notably, these questions did not offer arguments for or against the policies, and support may be higher or lower in a more contextualized situation.

KFF would like to thank the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Dr. May Sudhinaraset, the National Immigration Law Center, the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants, and UnidosUS for their invaluable inputs, insights, and suggestions throughout the planning, fielding, and dissemination of this survey project.

• Racial Equity and Health Policy
• TOPLINE & METHODOLOGY
• U.S.-BORN ADULT COMPARISON

news release

• Many Immigrants, Including Naturalized Citizens, Don’t Feel Well-Represented by Either Political Party, Though More Align with Democrats than Republicans

Also of Interest

• Understanding the U.S. Immigrant Experience: The 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants
• Health and Health Care Experiences of Immigrants: The 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants
• KFF Health Tracking Poll July 2023: The Public’s Views Of New Prescription Weight Loss Drugs And Prescription Drug Costs

📕 Studying HQ

32+ argumentative essays topics on immigration with prompts [+ essay outline].

There are a lot of immigration issues that people are passionate about. If you care about the immigration and want to make a difference, then you should consider writing an argumentative essay on one of these topics. Here are some ideas on Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration to get you started:

Interesting Topics On Migration

What You'll Learn

• Different Perspectives on Immigration Reform Essay Prompt: Over the past few years, people have moved to the United States for various reasons. Some have moved to the United States to reunite with their families, work, or look for safety.
• Arguments on Why Immigration Should be Stopped Essay Prompt: Immigration can be defined as the movement of an individual from one’s country of origin to set up new and permanent residence in another country. Immigration has been a pertinent issue in most countries, especially the United States.
• Effects of Immigration Essay Prompt: Immigration is moving from one place to another in order to live and work in that place. The history of immigration dates back to thousands of years ago when the first Africans arrived in Egypt.
• How does racism impact the way we view Immigration? Essay Prompt: In recent years, views of immigration in the United States have shifted with many Americans perceiving immigrants as a source of national prosperity, rather than an eminent burden. (Interesting Topics on Migration)
• Immigration, Essay Prompt: Consider any issues such as how to deal with illegal immigrants, how to encourage new, productive immigrants, cost of illegal immigrants.

As you continue,  thestudycorp.com  has the top and most qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is  place an order  with us . Select a Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration and we will write the essau for you.

Argumentative Essay Ideas On Immigration with Prompts

• What Role Should The State Of Texas Play In The Immigration Policy
• No One Is Safe.’ How Trump’s Immigration Policy Is Splitting Families Apart Essay Prompt: In the past, people who immigrated to the US illegally and had criminal records were some of the most targeted, but now the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can pick up family members and separate them from their families.
• The economic impact of Immigration on the US economy Essay Prompt: Immigration has a significant impact on the United States economy. Immigration has enhanced economic development and has small to no effects on employment and wages for native-born workers.
• Describe Immigration Laws And Potential Illegal Immigrants
• Essay Prompt: You explore your position on the topic of immigration laws. Select an immigration law for this Discussion and consider whether or not that law is justifiable.
• The bad impact of Immigration on the U.S. economy. Essay Essay Prompt: Immigration is a hotly debated topic in the United States, especially in political circles. Over the years, millions of people have immigrated to the United States from all parts of the world and it has become a melting pot of cultures. (Interesting Topics on Migration)
• Impact of Immigration on American Cities Essay Prompt: The issue of immigration is a sensitive national topic in the United States. The topic’s sensitivity is fueled by several misconceptions about immigration and its impact on the United States. (Argumentative Essay Ideas On Immigration)
• Research Assignment on Enforcement of Immigration Laws Essay Prompt: Explain at least one challenge related to enforcing the laws at the state level. Provide an insight you had about the effectiveness of enforcement of laws. A Research Project On Migration.

Further read on Creative Synthesis Essay Topics & Ideas in 2022

If you care about immigration and want to make a difference, then you should consider writing an argumentative essay on one of these topics . Here are some ideas on Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration to get you started:

Immigration Research Paper Topics

• Immigration is Good to America: Immigration Makes Americans Less Isolated Globally Essay Prompt: Incorporate analysis of the reading and somebody’s personal experience to make a clear and precise argumentative essay on immigration.
• Republican Party Restrictions on Immigration Law Essay Essay Prompt: The US president Donald Trump is from the Republican Party with the decision made following the policies of the party. Republican Party has a strong stand on restrictions on immigrants which have caused unrest to blacks and minority groups in the US.
• Discuss one specific issue position from either the Democratic or Republican parties’ platforms, indicating whether you agree or disagree.
• Why The United States Should Adopt An Open Immigration Policy Essay Prompt: Two Viewpoints explaining why Immigration Must Be Restricted to Protect American Americans Against Terrorists and why the United States Should Adopt an Open Immigration Policy.
• Liberal Critique And Reform Of Immigration Policy Essay Prompt: Immigration reforms have remained fundamental similar to civil rights and desegregation throughout the history of the united states (US). In the past centuries, immigration reforms have been greatly influenced by the civil rights movement. As noted, the civil rights movement was about winning full and…
• Immigration, Pluralism, and Amalgamation Essay Prompt: The world has significantly transformed into a global village mainly due to technological advancement that has made almost every part of the world accessible. Consequently, migration has become a common aspect of modern life. These changes have prompted different countries to establish immigration policies…
• Essay Prompt: In the current interconnected world, global migration has turned out to be a reality that affects approximately all countries across the world. With advanced modern means of transport, people find it easier, cheaper and more convenient to move from one nation to another searching for employment.
• How to Strengthen America’s National Security
• Essay Prompt: Enhancing border control and enforcement of immigration laws are the two primary ideas that can effectively manage the problem of illegal immigration in the US. (Interesting Topics on Migration)
• Immigration Policy Impact on Economic, Security & Humanitarian Policy Essay Prompt: The current immigration policy has a far-reaching impact on humanitarian, security, and economic aspects. For instance, Migrant Protection Protocols by former President Trump prevents the imprisonment of asylum seekers, especially women and children, until the hearing of their case.
• Should American Citizenship be a Birthright? Research Paper Essay Prompt: The belief that everybody born in American soil becomes subject to the jurisdiction, hence citizens of the United States was included in the Constitution in 1868, in the 14th amendment.

These are just a few examples of Argumentative Essays Topics on Immigration. If you can find a topic that is relevant to your audience and that you are passionate about, you will be well on your way to writing a great argumentative essay .

Bonus essay outline for your Argumentative Essay On Immigration

Start by filling this short order form order.studyinghq.com

And then follow the progressive flow. 

Having an issue, chat with us here

Cathy, CS. 

New Concept ? Let a subject expert write your paper for You​

Johnson Marti is a Health Care Writer, and content writer. He has an M.A. in public health and topical understanding of Nursing Practice.

Similar Posts

DESOTOS THEORY ON A CAPITALIST ECONOMY Essay Example

feel Essay Example

Discuss bizarre behaviors. Essay Example

Chanel replaced corsets and tight skirts with comfortable clothing such as loose and overflowing dresses. Additionally Essay Example

Demystification of mysteries of life; a critical analysis of human life myths. Essay Example

Factors that may have contributed to the success of notonthehighstreet.com Essay Example

we will assist you 24/7

Power up your academic success with the team of professionals. we’ve got your back.

StudyingHQ.com helps students cope with college assignments and write papers on a wide range of topics. We deal with academic writing, creative writing, and non-word assignments.

All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. All the work should be used in accordance with the appropriate policies and applicable laws.

We also serve as;

• Online Nursing Writers
• Best Nursing Writing Company
• Buy Nursing Essays
• Nursing Capstone Project Writing Services
• Nurse Writing Service 
• Write My Nursing Paper Service
• Last Minute Nursing Service
• Fast Nursing Writing service
• Essay writing nursing
• Nurses essay writing
• Nursing essay writers
• Write nursing essay
• Buy nursing essays
• Help with nursing essays
• Nursing essay help

Get Help with;

• Nursing Case Study
• Nursing Coursework Help
• Nursing Dissertation Writing Services
• Nursing Essay/Personal Statement
• Nursing Essays
• Nursing Practitioners
• Nursing Report Writing
• Nursing Surgery Report
• Nursing Term Paper Writing
• Nursing Thesis Writing
• Nursing Capstone Writing 
• Nursing Discussion post writing services

We offer Instant Solutions for;

• Do my Nursing homework
• Write my Nursing essay
• Nursing Dissertation Help
• Literature Review Writing
• Nursing Application Essay
• Nursing Annotated Bibliography
• Nursing Technical report
• Nursing Creative Writing
• Nursing Resume Writers
• Nurse Ghostwriting
• Nursing PowePoint presentation

2021 Theses Doctoral

Three Essays on International Migration

Huang, Xiaoning

Today, there are about 250 million international migrants globally, and the number is increasing each year. Immigrants have contributed to the global economy, bridged cultural and business exchanges between host and home countries, and increased ethnic, racial, social, and cultural diversity in the host societies. Immigrants have also been overgeneralized about, misunderstood, scapegoated, and discriminated against. Understanding what drives international migration, who migrate, and how immigrants fare in destination has valuable theoretical, practical, and policy implications. This dissertation consists of three essays on international immigration. The first paper aims to test a series of immigration theories by studying immigrant skill-selection into South Africa and the United States. Most of the research on the determinants of immigrant skill selection has been focusing on immigrants in the United States and other developed destination countries. However, migration has been growing much faster in recent years between developing countries. This case study offers insights into the similarities and differences of immigration theories within the contexts of international migration into South Africa and the US. This project is funded by the Hamilton Research Fellowship of Columbia School of Social Work. The second paper narrows down the focus onto Asian immigrants in the United States, studying how the skill-selection of Asian immigrants from different regions has evolved over the past four decades. Asian sending countries have experienced tremendous growth in their economy and educational infrastructure. The rapid development provides an excellent opportunity to test the theories on the associations between emigrants’ skill-selection and sending countries’ income, inequality, and education level. On the other hand, during the study period, the United States has had massive expansion employment-based immigration system, followed by cutbacks in immigration policies. I study the association between immigration patterns and these policies to draw inferences on how the changes in immigration policies have affected the skill selection of Asian immigrants. This research is funded by Columbia University Weatherhead East Asia Institute’s Dorothy Borg Research Program Dissertation Research Fellowship. The third paper centers on the less-educated immigrant groups in the US and investigates the gap in welfare use between less-educated immigrant and native households during 1995-2018, spanning periods of economic recessions and recoveries, changes in welfare policy regimes, and policies towards immigrants. I use “decomposition analysis” to study to what extend demographic factors, macroeconomic trends, and welfare and immigration policy could explain the disparities in welfare participation between immigrants and natives. This paper is co-authored with Dr. Neeraj Kaushal from Columbia School of Social Work and Dr. Julia Shu-Huah Wang from the University of Hong Kong. The work has been published in Population Research and Policy Review (doi.org/10.1007/s11113-020-09621-8).

Geographic Areas

• South Africa
• United States
• Social service
• Immigrants--Economic aspects
• Immigrants--Social conditions
• Race discrimination
• Immigrants--Education

More About This Work

• DOI Copy DOI to clipboard

• Knowledge Base
• Popular Essay Topics

Immigration Essay

• Author StudySaurus
• Category Popular Essay Topics

Disclaimer: This paper has been submitted by a student. This is not a sample of the work written by professional academic writers.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of StudySaurus.

Immigration Argumentative Paper

There are around 43.3 million foreign-born people living in the United States today. From the beginning of this country until now, immigrants have come to the US in search of a better life, better opportunity, or more simply put: the American Dream. Attitudes towards immigration throughout this time have been mostly up and down until the new Trump administration. Throughout his campaign, one of Donald Trump’s main promises was the idea of cracking down on illegal immigration. Since he has taken office, Trump has attempted to ban people from certain countries from coming into the United States, use billions of tax dollars to build a border wall, and even to destroy programs like DACA from helping immigrant students. Extreme vetting and general discriminations on immigration in America contradict the basic ethics and ideals on which it was founded and should be repealed in order to allow immigrants to help the US economy as they can.

On the basis of morals, immigration is a simple idea. Allowing people to come into the country for freedoms of all kinds and opportunity is something one should not even question. It is not the fault of these migrants that their country has a large drug problem, or that their country does not believe in religious freedom but instead, believes in terrorism. Education is another privilege that the countries people are migrating from do not have. These people just want a fair chance to live their life and have the opportunity to educate themselves in order to go into the workforce to possibly make a difference in the world. However, because of their birthplace or background, they are not able to go anywhere or do anything without the prejudice of American born citizens following them. Taking away the programs that are helping some of these immigrants to get a good education or not get deported disallows our country to be free, full of opportunity, and diverse. The US was created by immigrants and built on the ideals of freedom and equality which is why immigration and programs for immigrants should be permitted.

One problem that makes immigration this “taboo” topic, is the system which is needed to migrate in the first place. The immigration system, which allows or disallows immigrants to come into the United States, is majorly outdated and ineffective in general. This system has not been touched or adapted in any way since 1986. The effects of this neglect are shown in the rising budget of the immigration system, the numbers of people being put into detention centers, and how difficult it is to become a citizen or even get residency in the US. These issues surrounding the system of immigration in America are the causes of why there are so many undocumented or illegal immigrants coming into the United States. If the president and Congress collaborated on legislative reforms for the system, it could one day be fixed, fixing along with it, the problem of illegal immigration.

Allowing people from other countries come into the US and work can actually be beneficial for America. The immigrants that come to America for work are not intentionally attempting to steal jobs from Americans. While it may seem that they are limiting jobs for American citizens, this is not entirely the case. People migrating to the US want any job they can get in order to make a life for themselves in this country. They take the cheap labor jobs that no American wants. This makes the economy grow because they are doing important jobs for almost no money. With these immigrant workers, the GDP is also raised because they are aiding the productivity of the country. Immigrants are also more innovative and more often become entrepreneurs. Many of the billion dollar companies in the US were created by legal immigrants. Most of these people also came to the US on a student visa which proves the importance of programs for migrant students and workers. From each of these billion dollar companies made by non-American born citizens, 760 jobs are created. People coming to the US from other countries are also more likely to go into a science or math career which is also a need for the economy.

Ultimately immigration is good for the economy because these immigrants allow the economy to prosper. These people are human just like the rest of the American-born population, so this extreme vetting and discrimination against them just goes to show the prejudice and pride the society holds. Taking the time to correct the immigration system might actually help to solve many of the problems people see with allowing migrants to come into the country. Once some of the inefficiencies with the system have been sorted out a domino effect may take place and those opposed to immigration may finally be able to see where treating other people with respect and equality can benefit them as well.

Was this material helpful?

Related essays, about studysaurus, community. knowledge. success..

StudySaurus is run by two uni-students that still get a kick out of learning new things. We hope to share these experiences with you.

Ideas ,  concepts ,  tutorials,   essay papers  – everything we would’ve liked to have known, seen or heard during our high-school & UNI years, we want to bring to YOU.

Privacy & Cookies Policy Terms and Conditions DMCA Request

Enjoy a completely custom, expertly-written dissertation. Choose from hundreds of writers, all of whom are career specialists in your subject.

110 Immigration Research Paper Topics

Immigration is the process of people moving to a country and can be either voluntary or involuntary. Immigration is a very interesting aspect of education, and you may be asked at one point or another to come up with a research paper in the immigration niche.

Immigration is a broad topic, and it can be difficult to choose immigration research paper topics. Here are some broad categories of immigration.

• Voluntary migration : This refers to people who move to another country on their own accord and are not forced by the government. It could be for health reasons, lifestyle change, economic reasons, educational reasons, tax evasion, etc.
• Involuntary migration : This refers to people who are forced to move to another country because there is no other option for them. Examples include migration during a crisis, migration due to fear of persecution, etc.
• Emigration : This refers to people who decide on their own not to stay in a particular country and return home.
• Internal migration : This refers to people who move within a country for work or school purposes or simply for personal reasons, such as living closer to family members or friends.

Why Do You Need Help Choosing Immigration Research Paper Topics?  

You’re ready to write your immigration research paper, but you’re scared. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re looking for research paper topics. Why? Because there are so many things that you can write about, it can be hard to know where to start.

You’ve put a lot of thought into the topic, but you’re not sure how to start. Maybe you have a great idea but don’t know where to start writing. Or maybe you’ve already written the outline, but it’s not working out. You feel stuck.

Whatever the case may be, it’s normal to get stressed out when writing a research paper on an important topic like immigration. When you’re in this situation, it can be really helpful to have someone who can point out what works and what doesn’t work with your outline or subject matter. And that’s where we come in.

There are many benefits to getting help with your immigration paper research topics.

• Immigration research paper topics are hard to come by.

Immigration has been a hot topic for quite some time now. Since the government has been putting a heavy focus on it, there are a lot of different angles to research. This can make it difficult to find a topic that is interesting and relevant to your own life experience.

• Immigration research paper topics are often controversial.

Immigration is a very touchy subject, which means that it can be hard to find something that accurately reflects your views on the issue without being too extreme or inflammatory.

• You’ll save time.

If your research paper is due soon, you might not have enough time to do the necessary research and choose topics yourself. Seeking help out there makes your work easier and saves you from stress!

• It will be well detailed.

Other than just looking at things from your point of view, seeking help from other sources can help you get detailed in-depth approaches.

Immigration Research Paper Topics

As a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic and other global military wars, the difficulties associated with immigration are now more widely recognized in the world. Are you looking for good topics to write about for your immigration research paper? If so, the list below includes some of the top options:

• How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect immigration into the UK and the United States?
• How does immigration affect the global economy?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of immigration?
• What are the top five benefits of being an immigrant?
• What is the relationship between immigration and crime?
• How does the cost of immigration compare with other factors that influence business?
• How do illegal immigrants affect our economy and society, and how can they be made legal?
• What are the most common reasons people apply for a U.S. visa?
• What are some of the benefits of having an immigration visa program in the U.S.?
• How many countries have a visa waiver program with the U.S. and how does it work?

Simple Immigration Essay Topics

Selecting a simple topic for an immigration essay is not always an easy thing to do. At times, it requires you to spend a lot of time doing research here and there. To save you from this stress, we have compiled the top ten simple immigration essay topics for you!

• How has immigration impacted your life?
• What are your thoughts on illegal immigration?
• How would you improve the process for naturalized citizens?
• What are some of the challenges associated with immigration?  
• Give some examples of how immigration benefits the U.S.  
• What is the motivation for immigration?
• Discuss the attitude of nativism towards immigrants.
• How has being an immigrant changed the way you think about yourself?  
• What is the greatest barrier to becoming a citizen?
• What would you say to people who believe that immigrants should not be allowed into the U.S.?

International Immigration Essay Topics

We have compiled 10 international immigration essay topics for your essay because when it comes to choosing topics about immigration internationally, you need to make sure it covers the entire world of immigration. This can often be a difficult process.

• How have international immigration policies changed over time?
• How can we increase our understanding of the diversity of the world’s cultures?
• What are some of the benefits of allowing more immigration?
• Describe the UK’s current immigration system.
• Discuss Canada’s 20th-century immigration policies.
• Talk about the EU’s current immigration problems and how they affect the terrorism rate.
• Examine the connection between immigration and Australian national identity.
• Describe Switzerland’s newest immigration law.
• Examine the effects of Muslim immigration on Britain.
• Examine the importance of gender in Irish immigration.

Best Immigration Research Topics

Do you want to come up with the best topic for your essay in your class? We also want you to be the best, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best topics on immigration that you could pick from.

• The impact of immigration on wages and employment levels
• The impact of immigration on public health and other social outcomes
• The impact of immigration on local governments and their budgets
• How immigrants help contribute to economic growth
• What are the best ways to attract immigrants to your country?
• The impact of immigration on education and health care
• What is the relationship between immigration and terrorism?
• Does immigration increase or decrease social cohesion?
• What effect immigration has on things like forests, water sources, and wildlife habitats.
• What are the best ways to encourage new immigrants to stay in their new home country?

Immigration Argumentative Essay Topics

Because you would need to compare and view the issue from all sides, choosing an argumentative immigration topics to write about could be challenging. To make your job easier, we have compiled a list of 10 argumentative immigration essay ideas for you below.

• Immigrants are taking jobs away from American citizens who deserve them.
• Should an immigrant be given a path to citizenship?
• Do you think that it is important for countries to take in refugees who are fleeing war-torn countries?
• Immigrants contribute to the growth of our economy, our culture, and our society.
• Should immigrants pay taxes?
• Should immigration from certain countries be limited based on their economic impact on the country?
• Should incentives be given to people who want to immigrate legally instead of illegally?
• Should businesses be permitted to hire foreign workers over Americans if they can’t find any eligible Americans?
• Should immigrants be allowed to stay in the country indefinitely?
• Should people be treated differently based on their immigration status?  

Controversial Immigration Topics

When we discuss contentious topics, we typically engage in debate or discussion of divergent viewpoints. Finding a topic on this can be difficult at times, but don’t worry; to relieve some of your tension, we’ve selected 10 contentious immigration topics for research paper that you can choose from or use as a reference:  

• Should gay couples be allowed to marry?
• Race and Immigration
• Ethnicity and Immigration
• Should non-citizens be able to vote?
• Is it okay for parents to get deported because they refuse to pay child support?
• Undocumented immigrants and identity theft.
• Deportation rates for undocumented immigrants
• Immigration: Illegals vs. Legal Immigrants
• The wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Immigration Thesis Topics

Choosing a thesis topic on immigration requires extensive research because the paper needs to be outstanding and well written. Do you need a thesis for an academic degree? Here are 10 thesis immigration topics for essays that could help you.

• The historical impact of immigration on America
• The impact of immigration on the economy
• The impact of immigration on our culture and society
• Why should immigrants be allowed into the United States?
• How can we make sure that immigrants are treated fairly and humanely in America?
• Immigration is a major issue that affects Americans in many ways.
• Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes
• Immigrants do not make any significant difference in the unemployment rate of native-born Americans
• Immigrants create more jobs than they take
• Immigrants need government assistance to survive

Global Politics Immigration Paper Topics

Global politics is a large topic. So, finding suitable global political immigration topics may be a bit tiresome. Here are 10 global research topics on immigration that you can choose from!

• Immigration policies in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
• International trade and immigration policies.
• The diversity of immigrants: A look at America’s immigrant population.
• The social structure of immigrants in the Netherlands.
• Globalization and migration patterns: A case study of Australia.
• Global recessions, financial crises, and the labor market.
• Immigration policy and human rights violations
• Migration patterns around the world
• The history of immigration in the U.S.
• Political and economic implications of immigration in Europe

Illegal Immigration Research Paper Topics

Illegal immigration is a big problem for law enforcement and the national security of many countries. It also often leads to violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable people.

Would you like to investigate this for a research paper? Here are some illegal immigration topics to research that can help.

• The effects of illegal immigration on businesses
• Illegal immigration and public safety
• Illegal immigration and workplace discrimination
• The impact of illegal immigration on the American workforce
• How does illegal immigration affect the U.S?
• Should illegal immigration be legalized?
• What are some of the consequences of legalizing illegal immigrants?
• What are some benefits of legalizing illegal immigrants?
• How many people illegally immigrate to the U.S. every year?
• How are illegal immigrants treated by society?

Research Paper Topics on Immigration in America

Are you seeking a topic to write about for a research paper about immigration in America? Here are 10 excellent American immigration research paper topics for you.  

• Why America’s immigration policies are unfair and unproductive, and why we need to change them.
• Why the Mexican border is a good immigration channel
• Border security and border policy in the U.S.
• How does immigrant crime compare to native crime?
• Immigrants are more likely to have good grades than native-born Americans
• Which groups of immigrants have been most affected by the rise in deportations and why?
• Are immigrants more likely to start businesses than native-born Americans?
• Immigrants have made incredible contributions to the U.S., like Levi Strauss and Albert Einstein
• Should undocumented immigrants have health insurance coverage in the U.S.?
• The Effect of Immigration on Social Security in the U.S.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Immigration

You need to make sure the topics you choose for your persuasive speeches are compelling enough to win over your audience. Finding a topic like this could be difficult, but we have nonetheless put together a list of the top 10 persuasive immigration topics for essay from which you can choose.

• Should immigration be a human right?
• Can immigrants help economies grow and make countries better
• Why immigration is not a threat to our culture but a benefit
• We need more immigrants in this country because it’s not sustainable otherwise!
• Immigrants are an asset to any country, not a burden.
• Are most immigrants hard-working, honest, and law-abiding citizens?
• Illegal immigration is not a problem—it’s a solution to problems—like unemployment and poverty
• The U.S. needs immigrants to keep growing and stay strong in the world economy
• Are immigrants good for business and do they make great contributions to society?
• Immigrants bring in new ideas and experiences that enrich culture and nation growth.

How to Choose a Topic on Immigration

Choosing a topic for your immigration research paper is a big decision. You have to consider your audience, the content of the paper, and how much time you have to write it. Here are some tips for choosing the best immigration research paper topics.

• Know your audience.

You can’t write an immigration research paper if you don’t know who you’re writing it for! Before you start writing, sit down with the person in charge of your assignment (usually the professor) and get their feedback on what they need from you. This will help you narrow down topics that they’ll find interesting and relevant, which will make them more excited about reading your work!

• Look at what’s already out there.

You may want to try writing something new, but don’t forget about other people’s work! Go online and check out any papers written by professors on similar topics in your field. Have them give their opinions about whether or not those papers are good examples of quality work done well. If they love something else, maybe those details can help inspire yours!

• Do your research.

Do some research on current events. This is where most of the immigration news comes from, so it’s a great way to find out what’s happening in your community.

Read blogs and articles from reliable sources like newspapers or websites that focus on profiling immigrants and people who are looking for asylum.

Immigration research paper topics could be challenging to find. Sometimes they are complex and require an in-depth understanding. Here are 110 immigration research paper topics you can choose from. Sometimes, you might need help in writing your research paper. You can always outsource your research paper to a trusted writing company to help you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Richard Ginger is a dissertation writer and freelance columnist with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the writing industry. He handles every project he works on with precision while keeping attention to details and ensuring that every work he does is unique.

Succeed With A Perfect Dissertation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

240 Immigration Essay Topics

Immigration is a permanent move to a foreign country. It takes place all over the globe, including the United States. It played an important role in history, and it continues to influence society today.

Our specialists will write a custom essay on any topic for 13.00 10.40/page

This article offers a variety of immigration essay topics. They are suitable for college-level works, as well as middle and high school papers.

But first, take a look at our custom writing company . If your task seems overwhelming, we can write an immigration essay for you!

🔝 Top 10 Immigration Topics to Write About

• ✍️ How to Choose a Topic

❓ Top 10 Immigration Research Questions

• ✈️ Legal Immigration
• 🗺️ Illegal Immigration
• 🗽 Immigration in the U.S.
• 🌐 Worldwide Immigration
• 🧳 Personal Immigration
• 🌎 Environmental Migration
• 🎓 Job and Education
• ⚖️ Immigration Pros and Cons

🔍 References

• The harm of immigration policies
• Push and pull factors of immigration
• Immigration as an escape from poverty
• Reproductive health of women immigrants
• Racism in the American housing market
• Mexican economy and the immigration rate
• Immigration increase vs. welfare decrease
• Challenges of immigrant assimilation in the US
• The cause of discrimination towards immigrants
• Immigration detention effects on mental health

✍️ How to Choose an Immigration Topic

The subject of immigration is broad. You can explore it from many points of view. Focus on economics, sociology, or the legal system. Here are a few things to remember as you chose the essay title:

• Use verified up-to-date information. As simple as it seems, it’s essential.
• Do not judge. We cannot know the life story of every immigrant and what they went through.

You may try to approach the subject from the political viewpoint. Or, try to stand in the shoes of someone looking for a better life.

Below you will find many great questions and topics on immigration. Choose the one you like best, and get down to writing!

• Do expats boost innovations?
• Is terrorism related to immigration?
• How does migration influence culture?
• What is seasonal labor immigration?
• Can immigration reduce global poverty?
• What is the economic effect of refugees?
• How does immigration affect social capital?
• How do immigration control measures vary?
• Is Third World immigration a threat to the US?
• Why do immigration laws differ among the states?

✈️ Legal Immigration Essay Topics

• Pros and cons of sanctuary cities
• Modern immigration policy in the UK
• ICE’s policy under Obama vs. Trump
• The process of naturalization in the US
• The importance of the DACA program
• Should the TPS program be permanent?
• Health concerns of illegal immigration
• The effect of immigration on international students
• The difference between an asylum and refugee status
• The Second Industrial Revolution’s impact on immigration
• The role of visas in the modern world.
• Does federal immigration law ensure safety for the U.S. citizens?
• Changes in immigration policies following 9/11 .
• What will happen if the U.S. declares open borders for all countries?
• How is multiculturalism a good thing?
• How much time does it take to complete immigration documents?
• What rights do immigrants have in the U.S.?
• Does congress limit the number of immigrant visas?
• What are the main functions of immigration?
• Why does the U.S. refuse to accept Syrian refugees?
• The majority of immigrants seek to receive the U.S. citizenship .
• Fake marriage for the sake of legal immigration .
• How can immigrants ensure a legal status for their children?
• Why do people applying for U.S. citizenship have to live in America for five years?
• What’s the difference between naturalization and citizenship ?
• Is it fair that children can have citizenship by being born in the U.S.
• What does the government look for in a person before granting them legal status?
• Ways to pass the test for naturalization for a person with disabilities.
• How can children become the U.S. citizens through their parents?
• What are the physical presence requirements for naturalization?
• Steps necessary to prepare for a naturalization test.
• How to reapply for citizenship.
• What is a naturalization ceremony?
• Can a person become a citizen through military service ?
• Do all visas allow legal immigration?

The immigration process should be legal. There is an “Immigration Law” in the U.S. that provides legitimate ways to become an American citizen. In this section, you will find ideas for your research paper or informative essay on legal immigration.

🗺️ Illegal Immigration Essay Topics

According to Washington State Department of Social and Health Services , the main difference between legal and illegal immigration lies in documentation. That’s why illegal immigrants are also called undocumented. The following list can provide an idea for a topic sentence or a thesis statement in a persuasive essay.

• Can there be any valid excuse for immigrating illegally?
• Do undocumented aliens harm the U.S.?
• The overstaying legal migration period is common for illegal immigration.
• What is more valuable for the government: paperwork or people?
• Which countries do most undocumented immigrants come from?
• Human trafficking is a tragedy that feeds illegal immigration.
• Settled undocumented immigrants should still get punished.
• The presence of undocumented immigrants indicates corruption.
• Do illegal immigrants affect the local economy of southern states?
• Does illegal immigration bring American society out of balance?
• The presence of undocumented aliens affects crime rates.
• The issues associated with illegal immigration in America.
• What organizations support illegal immigration ?
• Children of immigrants bear the consequences of their parents’ actions.
• Should undocumented immigrants be provided legal help?
• The term “illegal immigrant” must be rejected as offensive.
• Does the problem of illegal immigration feed the issue of racism?
• Undocumented immigrants deserve to be treated with respect.
• The term “ illegal immigrant ” stirs up racial fear in the U.S.
• Does the phrase “No human is illegal” have any truth to it?
• Is illegal immigration a threat to hosts and immigrants?
• Are undocumented aliens treated with hostility by the government?
• Can illegal immigration for personal reasons be justified?
• Should we consider the absence of proper documentation an offense?
• Do the lives of illegal immigrants matter in America?
• Can an undocumented immigrant be considered an American?
• Does the “Drop the I-word” campaign provide valid arguments?
• Is there anything good about illegal immigration ?
• Immigration detention brings more harm than good.
• Should the “catch and release” policy function in the U.S.?
• Should a person take a chance to obtain a legal status by entering the country illegally?
• Will the construction of a wall resolve the issue of illegal immigration?
• If America is the land of opportunities , why doesn’t it accept undocumented aliens?
• Does illegal immigration promote terrorism ?
• Should the U.S. government introduce specific policies for elderly immigrants ?

🗽 Immigration in the U.S. Topics

Millions of people worldwide want to get a taste of the American Dream. After many decades, America is shaped by the immigrant presence. Think about the cultural components and history of immigration in the U.S. This list may provide you with ideas for thesis topics.

• Should immigrants be allowed to vote?
• Can aliens who received U.S. citizenship be called Americans?
• Should Americans be concerned about the “green card lottery?”
• Mexican immigration as a political controversy.
• Difference between citizenship and a green card.
• The immigrants are fulfilling the labor market demand in the U.S.
• Professional psychologists must cooperate with immigrants.
• Children born to undocumented aliens should receive U.S. citizenship.
• Should there be a mandatory English language test for all immigrants?
• Should resident aliens use international driver licenses in the U.S.?
• Does the U.S. immigration policy need reform?
• From a historical perspective, could the U.S. survive as a country without immigrants?
• Immigration is at the core of American history.
• What were the reasons for the migration wave in the 1960s?
• Homeland security and immigration policy in the U.S.
• How did the 18th-century Chinese emigration influence America?
• The U.S. language policy regarding immigration.
• The 9/11 tragedy changed the way Americans view foreigners.
• Should children of illegal aliens be denied U.S. citizenship?
• How does immigration change life in bigger cities in the U.S.?
• Benefits of the DREAM act.
• Do legal aliens affect the American education system?
• Can a child raised by immigrants in the U.S. be called an American?
• Do Americans move to other countries?
• Immigrants come to the U.S. for religious purposes.

🌐 Worldwide Immigration Topics

History proves that people have always been moving around. Sometimes they immigrate because “the grass is greener on the other side.” But some have to flee their countries as refugees. The U.S and the European Union are receiving large numbers of immigrants. Here are some topic ideas for a paper on immigration worldwide.

• Was border control possible before the invention of visas?
• Syrian children refugees in Canada and ethics of care.
• What benefits does a country receive by granting someone asylum status?
• Can asylees feel safe in their host country?
• What is the difference between the words “immigrant” and “ refugee ?”
• Refugees need psychological assistance to overcome stress.
• Most refugees hope to come back to their home countries.
• What attitude locals usually have towards emigrants?
• There is a substantial prejudice against immigrants and refugees.
• Should the government invest in education for displaced people ?
• The refugee crisis is a growing global issue.
• Assimilation policy as a form of aborigenal control in Australia.
• Wars have been one of the primary reasons for migration throughout history.
• How did 9/11 affect international traveling and global immigration?
• What happens to people who are rejected by the border control service?
• The impact of globalization on immigration control.
• Does Europe benefit or suffer from immigrants?
• The effects high numbers of refugees have on the European economy.
• Does the tourism industry in Europe suffer from the refugee presence?
• Effect of immigration on European history.
• Influence of globalization citizenship in the EU.
• What are the benefits of the asylum status in Europe?
• The effect of the Cold War on global immigration.
• Do most of the refugees in Europe want to receive EU citizenship ?
• Does immigration rate vary amongst men and women?

🧳 Personal Immigration Topics

There is a person behind each number on immigration statistics. You may be wondering why somebody would want to leave home. Immigration is a serious step that forever changes one’s life. If you would like to look at the heart of immigration, this section is for you.

Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions.

• Should immigration be perceived as an act of courage?
• Can the elderly have a better retirement in other countries?
• Religious persecution as a reason for moving.
• People often immigrate to provide a better life for their children.
• Racial persecution is a valid reason for moving abroad.
• The decision to relocate should have a solid reason behind it.
• Refugee families suffer enormous emotional pressure.
• Health problems are a sufficient reason for immigration.
• Immigration as a way to provide for one’s family is a noble act.
• Parent’s love for their children can motivate them to move abroad.
• Immigrant children and the governmental responsibility.
• People shouldn’t judge the financial instability of refugees.
• Disagreement with the country’s politics can push citizens to move.
• Are certain personality types more likely to immigrate?
• The lack of a sustainable education system in a home country pushes young people to move abroad.
• For some, the only hope for a good life is in immigration.
• Relocation for romantic reasons is common in the modern world.
• Experiences of Lithuanian and Chinese immigrants in America.
• Can relational complications drive people out of their native countries?
• An urge to be free from oppression leads to immigration.
• Loss of a family member can force a person to move abroad.
• Some choose immigration as a way to escape financial responsibility.
• Because of the internet, some people identify with foreign cultures.
• Immigration is a way to change one’s life.
• Athletes choose to relocate to have better conditions for training.

🌎 Environmental Migration Topics

You can define migration as the movement from one place to another. It can happen within or outside country borders. Migration isn’t always permanent. Nature is full of surprises, and sometimes natural disasters occur. Some people don’t have other options but to migrate. This section includes a variety of topics on environmental migration.

• Climate change is a significant reason for migration.
• Should environmental migrants receive a refugee status?
• Countries with significant environmental problems should encourage immigration.
• How many people choose to migrate due to ecological issues?
• Should the border control require documentation from environmental refugees?
• For how long environmental migrants are allowed to stay in the host country?
• Do climate refugees receive support from their host countries?
• Describe the Haitian migration following the 2010 earthquake.
• Migration after the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 .
• Chinese citizens migrate due to floods .
• Do Americans move to different states because of ecological issues?
• Documented cases of mass environmental migration throughout history.
• The role of sea-level rise in climate migration .
• How polluted oceans affect human population movement.
• What are the main factors of environmental migration?
• Does the global warming influence migration levels?
• Is the number of climate refugees likely to increase in the future?
• How often do environmental migrants become legal immigrants?
• How can those who have lost their possessions afford to move abroad?
• Which countries receive the most climate migrants?
• Is the status of “environmental refugee” legitimate?
• Do environmental migrants consider going back to their home countries?
• Which organizations provide help to climate migrants worldwide?
• From which countries do people flee the most due to ecological reasons?
• People migrate due to the lack of clean water .

🎓 Immigration Essay Topics: Job and Education

Not all countries have a reliable education system. Sometimes there are not enough resources to provide jobs for everyone. Immigration gives people a chance to pursue a better career path. The following list can inspire your immigration thesis topic.

• Should international students be encouraged to return after graduation?
• Can online job opportunities decrease immigration rates?
• High-quality education in the U.S. attracts immigrants.
• What steps must one take to receive a work visa?
• Religious missionaries should receive governmental support.
• How often do people move to a different country for educational reasons?
• Immigrants in Toronto: social and economic challenges.
• How do institutions check the language abilities of international students ?
• Do all U.S. institutions receive international students?
• What does it take to receive a student visa?
• Cross-cultural management and work abroad.
• Can immigrants find jobs without knowing the local language?
• What are the primary countries people immigrating to for occupational purposes?
• Which countries people are most likely to leave to receive a better education ?
• Is America the land of opportunities for immigrants?
• Is it economically sufficient for the U.S. to receive workers from other countries?
• Why are international students willing to pay a high price for education in the U.S. ?
• The industrial revolution caused a wave of immigration.
• Some people move to less developed countries to help with their development.
• Poverty often pushes people to move abroad.
• Immigrants from developing countries aren’t picky when it comes to jobs.
• Do immigrants regret moving to the U.S. if they’re faced with discrimination ?
• What’s the average age of international students that are coming to the U.S.?
• Health of expatriates often worsens due to the nature of their jobs.
• Examples from history of people seeking education abroad .

⚖️ Pros and Cons of Immigration: Essay Ideas

There are two sides to the immigration: positive and negative. Think about the economy, food, art, sociology, and politics. Decide what are the benefits and downsides of immigration. The following list of topic ideas on migration will help you with this task.

• International employees fill the gaps in the workforce.
• Foreigners bring a unique perspective that can benefit the host country .
• Some expatriates possess rare skills that can be useful.
• Cuisine of immigrants often becomes popular in the host country.
• International students add numbers to struggling institutions.
• Talented immigrants find themselves useful in a host country.
• Foreigners improve international trade and business.
• International employees are often enthusiastic about their job position.
• Foreigners have an unusual view on life.
• Immigration brings cultural diversity to the host country.
• Foreign presence pushes host countries towards ethnic inclusiveness.
• Immigrants are more willing to take less prestigious jobs.
• People from abroad bring their mentality everywhere they go.
• Children of immigrants can have better opportunities in life.
• The money earned by foreigners in the host country is spent in their home countries.
• Immigration is a channel for the drug industry.
• Immigration gives hope for a brighter future.
• In some cases, aliens take job opportunities from the locals.
• Immigrants tend to increase the crime rate of the hosting country.
• Home countries of immigrants suffer from “ brain drain .”
• Foreigners are subject to racial intolerance.
• Immigration causes overcrowding .
• The language barrier creates social complications.
• Immigration takes away the attention of the government.
• Resident aliens might suffer from strained relationships with locals.

We hope this article helped you to choose the topic for your essay. In conclusion, we want to wish you good luck with your assignment!

You might also be interested in:

Just 13.00 10.40/page , and you can get an custom-written academic paper according to your instructions

• 560 Unique Controversial Topics & Tips for a Great Essay
• Canadian Identity Essay: 20 Essay Topics and Writing Guide
• 147 Social Studies Topics for Your Research Project
• 480 Sociology Questions & Topics with Bonus Tips
• 240 Unique Geography and Geology Topics & Questions
• Immigration: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Population Reference Bureau: Trends in Migration to the U.S.
• Myths and Facts about Immigrants and Immigration: Anti Defamation League
• Resident Alien Definition: Investopedia
• Nonresident Aliens: Internal Revenue Service
• Immigration: Cornell Law School
• Citizenship Through Naturalization: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• A Dozen Facts about Immigration: Brookings.edu
• Environmental Displacement and Migration: Environmental Law Institute
• Immigration: ProCon.org
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Recommended for You

210 Good Opinion Topics for Essays

An opinion essay requires a student to present a point of view on a chosen subject and back it up with substantial evidence. Like in a debate, the writer has to give their opinion and defend it while using scholarly resources. This article will help you find a good opinion...

450 Philosophy Topics & Questions for Your Essay

When you start studying philosophy, you may think it’s boring and has nothing to do with the real world. It couldn’t be further from the truth! The study of philosophy deals with the most exciting and mysterious aspects of reality. It is closely connected with science, psychology, art, and politics....

301 Best Health & Medical Research Topics

The importance of health research can’t be underestimated. It helps move medicine forward and save millions of people. It also promotes various preventive techniques that help us live longer and safer lives.

193 Education Research Topics & Ideas

Developing healthcare, engineering, and IT is undoubtedly useful. However, the professionals in these areas do not grow on their own. The education system is the birthplace of all the science geniuses who change our world. If you’re looking for a research title about education, you’re in the right place! This...

290 Good Nursing Research Topics & Questions

Florence Nightingale is called “the mother of modern nursing.” She was the first one who started incorporating research into her practice. While providing patients with health care and support, nurses observe things that may need further investigation. This way, they become not only caretakers but also scientists. Research topics in...

Research Proposal Topics: 503 Ideas, Sample, & Guide [2023]

Do you have to write a research proposal and can’t choose one from the professor’s list? This article may be exactly what you need. We will provide you with the most up-to-date undergraduate and postgraduate topic ideas. Moreover, we will share the secrets of the winning research proposal writing. Here,...

• Buy Custom Assignment
• Custom College Papers
• Buy Dissertation
• Buy Research Papers
• Buy Custom Term Papers
• Cheap Custom Term Papers
• Custom Courseworks
• Custom Thesis Papers
• Custom Expository Essays
• Custom Plagiarism Check
• Cheap Custom Essay
• Custom Argumentative Essays
• Custom Case Study
• Custom Annotated Bibliography
• Custom Book Report
• How It Works
• Essay Samples
• Essay Topics
• Research Topics
• Uncategorized
• Writing Tips

Immigration Argumentative Essay

July 24, 2017

The first step in writing an immigration argumentative essay is defining the term. For it we have got the next definition: an immigration argumentative essay is an argumentative essay on the immigration which shows both sides of the same coin of the issue. As it was said that we are dealing with an argumentative as a piece of writing, we have two directions of research. 

The first direction is finding the necessary information about the rules of writing an argumentative essay.

The second one is just to study an issue of immigration in its genesis in order to be ready to discuss and debate upon the topic. It means that it is critical to understand positive and negative sides of immigration phenomenon through different sources like:

• journal and magazine articles,
• expert opinions,
• encyclopedias,
• web pages or personal experiences. 

Talking about the first direction we should find out the type of structure, appropriate style and useful phrases of writing argumentative essays. To begin with, an argumentative essay is a piece of formal writing. There are several kinds of argumentative essays such as: outlining the advantages and disadvantages of a certain issue, providing solutions to problems, giving your personal opinion on the subject and discursive argumentative essays.

Any argumentative essay consists of three main parts: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

It has got the same structure which can be shown as a paragraph plan: Para 1 (stating the topic, opinion or the problem) – Introduction, Para 2 (giving advantages, or arguments for, or one point of view, or the first suggestion and reason) and Para 3 (giving disadvantages, or arguments against, or another point of view, or the second suggestion and reason) – Main Body, Para 3 (final paragraph – giving a consideration or your opinion, summarizing opinions or giving best suggestions and reasons) – Conclusion. It is important to bear in mind that in the argumentative essay each new paragraph should include each new point.

There are some useful tips for argumentative essays. For instance, short forms and colloquial English should not be used. Paragraphs have to be well developed. Strong personal expressions (In my view, I am sure…) and others strong feelings (everybody hates, all people admire…) should be avoided. It is obligatorily to use linking words (on the other hand, even though…) and sequencing (first, then, finally, to conclude…) in argumentative essays.

It will be also useful to use quotations or paraphrasing of them. Finally, one who is writing an argumentative essay should remember that the use of clichéd introduction will not be able to make your essay perfect. Instead of it will be better to use original one. There are also some special techniques for writing the first and the last paragraphs (introduction and conclusion).

The introduction serves to catch the readers’ attention. Thus, in the introduction the writer states an opinion, makes reference to an extraordinary scene of situation, and addresses the reader directly starting with rhetorical questions. The conclusion summarizes the essay giving a great opportunity to the reader to consider something. It will be suitable to use a wise quotation in the end of an argumentative essay. 

As the issue of this type of essay touches different aspects of human life as psychological, religious, scientific, artistic, economic, educational, social, political, moral, historical, geographical, medical, personal, etc., the most proper kind of argumentative essay is probably the discursive essay.

In the introduction we should make a general statement about the topic explaining the past and the current situation; in the main body – to write different points of view in separate paragraphs; in the conclusion – to finish the essay by giving the writer’s own opinion on the subject.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Immigration Problem

Returning to the main subject, we are going to make a brief inspection upon it. As it was previously stated, there are pros and cons of the immigration issue. Let us look through positive positions. The modern world of globalization opens new horizons to productive and successful immigration making the ways of immigrating easier.

As a result, the humanity gets an economic growth. Immigrants also can replace skilled workers and scientists in the circumstances of brain drain in some countries.

In addition to this, services to an ageing population can be maintained when there are insufficient young people in the country.

The pension gap can be filled by the contributions of young workers who pay taxes.

Immigrants also can bring new ideas, energy, innovations, and modernization enriching the cultural diversity through taking traditions from their home countries. Apart from the advantages for the host country for the immigration we need to talk also about positive opportunities for immigrants. Many people can fill their job vacancies and skills gaps, taking jobs abroad. Immigration will help refugees to get new safe place to live.

While war is not the thing of the past yet, the quantity of refugees will certainly increase. For example, 42.4 million immigrants both legal and illegal live in the United States.

Some of them are refugees, some of them have job or training opportunities in the country.

What negative impact can immigration have?

In the first place, there is a great problem of illegal. Illegal immigrants can be dangerous as they are undocumented that leads to breaking the law and increases crime. Illegal immigrants can be criminals or suffer from local criminals without punishment. Here we should admit the danger of drug trafficking. Another problem is that in the situation of local unemployment and competition even legal residents are unwelcome because they are happy to work for minimum wage.

Last but not least is the social problem of children or old people left behind as a result of immigration of some family members.

Taking everything that was mentioned into account, stay in touch, and Custom Writing will make our best " write my essay for me " services to be helpful for your education!

Sociology Research Topics Ideas

Importance of Computer in Nursing Practice Essay

History Research Paper Topics For Students

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related emails.

Latest Articles

If you’ve always dreamed of being the next Hemingway or Vonnegut (or even Grisham), or perhaps if you just want...

There are different types of plagiarism and all are serious violations of academic honesty. We have defined the most common...

Once you decided to work with an essay writer to complete your assignments, you think that life is going to...

I want to feel as happy, as your customers do, so I'd better order now

Privacy Overview

More From Forbes

Analysis of immigration issues in border talks shows high stakes.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

A girl looks on as migrants from Guatemala remove their shoelaces as they are initially processed ... [+] after turning themselves over to authorities at the US-Mexico border May 12, 2021 in Yuma, Arizona. Analyzing the issues in the Senate immigration talks shows the high stakes and long-term challenges of Congress approving military aid to Israel and Ukraine. (Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images)

Analyzing the issues in the Senate immigration talks shows the high stakes and long-term challenges of Congress approving military aid to Israel and Ukraine. Congress has consistently voted for military aid to other countries when it was considered in America’s foreign policy and national security interests without tradeoffs on domestic policy issues.

A significant dilemma: Republican proposals, if enacted, might increase migrant hardships, but history shows harsh enforcement policies have failed to reduce illegal immigration. That means a deal to approve aid to Israel and Ukraine for one year almost guarantees future assistance would require passing increasingly severe immigration laws. Given the refugee crisis in the Western Hemisphere, including over 7 million people fleeing Venezuela, only expanded legal pathways and refugee processing will likely reduce illegal entry.

The Unlikely Tradeoffs

House and Senate Republicans say unless their demands for new immigration measures are met, they will oppose further aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine, a smaller, democratic nation, in February 2022. The Biden administration hoped to pass a spending bill that combined border funds and aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The GOP demands represent the first time one political party has conditioned its support for a significant national security initiative on changing U.S. immigration law.

“Speaker Mike Johnson told other congressional leaders late last week that he won’t pair Ukraine aid with anything less than H.R. 2, according to three sources familiar with the matter,” reported Punchbowl News on December 4, 2023. If that is the case, the House bill was intended to end aid to Ukraine. H.R. 2 contains the most controversial immigration reforms Congress has considered in at least 50 years, including mandatory government E-Verify before any worker starts a job in the U.S., preventing eligibility for asylum in the vast majority of circumstances, eliminating longstanding executive branch parole authority and building Donald Trump’s border wall. The bill passed the House with no Democratic votes.

Senate Republicans have stood in solidarity with their House counterparts by insisting on significant immigration changes to support a military aid spending bill. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) have said Senate Republicans want most, but not necessarily all, of the immigration measures in the House bill. Lankford is the lead Senate Republican negotiator.

A Rare ‘Ring Of Fire’ Around Betelgeuse As Year’s Best ‘Shooting Stars’ Fall: The Night Sky This Week

Vmware customers cautious after recent broadcom actions, how to answer “what are your weaknesses” in a management interview, a western hemisphere refugee crisis.

While many lawmakers have complained about illegal immigration, the United States is experiencing a refugee crisis . Today, most individuals and families from countries undergoing political and economic crises cross the border and turn themselves in because no lawful path to entry is available. That is the primary source of illegal entry.

Over 7.7 million people have left Venezuela because the government has destroyed the economy and political system. Many have gone to Colombia and other countries. Republican lawmakers have often spoken about opposing socialist policies. Venezuelans dislike socialist policies because they have lived through and suffered the consequences of those policies.

The situation is unprecedented and requires different solutions than in the past. In FY 2000, Mexicans seeking work accounted for more than 98% of Border Patrol apprehensions at the Southwest border. In FY 2023, Mexicans represented only 28% of Border Patrol encounters.

Veteran journalist Ioan Grillo identifies five forces driving people north: hunger, tyranny, “crime wars,” coyotes and information. “It’s wrong to claim that nobody arriving at the border is a refugee, as many have very legitimate claims of asylum,” writes Grillo. “Yet it’s also wrong to say there aren’t any economic migrants. Or that people don’t flee both poverty and bullets. Hunger has always been a key force driving migration.”

The people arriving at the U.S. border today resemble the Irish who fled to America in the 1800s and the Jews who sought refuge from Tsarist Russia. After the Potato Blight of 1845, entire families began immigrating to the U.S. from Ireland, notes the Library of Congress . Many Jews faced individualized fears of persecution under Russia’s tsars, but others were concerned for their children’s future or unable to earn a living due to lawlessness and government policies .

The Demand To End Parole Authority Will Likely Increase Illegal Immigration

Republican negotiators have fixated on eliminating the executive branch’s authority to issue humanitarian parole . The recently passed House bill ( H.R. 2 ) would prohibit parole as an alternative to detaining or expelling all asylum seekers and end the current programs allowing up to 30,000 entries a month for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans with a U.S. sponsor. The bill also eliminates programs for Afghans and Ukrainians.

Upcoming research from the National Foundation for American Policy, where I work, shows the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole programs have been far more effective in reducing illegal entry than the Trump administration’s enforcement-only policies. Border Patrol encounters declined by 60% for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans as a group between December 2022 (the month before the parole programs started) and October 2023. For all non-parole countries, Border Patrol encounters increased by 12% during this period.

The case for parole programs grows stronger after accounting for the unique situation of Venezuelans. Illegal entry by Cubans and Nicaraguans (as measured by Border Patrol encounters) declined by over 90% after Biden officials introduced the parole programs. Haitian numbers remained low. Border Patrol encounters for Venezuelans fell significantly in the first three months of the parole programs but rose starting in April 2023 because program rules limited admissions to 30,000 a month and required an unexpired valid passport.

Although parole can result in work authorization, it is a short-term solution. The Biden administration has been slow to set up refugee processing outside the country to funnel migrants into a traditional legal pathway. Human rights advocates note individuals admitted as refugees, unlike parolees, can become permanent residents.

GOP Proposals Are Not Operationally Realistic

GOP negotiators also want to end the executive branch’s authority to grant parole at ports of entry. Individuals who come to a port of entry using the CBP One app are often paroled into the country and given a notice to appear. They can later pursue an asylum claim. The number of migrants has affected policies.

Theresa Cardinal Brown, who served as a senior official in U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is now at the Bipartisan Policy Center, has not seen Republicans make realistic legislative proposals on parole. If border personnel cannot use parole, they either need to detain people, including families with children, or send them to Mexico under Title 42 expulsion authority or Remain in Mexico, neither of which now exist.

“To reestablish these two programs or authorities would require Mexico’s agreement, and the Mexican government has said categorically it will not restart Remain in Mexico,” said Brown. It’s also unclear if Mexico would accept people returned under an authority similar to Title 42, a public health authority used during Covid-19 that allowed the U.S. government to expel individuals without the ability to claim asylum.

In January 2023, the Biden administration announced that Mexico agreed to accept expulsions of Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans in conjunction with the parole programs for those nations. If, as Republicans insist, the parole programs end, Mexico likely will no longer accept returnees from those countries.

With U.S. immigration authorities controlling approximately 40,000 detention spaces and U.S. border personnel encountering about 241,000 migrants in October 2023 alone, detaining (for months) everyone who crosses the border or comes to a port of entry is not realistic.

“The types of absolute mandates being proposed are not operationally feasible,” said Brown. She notes if it’s true releasing people encourages, even on the margin, more people to come, the alternatives provided to government personnel must be realistic. Congress has never funded detention beds in the hundreds of thousands and is unlikely to do so.

Other Republican proposals are unlikely to make a dent in illegal entry. Raising the standard for “credible fear,” as proposed, would only make a difference if that’s how most people were entering the asylum process. Brown notes only a small percentage are accessing asylum that way. Most are requesting asylum as a defense against deportation after being given a notice to appear. Raising the credible fear standard would only matter if enough asylum officers were available to review initial credible fear claims, which is not the case.

Providing the authority to use expedited removal nationwide would allow expelling people already in the United States, possibly living in America for years. That raises due process concerns, say analysts, and is unlikely to affect the flow at the border since government personnel already use the authority as part of a recent asylum rule.

The Biden administration has indicated an openness for some type of transit ban on migrants who did not apply for asylum in a third country they passed through on the way to America. Such a ban, in effect, exists in a Biden rule now being challenged in court. However, that rule allows individuals to apply for asylum without a “rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility” if they enter through a port of entry with an appointment. The House-passed bill would go much further, making almost everyone who passed through another country ineligible to apply for asylum. The details of a “third country” transit ban will matter, notes Brown.

Trump Administration Policies Did Not Reduce Illegal Entry

The Trump administration enacted harsh enforcement policies, most famously separating children from their parents, yet apprehensions along the Southwest border, a proxy for illegal entry, more than doubled between FY 2016 and FY 2019 . Illegal crossings fell in the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Border Patrol encounters rose by over 300% between April and October 2020.

The Biden administration continued Trump’s Title 42 expulsion policy, but it was ineffective in reducing illegal entry. After the authority ended in May 2023, illegal entry declined for the next two months until migrant increases in the region raised Border Patrol encounters. Under Title 42, border crossers, including Mexicans, were often returned across the U.S.-Mexico border without being processed or facing legal consequences. Repeat violators skyrocketed . Without the ability to apply for asylum at a port of entry, individuals and families crossed the border and turned themselves in to Border Patrol agents.

Alternative Approaches And Legal Pathways

The United States needs workers to grow, note economists. If the argument is many individuals from Latin America are fleeing economic hardship and don’t have sufficiently strong asylum claims, Republicans could promote temporary work visas as an alternative. The Bracero program in the 1950s reduced illegal entry by over 90% as the number of Mexican farmworkers increased. Work visas have also reduced illegal immigration from Mexico in recent years. To address Democratic concerns, the work visas could be fully portable after an individual is employed for a short time by their initial U.S. employer.

NFAP examined 100 years of Border Patrol apprehensions data and found something counterintuitive to many lawmakers: Measures to tighten enforcement failed to reduce illegal entry, but policies that provided more legal paths to enter the United States worked.

For asylum reforms, along with increased funding for the system, lawmakers could consider the package of proposals in the bipartisan Dignity Act introduced by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX). The bill ( H.R. 3599 ) avoids more extreme measures while targeting problems in the current asylum system. The bill would expedite processing, establish “humanitarian campuses” for asylum seekers until their cases are decided, start immigration centers in Latin America for pre-screening, increase penalties for asylum fraud and make other reforms .

The Precedent Of Linking Security Assistance To Immigration Changes

A danger for Republicans is that once one political party uses a tactic, the other eventually adopts it. Will the precedent of demanding changes in immigration policy in exchange for supporting U.S. national security interests carry over to when a Republican becomes president? For example, if a future Republican president requests Congress approve urgent military aid to Taiwan after an attack by China, would Democrats now be within their rights to demand amnesty—the legalization of 10 million unauthorized immigrants—in exchange for their votes to send aid to Taiwan? The Republican president may argue Taiwan will fall without the aid, but Democrats could hold fast to their demands just as GOP lawmakers are doing with assistance to Ukraine.

If Ukraine is defeated, security experts warn Russia will set its sights next on Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. Defending those countries would substantially raise U.S. military costs and, according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), increase the likelihood that U.S troops will need to defend against the Russian army in Europe.

Analysts warn that the United States failing to support Ukraine would represent a victory for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, damage U.S. credibility and encourage other nations to capitulate when facing threats from authoritarian governments. After Republican legislative efforts emerged to block support for Ukraine, The Daily Beast reported a prominent Russian commentator said, “This will be a great revelation to other countries. It is even more dangerous to be a friend of the United States than its enemy. In the end, they will abandon you, leaving nothing but the scorched earth on your territory.”

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

• Entertainment
• Newsletters

WEATHER ALERT

A rip current statement in effect for Coastal Broward and Coastal Miami Dade Regions

Biden and congress are mulling big changes on immigration. what are they and what could they mean.

Rebecca Santana

Associated Press

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

FILE - Asylum-seekers walk to a U.S. Border Patrol van after crossing the nearby border with Mexico, Tuesday Sept. 26, 2023, near Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif. Migrants continue to arrive to desert campsites along California's border with Mexico, as they await processing. Congress is discussing changes to the immigration system in exchange for providing money to Ukraine in its fight against Russia and Israel for the war with Hamas. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is taking a more active role in Senate negotiations over changes to the immigration system that Republicans are demanding in exchange for providing money to Ukraine in its fight against Russia and Israel for the war with Hamas.

The Democratic president has said he is willing to make “significant compromises on the border” as Republicans block the wartime aid in Congress. The White House is expected to get more involved in talks this week as the impasse over changes to border policy has deepened and the funds remaining for Ukraine have dwindled .

“It’s time to cut a deal that both sides can agree to,” Biden's budget director, Shalanda Young, said Sunday on CBS' “Face the Nation.”

Republicans say the record numbers of migrants crossing the southern border pose a security threat because authorities cannot adequately screen all the migrants and that those who enter the United States are straining the country’s resources. GOP lawmakers also say they cannot justify to their constituents sending billions of dollars to other countries, even in a time of war, while failing to address the border at home.

Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who is leading the negotiations, pointed to the surge of people entering the U.S. from Mexico and said “it is literally spiraling out of control.”

“All we’re trying to do is to say what tools are needed to be able to get this back in control, so we don’t have the chaos on our southern border,” Lankford said on CBS.

But many immigration advocates, including some Democrats, say some of the changes being proposed would gut protections for people who desperately need help and would not really ease the chaos at the border.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democratic bargainer, said the White House would take a more active role in the talks. But he also panned Republican policy demands so far as “unreasonable.”

“We don’t want to shut off the United States of America to people who are coming here to be rescued from dangerous, miserable circumstances, in which their life is in jeopardy. The best of America is that you can come here to be rescued from terror and torture,” Murphy said on NBC's ”Meet the Press."

Much of the negotiating is taking place in private, but some of the issues under discussion are known: asylum standards, humanitarian parole and fast-track deportation authority, among others.

A look at what they are and what might happen if there are changes:

HUMANITARIAN PAROLE

Using humanitarian parole, the U.S. government can let people into the country by essentially bypassing the regular immigration process. This power is supposed to be used on a case-by-case basis for “urgent humanitarian reasons” or “significant public benefit." Migrants are usually admitted for a pre-determined period and there’s no path toward U.S. citizenship.

Over the years, administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have used humanitarian parole to admit people into the U.S. and help groups of people from all over the world. It’s been used to admit people from Hungary in the 1950s, from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos during the latter half of the 1970s, and Iraqi Kurds who had worked with the U.S. in the mid-1990s, according to research by the Cato Institute .

Under Biden, the U.S. has relied heavily on humanitarian parole. The U.S. airlifted nearly 80,000 Afghans from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and brought them to the U.S. after the Taliban takeover. The U.S. has admitted tens of thousands of Ukrainians who fled after the Russian invasion.

In January the Democratic administration announced a plan to admit 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela via humanitarian parole, provided those migrants had a financial sponsor and flew to the U.S. instead of going to the U.S.-Mexico border for entry.

The latest U.S. government figures show that nearly 270,000 people had been admitted into the country through October under that program. Separately, 324,000 people have gotten appointments through a mobile app called CBP One that is used to grant parole to people at land crossings with Mexico.

Republicans have described the programs as essentially an end run around Congress by letting in large numbers of people who otherwise would have no path to be admitted. Texas sued the administration to stop the program aimed at Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.

WHAT MIGHT CHANGE WITH ASYLUM?

Asylum is a type of protection that allows a migrant to stay in the U..S. and have a path to American citizenship. To qualify for asylum, someone has to demonstrate fear of persecution back home due to a fairly specific set of criteria: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinions. Asylum-seekers must be on U.S. soil when they ask for this protection.

They generally go through an initial screening called a credible fear interview. If they are determined to have a chance of getting asylum, they are allowed to stay in the U.S. to pursue their case in immigration court. That process can take years. In the meantime, asylum-seekers can start to work, get married, have children and create a life.

Critics say the problem is that most people do not end up getting asylum when their case finally makes it to immigration court. But they say migrants know that if they claim asylum, they essentially will be allowed to stay in America for years.

“People aren’t necessarily coming to apply for asylum as much to access that asylum adjudication process,” said Andrew Arthur, a former immigration court judge and fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration in the U.S.

Some of what lawmakers are discussing would raise the bar that migrants need to meet during that initial credible fear interview. Those who do not meet it would be sent home.

But Paul Schmidt, a retired immigration court judge who blogs about immigration court issues, said the credible fear interview was never intended to be so tough. Migrants are doing the interview soon after arriving at the border from an often arduous and traumatizing journey, he said. Schmidt said the interview is more of an “initial screening” to weed out those with frivolous asylum claims.

Schmidt also questioned the argument that most migrants fail their final asylum screening. He said some immigration judges apply overly restrictive standards and that the system is so backlogged that it is hard to know exactly what the most recent and reliable statistics are.

WHAT IS EXPEDITED REMOVAL?

Expedited removal, created in 1996 by Congress, basically allows low-level immigration officers, as opposed to an immigration judge, to quickly deport certain immigrants. It was not widely used until 2004 and generally has been used to deport people apprehended within 100 miles of the Mexican or Canadian border and within two weeks of their arrival.

Defenders say it relieves the burden on the backlogged immigration courts. Immigration advocates say its use is prone to errors and does not give migrants enough protections, such as having a lawyer help them argue their case. As president, Republican Donald Trump pushed to expand this fast-track deportation policy nationwide and for longer periods of time. Opponents sued and that expansion never happened.

WHAT MIGHT THESE CHANGES DO?

Much of the disagreement over these proposed changes comes down to whether people think deterrence works.

Arthur, the former immigration court judge, thinks it does. He said changes to the credible fear asylum standards and restrictions on the use of humanitarian parole would be a “game changer." He said it would be a “costly endeavor” as the government would have to detain and deport many more migrants than today. But, he argued, eventually the numbers of people arriving would drop.

But others, like Schmidt, the retired immigration court judge, say migrants are so desperate, they will come anyway and make dangerous journeys to evade Border Patrol.

"Desperate people do desperate things,” he said.

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for illegal immigration essay topics? The issue of undocumented immigration is hot, controversial, and worth exploring.

• 📝 Essay: How to Write

👍 Essay Topics & Examples

🔍 research paper topics & examples, ❓ questions about illegal immigration for research paper.

Illegal immigration refers to undocumented migration of people into a county in violation of the according immigration laws of that country. Illegal immigrants face a number of problems, like the risk of being enslaved, health problems due to the lack of access to public health systems, and many more. Whether you’re planning to write a 5-paragraph essay or a thesis about illegal immigration, the article below will be helpful. Here you’ll find everything all you might need to write an A+ immigration essay. There are research paper ideas, tips, & illegal immigration essay examples.

📝 Illegal Immigration Essay: How to Write

Illegal immigration essays are familiar to anyone studying sociology, politics, human rights, and other similar subjects. Today, there is plenty of information about illegal immigration on the Internet, so you shouldn’t worry about finding things to write about. What you absolutely need to pay attention to is the structure. The tips in this post will help you to nail your next illegal immigration essay!

Tip 1: Create a list of possible topics. Illegal immigration is a rather broad subject, so you will need to narrow it down a little bit. For example, you may want to write about the pros and cons of illegal immigration. Argumentative papers on this subject could be particularly successful if your points are strong and supported by evidence.

Tip 2: Write down a title. You may want to postpone this step until you’re one-on-one with the paper, but finding the right title will aid you in structuring the essay. There are numerous online resources that you could use to browse illegal immigration essay topics and titles. If nothing comes to mind, compose a thesis statement and use it as a preliminary title to help you focus.

Tip 3: Collect ideas. While you may have studied illegal immigration already, don’t write down any points until you’ve done your research. Be sure to check a variety of sources, including scholarly articles, government reports, newspaper articles, and editorial pieces. This will ensure that your overview of the chosen theme is comprehensive. Try to avoid sites such as Wikipedia, online encyclopedias, and blogs. While there may be some good points there, your tutor will most likely reject sources that are not academic quality. Hence, you should stick to publications from reputable sources to avoid losing marks! Write down all the key statements, information, and arguments that you can find online.

Tip 4: Prepare an outline. An outline is the backbone of your paper on illegal immigration. Argumentative essay outline examples would usually include an introduction, two points supporting your position, one point against it, a rebuttal, and a conclusion. A persuasive paper would have a different outline, with more supporting points and no opposing opinions. An informative essay will have an introduction, background, three to five main points, and a conclusion. Create a basic outline for the chosen essay type and don’t worry about adding information to each section yet.

Tip 5: Organize your points in a sequence. Now, return to the list of points you’ve already made and see which ones fit into the outline nicely. The most general information should go into the introduction, where you describe the problem and your approach. You should finish your introduction with an illegal immigration essay thesis to show the focus of the paper. In the next sections, your points should escalate in complexity. For example, you can start with the history of immigration, then consider recent data on undocumented immigrants, and then discuss the opportunities for immigration reform. Write each point as a topic sentence and ensure that they follow in a logical sequence. Delete any information that doesn’t fit – you won’t regret it later!

A paper structured based on these tips will be interesting to read and earn your tutor’s approval. If you need to write an essay about immigration in the United States, don’t forget to check our free sample papers!

• Arizona Immigration Law: What For? Lately though, the signing of an immigration law that seems to curtail the freedom of the people by Governor Jan Brewer rattled some feathers not only in the state, but in the larger US and […]
• Analyzing the Issue of Illegal Immigration in the US Illegal immigration is one of the main disasters of the USA. The Mexico illegal immigrants remain one of the most devastating problems of the USA.
• Implications of Illegal Immigration in the US According to politicians, an increase in the number of illegal immigrants is highly likely to destabilize the law of the land, as well as disrupt the government’s planning and implementation of the labor market laws.
• Legal Immigration versus Illegal Immigration in America Due to the large number of illegal immigrants in the U. Legal immigration in America is accompanied by introduction of new skills to the country.
• Illegal Immigrants and Amnesty: A Pro Argument This is given that the illegal immigrants will now be able to participate fully in the economy. However, they are of the view that, as much as this might be the case, this is not […]
• Economic Contribution of Slaves and Present Day Legal and Illegal Immigration In Europe, slavery peaked in the fourteenth and ended in the late twentieth century after the emancipation of serfdom. The economy of a country is undoubtedly the last receptor of the effects of illegal immigrants.
• History of the Illegal Immigration into the U.S. It also proposes some policies to be implemented by the government in a bid to curtail the demerits of illegal immigrants When the house is granting citizenship to illegal immigrant, it should take note of […]
• Free-rider Problem and Illegal Immigration The issue of free riding is inevitable in each and every country because of the presence of the presence of minors, tax evaders and illegal immigrants just to mention but a few.
• The Unemployed and Illegal Immigrants in the United States Are More Likely to Be Involved in Crime Than the Employed and Legal Immigrants The criteria of selection for the literature will be the relevance to the research topic as well as the year of publication.
• Argument for Measures to Control Illegal Immigration One of the impacts of such immigration is the financial burden that is laid on the government in terms of making provisions for the immigrants.
• The Impact of Immigration on the Economy of the USA The USA is one of the most attractive countries to come for many specialists and workers from different countries of the World.
• Illegal Immigration: Views of Policy Makers, Media and General Public Illegal immigration into the U.S.is a billion dollar question that has fueled considerable public debate within the country in the past few years due the inherent social and economic costs that illegal immigration places on […]
• The Issue of Illegal Immigration On the other hand, opponents of immigration depict immigrants as a menace to the American people as it promotes the rise in criminal activities and causes an economic and social burden to taxpayers.
• Immigration Bill in US This essay seeks to prove that it is proper for such people to acquire citizenship in the United States of America through the passing of the pending immigration bill.
• Immigration Reform and the Economic Impact The emergence of immigration policy from the comprehensive immigration reform primarily seeks to implement a flexible legal immigration platform that would leverage the economic situations of the United States. The national GDP depends on the […]
• The Impacts of Illegal Immigration on the Country of Destination The illegal immigrants find a new life and find means of serving in the new destination, accordingly the country of destination realize some changes. Waldo disagree that illegal immigrants contribute to the economy of the […]
• Economic advantages and disadvantages of immigration into the U.S. According to Geigenberger, because of this inability to get taxes from the majority of the immigrants, the government is always strained in the achievement of objectives.
• Illegal Immigration to the United States Fox News has argued that it is very difficult to actually determine how an increase in the number of illegal immigrants gets to affect the rate of crime in the United States.
• Comparing U.S and Canada immigration Immigration in the United States and Canada in the Post Hart-Cella Act and Canadian Immigration Act Era This paper addresses the socio-economic benefits of immigrant population in the United States of America and Canada.
• How has Immigration Transformed the Life and Culture of London over the Past 150 Years? Except in the recent years where the number has decreased as a result of the heightening recession, people seeking employment have always constituted the largest number of the total inflows in the UK.
• Effects of illegal immigration on the economy of the United States and the measures that be taken to minimize the effect The study will include the demographics of the illegal immigration, its history, the immigration policy, and the impact that the illegal immigration has on the economy of the United States.
• Immigration and Illegal Foreigners in Japan However, the economic boom of the mid 1980s necessitated the use of foreign workers and this marked the first wave of immigrants in Japan.
• Illegal Immigration in the United States The name of the article to be critiqued is, ‘The Economics and Policy of Illegal Immigration in the United States’. One of the hypotheses that have been supported by the article is that policymakers across […]
• Stopping Illegal Immigration: Border Security The other reason for the need to stop illegal immigration is that the Illegal aliens are weighing down many systems in the country.
• The Issue of Muslims’ Immigration to Australia This increase was especially noticeable in the late 1940s and the early 1950s, following the overthrow of the monarchy in Egypt, resulting in the rise of the Arab nationalist movement.
• Migration and National Security The author has noted that there is a close relationship between immigrants and these issues and this call for the need to evaluate the application of these policies in controlling the activities of immigrants in […]
• Illegal Immigration in the United States as an Economic Burden Finally, the economic challenge of illegal immigration also undermines the educational system in the United States. As it has been mentioned before, the illegal immigration in the Unites States creates both opportunities and shortcomings for […]
• Role of Frontex in Combating Illegal Immigration in the European Union Territory Surveillance on external borders With its headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, the European Agency for the management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the member states of the European Union is a body, which […]
• Is the Legalization of Illegal Aliens a Good Solution to Illegal Immigration in America? Huge numbers of illegal immigrants come from the southern borders of the US and especially on the US-Mexico border and to the north; the US-Canada border.
• Illegal Immigration in the USA Some of the most secure cities in the countries happen to be in the south. Kane and Johnson also add that immigrants are not a problem to the country’s economy; consequently, anti-immigration laws need not […]
• Illegal Immigration Problem in the United States The fences that were set up to deter entry only covered part of the border and in the past decade, the government has been searching for better ways to control entry into the United States.
• Illegal Immigration in the United States Another factor that calls for strict application of the law for the deportation of illegal immigrants in the United States is the fact that the legislation that has been in existence has provided avenues for […]
• Sheriff Joe’s Illegal Immigration in Arizona Often dubbed as the “toughest sheriff in the United States”, the sheriff has the numbers to back his fight against illegal immigrants in his county.
• America and the Problem of Illegal Immigration The presence of the illegal immigrants, commonly known as illegal aliens, is such massive numbers has brought the issue of illegal immigration to the limelight of the U.S.political scene, to the halls of Congress, and […]
• Illegal Immigration as a Major Problem for the USA However, when it comes to defining the factors contributing to the growth of the unemployment rates among the local population, not only the growth of the number of immigrants, but also the quality of the […]
• Illegal Immigration Crisis: Problems and Solutions For example, federal policy has led to the involvement of local law enforcement as immigration agents who have inherited the responsibilities of checking citizenship status and detaining those failing to produce documentation.
• Illegal Immigration, Its Causes, Methods, Effects It is the duty of immigration officers to update all the expired visas and ensure that either they are renewed or the victims leave the country.
• Illegal Immigration Issue in the USA The secure border could also be considered one of the possible solutions to the problem of illegal immigration as it will help to control this very aspect.
• Ethics of Illegal Immigration Effects on the US As such, the Immigration Act of 1924 was established, which promoted the immigration of foreign citizens into the US to meet these requirements, and also created several objective preconditions for foreigners to consider entering America […]
• Illegal Immigration: Difference in Covering the Matter The aim of the paper is to discover the difference in covering the matter of illegal migration to Canary Islands from sub-Saharan including periodical issues, radio broadcasts, and a photo, in order not only to […]
• Hispanic Americans as Illegal Immigration Thus a historical loyalty to the Democratic Party is still sustained even today At 15% the Hispanic-American population of the United States makes up the fastest growing minority in the United States.
• The Illegal Immigration Prevention Policy For example, one of the biggest of them would be the necessity to analyze all the gathered information. Therefore, it is safe to assume that there would be no shortage of information for the Chef […]
• Illegal Immigration Control in the Texas Although the public assigns immense powers to the governor’s office, Texas’ office of the governor enjoys weak institutional powers because of the constitution’s provision of multiple offices that server alongside the office of the governor.
• The Birth of Illegal Immigration In addition, Americans blamed Chinese immigrants for low wages and the unemployment rate, which further influenced the ban on Asians to move to the U.S.
• Strategies for Solving the Issue of Illegal Immigration in the US The first one is enforcing the measures preventing it, and the second one is changing immigration policy in order to make legalization easier.
• Illegal Immigration Policies and Violent Crime The authors of this article discuss how illegal immigration and border enforcement influence the level of crime along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Does Border Enforcement Protect U.S. Workers From Illegal Immigration?
• Does Illegal Immigration Empower Rightist Parties?
• How Illegal Immigration Effects the Economy and the School System in the U.S.?
• How Should America Handle Illegal Immigration?
• Who Has the Most Impact on Illegal Immigration Policy?
• Why the Border Fence May Not Be the Solution for the Illegal Immigration?
• Why the Federal Government Can’t End Illegal Immigration in the US?
• What Are the Common Causes of Illegal Immigration?
• What Is the Role of Smugglers in Illegal Immigration and Border Enforcement?
• What Is the Effect of Illegal Immigration on the Hospitality and Food Industry?
• What Is President Donald Trump’s Zero Tolerance Policy Effect on Illegal Immigration?
• What Are the Welfare Effects of Illegal Immigration?
• What Are the Emerging Geopolitics of Illegal Immigration in the EU?
• What Is the Rational Approach to Illegal Immigration?
• What Is Theory of Permissible Illegal Immigration?
• What Are the Links Between Illegal Immigration and Organized Crime?
• What Are the Strategic Perspectives on Illegal Immigration Into South Africa?
• What Are the Perspectives and Challenges of Asylum Policy and Illegal Immigration?
• How Illegal Immigration Laws Affect the Economic of Texas?
• What Is the All-American Canal and What Are Its Effects on Illegal Immigration?
• What Is the Controversy Surrounding Arizona’s Anti-illegal Immigration Legislation?
• Why Is Turkey a Transit Country for Illegal Immigration to EU?
• What Is the Role of Informality, Taxation and Trade in Illegal Immigration?
• What Is the European Union’s Anti-illegal Immigration Discourse?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, February 4). 71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/illegal-immigration-essay-examples/

"71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples." IvyPanda , 4 Feb. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/illegal-immigration-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2023) '71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples'. 4 February.

IvyPanda . 2023. "71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples." February 4, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/illegal-immigration-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples." February 4, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/illegal-immigration-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "71 Illegal Immigration Essay Topics & Examples." February 4, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/illegal-immigration-essay-examples/.

• Immigration Reform Topics
• Social Democracy Essay Titles
• American Dream Research Topics
• Ethnicity Research Topics
• Social Responsibility Topics
• Social Problems Essay Ideas
• Drug Trafficking Research Topics
• Cultural Identity Research Topics
• International Studies Ideas
• Human Trafficking Titles
• Crime Ideas
• Personal Identity Paper Topics
• Social Inequality Paper Topics
• Globalization Essay Topics
• Overpopulation Topics

Plagiarism checker

Writing help, paraphrasing tool, something about immigration argumentative essay.

This essay will present an argumentative essay on immigration, discussing the various aspects such as economic impact, cultural integration, and political implications, with a balanced analysis of pros and cons. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Common Law.

How it works

There is little doubt that America is a country of immigrants. Many of its citizens today can trace their lineage to other geographic areas all over the world. They come in pursuit of the so-called “American Dream.” After all, who wouldn’t want to be in a land where success and prosperity are virtually guaranteed to everyone if they work hard in a society with very few obstacles? Yet, presently, few topics are as hotly debated in the nation as immigration – specifically, illegal immigration, and what to do about it. Several programs have been suggested, put in place, tried, and failed. While many of these programs aim to stop illegal immigrants before they arrive in the country, some target those who are already inside. One such program involves the recruitment of local law enforcement to help enforce federal immigration policies under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Section 287(g) of the INA was primarily intended to target criminal offenders. However, in recent years, some localities have used it to target all undocumented immigrants. Local law enforcement activities now include raids on businesses and homes of persons believed to be undocumented, driver’s license checkpoints, and conducting traffic stops for minor offenses. All these have unfairly targeted Hispanic communities. It has been concluded that local immigration enforcement can affect household food insecurity in three ways: First, deportations from 287(g) and other localized immigration enforcement efforts increase the economic disadvantage of family members left behind. Second, deportations also increase fear and mistrust among immigrants, which may reduce immigrant use of social services, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, that protect against food insecurity. Third, fears of deportation, family separation, and police harassment also decrease unauthorized immigrants’ mobility and increase their social isolation and emotional distress —all of which have implications for food insecurity (Potochnick, Chen, & Perreira 2017).

Civil rights violations may be another unintended consequence stemming from the enforcement of 287(g). In Vol 104, No.2 of The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Maureen Sweeny introduces the term “shadow immigration enforcement.” Shadow immigration enforcement occurs when state or local police officers, with no immigration enforcement authority, exercise their regular police powers in a distorted way for the purpose of elevating federal immigration enforcement. This might involve disproportionately singling out members of “foreign or stereotypical looking” populations for reasons unrelated to the alleged involvement in criminal activity as described under state statute. With the rollout of the Priority Enforcement Program, immigration officials use arrests to check the immigration status of every person arrested anywhere in the country. Any illegal arrested even for minor offenses like traffic violations or nonviolent misdemeanors immediately become eligible for deportation. Local police are authorized to question and ascertain citizenship and immigration status; if identified as deportable, they are detained while awaiting deportation proceedings. For immigration enforcement officials, arrests function as a way of determining whether the arrested individual falls within an immigration removal priority (Jain 2015).

A 2-year Department of Justice (DOJ) study in Alamance, North Carolina concluded that the sheriff’s office engaged in a prevalent pattern of biased policing targeted against Latinos. The study included statistical analysis and review of records and policies, procedures, and training materials and over 125 interviews. Among other problems, the DOJ found that Latino drivers were targeted for traffic enforcement at a rate between four and ten times greater than non-Latino drivers. In a letter from the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S DOJ, it was found that the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) targeted Latinos for traffic stops and with vehicle checkpoints. The ACSO, at the directive of the sheriff, discriminated against Latinos in its checkpoint practices, as well as its jail booking detention procedures. Specifically, Sheriff Terry S. Johnson is quoted as saying: “If you stop a Mexican, don’t write a citation, arrest him” (Perez 2012).

Another DOJ study of Maricopa County, another 287(g) jurisdiction, also found the same troubling pattern of race-based profiling of Latinos.

Works Cited

• Chapin, Violeta R. “¡SILENCIO! UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT WITNESSES AND THE RIGHT TO SILENCE.” Michigan Journal of Race & Law, vol. 17, no. 1, 2011, pp. 119-158. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1239067993?accountid=11099.
• Coon, Michael. “Local Immigration Enforcement and Arrests of the Hispanic Population.” Journal on Migration and Human Security, vol. 5, no. 3, 2017. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1928165460?accountid=11099.
• Eagly, Ingrid V. “Protect, Serve, and Deport: The Rise of Policing as Immigration Enforcement.” Law & Society Review, vol. 52, no. 4, 2018, pp. 1100. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2161043632?accountid=11099.
• Jain, Eisha. “ARRESTS AS REGULATION.” Stanford Law Review, vol. 67, no. 4, 2015, pp. 809-867. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1675911853?accountid=11099.
• Potochnick, Stephanie, Jen-hao Chen, and Krista Perreira. “Local-Level Immigration Enforcement and Food Insecurity Risk among Hispanic Immigrant Families with Children: National-Level Evidence.” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, vol. 19, no. 5, 2017, pp. 1042-1049. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1933456232?accountid=11099, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0464-5.
• Rennison, Callie M., PhD. “Reporting to the Police by Hispanic Victims of Violence.”Violence and Victims, vol. 22, no. 6, 2007, pp. 754-72. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/208557732?accountid=11099, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/088667007782793110.
• Roles, Rocio, Stacy C. Moak, and Tusty Ten Bensel. “Perceptions of Police among Hispanic Immigrants of Mexican Origin in the Southeast United States.”American Journal of Criminal Justice : AJCJ, vol. 41, no. 2, 2016, pp. 202-219. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1783933819?accountid=11099, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12103-015-9299-1.
• Sweeney, Maureen A. “SHADOW IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND ITS CONSTITUTIONAL DANGERS.” Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, vol. 104, no. 2, 2014, pp. 227-282. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1526947798?accountid=11099.
• The 287(g) Program: An Overview.” American Immigration Council, 12 Aug. 2017, www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/287g-program-immigration.
• Perez, Thomas E. “United States’ Investigation of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office.” Received by Clyde B. Albright, Chuck Kitchen, 18 Sept. 2012, Washington, DC.
• Wong, Tom K. Sanctuary Cities don’t ‘breed Crime.’ they Encourage People to Report Crime. WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post, Washington, 2018. ProQuest, https://login.proxy078.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2030085409?accountid=11099.

The deadline is too short to read someone else's essay

Cite this page.

Something About Immigration Argumentative Essay. (2021, Apr 21). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/something-about-immigration-argumentative-essay/

"Something About Immigration Argumentative Essay." PapersOwl.com , 21 Apr 2021, https://papersowl.com/examples/something-about-immigration-argumentative-essay/

PapersOwl.com. (2021). Something About Immigration Argumentative Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/something-about-immigration-argumentative-essay/ [Accessed: 11 Dec. 2023]

"Something About Immigration Argumentative Essay." PapersOwl.com, Apr 21, 2021. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://papersowl.com/examples/something-about-immigration-argumentative-essay/

"Something About Immigration Argumentative Essay," PapersOwl.com , 21-Apr-2021. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/something-about-immigration-argumentative-essay/. [Accessed: 11-Dec-2023]

PapersOwl.com. (2021). Something About Immigration Argumentative Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/something-about-immigration-argumentative-essay/ [Accessed: 11-Dec-2023]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Plagiarized Text

Leave your email and we will send a sample to you., not finding what you need, search for essay samples now.

Having doubts about how to write your paper correctly?

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

Don't use plagiarized sources

Where do you want us to send this sample, attention this is just a sample..

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 150 Immigration Essay Topics Online

150 Immigration Essay Topics Online

The subject of immigration is one of the most popular ideas to write about since it is constantly discussed by the media. It makes it difficult to find something inspiring and unique that will be possible to explore. Another problem is that we all have our personal vision regarding immigration based on our experience. If you are majoring in Law or exploring the challenges encountered by Healthcare students, you may brainstorm various immigration essay topics to create an outline. While it's possible to narrow things down and discuss a case study, you can choose one of the titles below to create an excellent paper. 

What is Immigration and Why Does It Happen? 

In simple terms, immigration is a complex mixture of processes where an individual or a group of people receives permanent residence as they seek to become citizens of another land. The process of immigration is not easy to handle as you have to deal with the social, cultural, historical, and economic aspects that must be considered. If we choose the American legal system, we shall obtain: 

- U.S. citizens. 

- Permanent or conditional residents. 

- People belonging to non-immigrants (visitors).

- Undocumented immigrants (aliens). 

Still, why do people decide to immigrate? There are many reasons that include economics, natural disasters, politics, armed conflicts, wars, education, healthcare issues, violation of human rights and freedom, and personal causes if a person wants to start a career abroad or become an athlete abroad. Of course, choosing your topics about immigration , you may talk about living in a better place or finding a place where your religious beliefs are not persecuted. There are also countries where the LGBT communities are forbidden and persecuted even if it's a post on social media. Finally, there are armed conflicts as the refugee crisis takes place, leading to immigration. 

What is an Immigration Research Paper? 

An immigration research paper should start with the background of the problem even if you are dealing with global issues. Start with the causes and effects by creating an outline. It will help you to make a synthesis of opinions as every person will provide you with specific research. Even if you need to write an explanatory paper where you talk about natural disasters, there will be a specific bias that every research will have. If you have an outline, you may seek commonalities and differences by making an outcome. Your research paper on immigration must include samples and statistical information because you have to prove your assumptions and argumentation. 

Tips On How to Choose a Good Immigration Topic and Follow Correct Structure? 

The typical structure of a good immigration essay will always depend on your course and the type of assignment. For example, an argumentative paper will have an introduction with a thesis statement, three to five body paragraphs, and a conclusion with a call to action or a list of recommendations that will help to explore the subject. If you plan to use compare-and-contrast essay examples for your writing, it should include a short intro with the background and methodology, then a table that compares things. Once ready, you should provide the conclusion. 

Now, speaking of the tips to choose good immigration research topics , make sure that you: 

• Choose something inspiring. 
• Explore more than one opinion and discuss sub-topics . 
• Keep your tone unbiased. 
• Provide statistics and examples. 
• Document every idea that is not yours. 
• Offer controversial information if it's present. 
• Proofread and structure your assignment well to make it readable. 

Best Immigration Essay Topics 2023 

As you seek inspiring immigration topics, you should consider various subjects that relate to recent events or something that you may have experienced yourself. While there is no subject that would be most appropriate, think about what motivates you and choose an aspect that you know well. Here are some ideas to consider for starters: 

• The negative effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and global immigration.  
• Political bias when dealing with immigration challenges. 
• Ukrainian conflict and the immigration politics: United States vs Europe. 
• Racial prejudice and the reasons for immigration to Europe. 
• Immigration analysis of Syrian crisis: education versus wealth. 
• Discrimination that is faced by the Russians because of the war in Ukraine. 
• Immigration leads to ignorance of one's native culture. 
• The subject of immigration as portrayed by Disney movies. 
• Political persecution versus dealing with an armed conflict. 
• The pros and cons of family-sponsored visas. 

Argumentative Immigration Research Paper Topics

If you are told to compose an argumentative assignment on immigration, the title and the sequence of words in your topic matter because you have to make a statement and connect your subject to your thesis. It can be an assumption or a fact as you can choose either one to prove your point. It can be a case study or something that relates to your course. You can talk about medical issues or immigrants with learning challenges. Think about exploring free argumentative essay examples or brainstorming these immigration argumentative essay topics : 

• Accessing healthcare services and the problem of a language barrier. 
• The reasons why education and academic merits cannot be helpful for immigration in 2023. 
• Employment opportunities for Ukrainians versus Syrian refugees are not equal. 
• Moving to a new country when no conflict has taken place: analysis of employment opportunities in the USA. 
• Environmental challenges versus political stability reasoning for moving to another country. 
• Escaping the natural hazards: Australian immigration. 
• The damage caused by the economic immigrants: fighting for labor in the United States. 
• The lack of trust among the employees when dealing with international degree programs. 
• Socio-cultural aspect of immigration: are there more welcoming countries? 
• The reasons why construction works are so popular among immigrants. 

Immigration Topics by Subject 

- US Immigration Topics. 

Immigration to the United States and the internal tensions is one of the most popular topics among American college students who seek something that can be included in discussions and debates. While the system of immigration in the United States is one of the most complex and strict, there are still many subjects that can be used by Law, Political Science, Sociology, History, and many other disciplines. Here are specific  immigration topics to write about : 

• Conservatives and Democrats: attitude to the problem of foreigners debate. 
• The impact of Black Lives Matter on attitude to immigrants. 
• Educational challenges of Asian students in the USA. 
• The changes to legislation since 9/11 and the current situation. 
• Immigration among artists and celebrities in the United States. 
• The pros and cons of the Green Card system. 
• Gaining a student visa analysis: temporary stay vs study residence. 
• History of immigration in the United States. 
• Mexican-Americans and the problem of regulations. 
• Nepal and Bangladesh immigrants in the USA (choose any other country). 

- Essay Topics on Legal Immigration. 

In simple terms, when you are dealing with legal immigration, it means that everything is documented and done according to the law. The subjects may include those people who are born in another country but have entered the country without being an alien. If you provide a valid visa and all the documents when entering the United States or another country, you are dealing with the case of legal immigration. Even if you are a refugee with a temporary status, it can be legit as well. Here are some immigration thesis topics to help you understand the subject: 

• An ethical side of inspection of the foreign-born females coming from Muslim countries. 
• The benefits granted to Green Card holders in 2021-2023. 
• Why is immigration often linked to crime: analytical writing based on a case study. 
• The necessity of immigration when dealing with an international business. 
• Access to healthcare and ObamaCare program in relation to immigrants. 
• Pandemic situation and the link to the migration laws. 
• Assimilation into different foreign cultures: the advantage of being legit. 
• A mental aspect of escaping a violent conflict leads to employment problems. 
• Legit immigrants help to strengthen the American economy. 
• Accessibility to education among children of immigrants. 

- Illegal Immigration Research Paper Topics.

When you are dealing with those families or children, students, refugees, or those who have escaped from the conflict and entered another country illegally, it is essential to state that many of these people are not to blame. It’s a deep issue where most people are the victims and do not know how or where to obtain documents. Keeping this fact in mind, we have collected several topics to help you: 

• Child trafficking and the problem of immigration on the global scale. 
• Mexican border and the challenges of illegal tobacco trading. 
• Language accessibility and the screening process at the immigration centers. 
• An ethical use of the National Guard when addressing the problems of illegal immigrants. 
• The pros and cons of social media when assisting illegal immigrants. 
• Cryptomining in relation to economic immigrants in the United States. 
• Clarity in the temporary work-based visas and the legal loops. 
• Farm laborers: the reasons why they do not bring true damage. 
• Low wages and the cases of criminal justice among recent immigrants. 
• Dealing with mainstream hatred in relation to illegal immigrants. You may also be interested Impact of the Great Depression on Women The Great Depression affected women and men in quite different ways. The economy of the period relied heavily on so-called "sex-typed" work, or wor...

- International Immigration Essay Topics.

Also known as global immigration, it is an issue that is related to natural disasters and specific factors that are not necessarily related to armed conflicts. Your assignment related to international immigration may talk of the global crisis and issues like the Covid-19 pandemic where a lot of college students had to move to another country to continue their studies or go back home to spend time with their parents. Here are some immigration topics for essay writing that you may explore: 

• The cultural integration of the large migration flows. 
• Discrimination in the labor market is caused by migrants. 
• The problem of immigrants in the ex-USSR republics. 
• Global oil crisis and the problem of engineering cooperation in the world. 
• Analysis of the determinants of the global migration problem. 
• Political asylum-seeking: what are the reasons to apply for asylum? 
• International Human Rights Law: why do specific countries approach it differently? 
• World War II immigration crisis: how has the world changed? 
• The pros and cons of the free movement across Europe. 
• Citizenship and immigration acceptance in Canada. 

- Worldwide Immigration Essay Topics.

Although the worldwide immigration problem is a bit different than international or global conflicts, the list of subjects that one can explore here is more global and it's a good method for those students who do not want to narrow things down. For example, if you are majoring in Political Science and would like to compare the administration of George Bush versus Barack Obama, you can choose this idea since the decisions that have been made are related to more than one country. See these ideas: 

• Educational standards for academic diplomas when you are an immigrant . 
• A comparison of British and Canadian immigration politics. 
• The reasons why poor countries are constantly among immigrants. 
• Tourism and the presence of expats among the immigrants in England. 
• Analysis of the alien children who are not entering academic institutions in the United States. 
• The negative stigma when dealing with immigration employment worldwide. 
• Dealing with medical beliefs when approaching immigrants coming from the African continent. 
• Gender differences when facing discrimination as an immigrant. 
• Psychological support and volunteering are insufficient for an average immigrant. 
• Bias among police officers when dealing with foreigners. 

- Personal Immigration Essay Topics.

Personal immigration is always related to a particular person and an issue that takes place. For example, you may approach political persecution or healthcare problems. Unlike the global immigration problem, you may focus on a particular case study and explore the subject. Here are several ideas to start with: 

• Political issues explored through the lens of forced immigration policy . 
• Mental health issues and the ban on immigration challenges. 
• Academic research immigration cases: joining Harvard. 
• Choosing marriage as a reason to join another country. 
• Religious conflicts faced by the immigrants in the Middle East. 
• Criminal offenses screening: what are the ethical limits in relation to deported ? 
• Persecution of artistic preferences as a reason to leave the country. 
• The case of Bobby Fisher and the Icelandic government. 
• Edward Snowden's personality and political protection. 
• National Security Agency's screening of the technical specialists. 

- Environmental Migration Essay Topics.

Unlike the typical immigration reasons that are caused by armed conflicts and the economic situation, the environmental migration problem is based on natural occurrences and things like wildfires, earthquakes, and excessive heat like what we have observed in India and across Europe. If you are majoring in Environmental Sciences or exploring Engineering, Chemistry, or Biology, you can talk about ecology which also poses as the reason for immigration. Start with these helpful ideas: 

• The war in Ukraine: the modern immigration crisis that is caused by environmental problems. 
• Deforestation in Vietnam and the use of forbidden chemicals during the Vietnam War. 
• The misconceptions and myths related to environmental refugees. 
• Politics and the transition to Green Energy: should it address the famine and reduce the immigration flow? 
• The problem of overcrowding after the Earthquakes. 
• Racial tensions in the United States that force entire streets to leave: Detroit case study. 
• The role of the International Red Cross and the refugees between Pakistan and India. 
• Ecosystem degradation in the politically reformed East Asia. 
• The heat problem in India: why the United Kingdom is not the primary country for foreigners. 
• Chornobyl: when nuclear problems become a reason for forced immigration.  

Other Argumentative Essay Topics on Immigration to Consider 

Depending on your subject and the discipline you are pursuing, you may focus on the academic challenges and the psychological aspect of education or gaining cultural integration. If you are unsure about where to start or what inspiring topic to start with, consider brainstorming these ideas that relate to employment and the basic problems that occur when a person decides to immigrate. 

- Immigration Essay Topics: Jobs and Education.

One of the major reasons to become an immigrant these days is the lack of employment or an opportunity to become employed in another country that provides greater resources or a possibility to get academic recognition. It is one of the primary issues discussed by college students. You can start with these helpful ideas that explore non-typical theses: 

• The lack of a universal academic standard and employment challenges. 
• Studying as an Asian in the United States: a different grading rubric. 
• Political bias in relation to Russian students in European countries. 
• Nationality matters: should an engineer have a political agenda when entering another country? 
• The reasons why immigrants decrease the list of available jobs in 2023. 
• Pandemic situation and the online market: the decrease of immigration. 
• Exchange students and the legal side of getting official employment. 
• Winning employment in a lottery: what is the ethical side compared to the natives? 
• Educational problems in the United Kingdom through the post-Brexit lens. 
• Bias in the perception of the foreign diploma and the things lost in translation. 

- Pros and Cons of Immigration. 

If you have to provide a persuasive assignment related to immigration, you may think about the benefits and the problems that a person encounters or focus on how a certain country relates to foreigners. Here are the ideas to consider: 

• Immigration paves the way for the flexible labor market. 
• The challenges of the cultural diversity perception between the United States and Canada. 
• The pressure on public services in Europe as the refugee problems arise. 
• Immigration is not a solution for the aging population. 
• The problem of the GDP in theory versus statistics in practice. 
• Social challenges and public conflicts because of cultural differences. 
• Differences in perception of the medical solutions and the health hazards. 
• Economic growth is not always beneficial for small countries. 
• The budget deficit in relation to the current immigration crisis. 
• Economic inequality and the abuse of the welfare state by the refugees. 

Argumentative and Persuasive Question Topics 

If you would like to compose a speech on immigration, you can choose various argumentative and persuasive question papers where you have to make an assumption. Here are the ideas that you should consider as you brainstorm the solutions. 

- Top Immigration Research Questions. 

When you are exploring the reasons for immigration these days or looking into history, it is essential to compare things and find commonalities as you find the reasoning. You can also talk about the specifics of your subject. Here are the subjects to consider: 

• Should the immigration laws in the United States become more liberating? 
• Why do immigrants from Europe have an educational edge over Slavic immigrants and what is the main argument ? 
• How can a political immigrant prove that he/she is persecuted by the government? 
• What is the most liberal country when it comes to religious immigration? 
• Why should Ukrainian refugees be considered forced immigrants? 
• What are the pros and cons of online education to prevent academic migration? 
• How can rapid economic growth become a problem for the immigrant job market? 
• What are the challenges of medical healthcare services for refugee minors? 
• How can an average person prevent human trafficking when dealing with Muslim people?
• What are the most efficient methods to decrease the hatred towards immigrants? 

- Immigration Essay Questions: Titles to Guide You. 

You can talk about immigration challenges that people of color have or discuss political bias as you need a good title. If you are lost and cannot find a solution that will work, you may check these ideas: 

• What should be considered an illegal practice when entering the country? 
• Is the refusal of the temporary residence permit a solid reason to affect the immigration flow? 
• What are the true reasons to start political immigration? 
• What are the major differences between the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts? 
• How did the American Dream become a distorted type of reality? 
• How can we remove the negative stigma when dealing with Asian immigrants ? 
• How can a child become a part of a foreign community when entering another country? 
• Why are construction jobs are mostly handled by immigrants? 
• Does immigration affect the population base of large countries? 
• What are the methods to create a global employment market to make things unbiased? 

Research Paper Topics on Immigration in America (Based On Questions). 

Even though the subject of immigration in the United States is one of the most researched, you can narrow things down and focus on the local issue or the laws of the state. If something remains unclear, you should start with a chronology and make your thesis statement reflect your title. Start with these ideas: 

• What are the specifics of Irish immigration to the United States? 
• Can economic investment in Mexico help to address immigration issues in the USA? 
• What are the primary responsibilities of the Green Card lottery? 
• What are the pros and cons of AI-based screening reform to help foreigners enter the country? 
• Should skilled specialists and athletes be given a permanent residence visa? 
• What are the academic requirements to enter the United States and are they the same for all countries? 
• What are the new laws that approach undocumented immigrants in the United States? 
• Is it ethical to separate children from their parents when dealing with illegal trading? 
• Are immigration referendums honest and reflect the vision of the particular nation? 
• Is the portrayal of immigrants by the media acceptable and unbiased? 

- Immigration and the Children. 

The children belong to the most vulnerable elements of the immigrants. Starting with the alien children from Mexico as they enter the United States to Syrian children in Europe who are left without parental guidance and/or legal protection. Since this topic is sensitive, you have to start with statistics and provide examples. These are the examples to start with: 

• What are the anti-bullying mechanisms and laws to protect refugee children from harm?  
• Should American immigration officers hire special education teachers from foreign countries to deal with immigrants? 
• What are the most common challenges of children coming from Syria? 
• Should medical vaccination be forced when the child belongs to a religious branch? 
• What is an acceptable solution to reunite children with their parents? 
• How can the independent migration of children be decreased? 
• Are children considered economic migrants when compared to adults? 
• What are voluntary minor migrants and how can adult guardians be screened for validity? 
• What are the main projects hosted by UNICEF and how can schoolchildren participate? 
• What celebrities and athletes participate in the prevention of child trafficking worldwide? 

Note: remember that you have to be respectful and provide statistics as you write on the subject of immigration even if your opinion may be different! 

Who Will Benefit From The List of Research Questions About Immigration ? 

When you are feeling confused and have little to no time left for your immigration assignment, the most important is to choose a good title that will also reflect your thesis statement . If you already have an idea, you will proceed with your writing in a much easier way. The topics above will fit for the Law, Nursing, Psychology, Education, History, Political Science, and Environmental Studies among other subjects. Since the problems of immigration are global, our experts have made it possible to keep you inspired. If you are unsure about your choice, remember that you can find an essay on the topic on our website and make things custom. Just take your time and see what inspires you! If the subject moves you, it will inspire your target audience as well!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essays Samples >
• Essay Types >
• Argumentative Essay Example

Legal Immigration Argumentative Essays Samples For Students

4 samples of this type

Do you feel the need to examine some previously written Argumentative Essays on Legal Immigration before you start writing an own piece? In this free collection of Legal Immigration Argumentative Essay examples, you are provided with an exciting opportunity to explore meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Using them while crafting your own Legal Immigration Argumentative Essay will definitely allow you to complete the piece faster.

Presenting superb samples isn't the only way our free essays service can aid students in their writing efforts – our authors can also compose from scratch a fully customized Argumentative Essay on Legal Immigration that would make a genuine basis for your own academic work.

Supporting A Ban On Illegal Immigration Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essay on how does illegal immigration affect the us economy, federal government on improving immigration laws argumentative essays examples.

Don't waste your time searching for a sample.

Get your argumentative essay done by professional writers!

Just from $10/page

Argumentative Essay On Immigration Reform

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

Everything begins with an idea!

Argumentative Essay Topics on Immigration

Argumentative essay topics on immigration are titles that help students understand more about immigration and the parameters around it. These topics are instrumental in helping students to develop research skills, analytical skills and writing skills. Students will also get more ideas on how to persuade their readers or audience.

Today’s world is very diverse and its always changing. This makes it quite difficult to grasp the information that is current and relevant. These topics ensure that you get relevant information when deciding what to write about. Selecting a topic is the biggest challenge students face. Picking the right topic will determine the success of your assignment. Choosing a bad topic will bring down the quality of your work.

These argumentative essay topics on immigration are carefully selected to bring out the different aspects of immigration. The topics are instrumental in fostering student’s skills. Writing on any of these topics will help students generate the right information. The essay topics on immigration can be a bit technical to write about but they are quite informative. Students should select a topic that they are interested in and not generic topics which may be challenging for them to write about.

• Do You Think Jurisdiction on sanctuaries Are Appropriate?
• Children Born By Illegal Immigrants In US: Should The Government Give Children Citizenship?
• What Does The Constitution Stipulate on Presidential Actions Toward Immigrants
• The Importance of Illegal Labor On Farms
• How Does An Immigrant Become An American
• Which Debates Grasped Your Attention
• Immigrants Take Opportunities Presents By American-born Immigrant Workers
• Are Sanctuary Cities Under Trumps Jurisdiction
• Is Labor Foreign Technology Relevant
• The Negative Impact of Illegal Immigrants on American Workers
• What is The Relation of Illegal Immigrants To Terrorism
• The Effect of Illegal Immigrants on The Rising Crime Rate
• Donald Trump: Who Owns America
• How To Teach Immigrants: An Immigrant’s Perspective
• The Behavior Of Foreigners
• The Difference Between An Immigrant And Citizen
• Ways Of Fixing The System of Asylum
• Ways of Curbing The Increase of Children of Immigrants
• The Adoption of July 4 th
• How Children of Immigrants Are Affected
• The Establishment of Immigration Reforms In Today’s Political Scene
• The Issue of Immigration Today
• How Is The Security At The Border
• Is the American Dream Still Viable
• How Has The Economy Impacted Worker Who Get Minimum Wage
• Should The Government Give ID Cards To Immigrants?
• Should There Be A Higher Penalty For Employers Who Knowingly Employ Illegal Immigrants
• Should The Penalty Be Lower For Employers Who Do Not Know They Rae Hiring Illegal Immigrants
• Should Extending A Visa Permit BE Punishable Under The Law?
• The Role of Schools in Exposing Illegal Immigrants
• Local Government or State: Who Should Be Responsible For Implementing Immigration Laws
• Is It Appropriate To Call A Person Who Has Violated The Immigration Law “illegal Alien”
• IS It Legal To Allow Immigrant Parents To Continue Living In America Because Their Children Are Citizens?
• Is It Appropriate For US To Continue With The Construction Of The Wall At The Border
• The Impact of Immigration Laws On Families of Immigrants
• How Difficult is It To Get Low Wage Employment
• How Has Brexit affected the Country and the Occupants
• Immigration Economics
• How To Understand The Reforms of Immigration
• Do You Agree With Donald Trump’s Decisions on Laws of the Sanctuary for Immigrants
• What is Your Perspective on The Work Ethic of Americans ? Has it Gotten Worse or Improved?
• What Does The Law Stipulate When An Immigrant Breaks The Law In America
• Explain Illegal Immigrant
• Define Immigration Amnesty
• Define Legal Immigration
• How Does Arizona Grow Today
• Who Are The Importance People That Must Attend State Of The Union
• Why Does The Congress Fail When It Comes To Tackling Immigration
• Can Arizona’s Law on Immigration Be Sustained and For How Long
• The Impact of Immigrants on the State’s Welfare
• How Do Immigrants Affect The Debt of The Country
• The Role Of Immigrants in Increasing Economic Disparity

Have top experts do your papers.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

50+ Immigration Essay Topics

Table of Contents

Immigration has always been a topic for discussion for everyone. A persuasive essay will always try to justify the author’s knowledge of a certain area of discussion. Immigration being a red hot topic in almost every part of the world can provide a good base for a persuasive essay. This topic has increased in the rate of discussion on national televisions. Persuasive essays about immigration can be hard to come up with. This article will give some insights and directions for the techniques you can use while writing a good immigration essay.

People have different views on immigration, whether it is an issue or not because it concerns everybody. Immigration essay topics are talked about in communities, and individuals, have to get to know these topics. That is the reason teachers and professors frequently give assignments about immigration to their learners. Students might be given research papers or articles writing about immigration topics. Here are article topics on immigration that will assist in equipping yourself with the subject, and answer questions about immigration that previously you could not answer.

How to Select the Best Immigration Essay Topic?

When choosing a good immigration topic, you will need to assess whether it gives you the freedom you need to exhaust the issues at hand. It should allow you to give the necessary statistics and related studies. By doing this, you will greatly increase the quality of your essay.

These are some of the best topics on immigration that you can find lots of sources to refer your work from. They will enable you to score high marks.

List of Immigration Essay Topics: Write like a Pro

Immigration comes with very many topics. Some of the greatest topics you should choose from include:

• Effects of illegal immigration on an economy
• How immigrants assimilate into different new cultures
• Types of discrimination that are faced by immigrants
• Whether immigrants are coerced to abandon their culture to fit in their new country
• Effects of deportation of illegal immigrants on a community with many immigrants
• Whether immigrants feel welcomed in their new country and why
• Immigration Laws
• Immigration into the United States
• Life of the Immigrants
• Immigrants and Immigration in America
• Immigration and America
• Immigration as a social constraint
• Immigration and politics
• Intolerable immigration policies and their harm
• It is a world phenomenon: immigration trends
• Compare different state laws on immigration
• Understanding the causes of immigration
• Interesting facts about immigrants
• Lawlessness in the borders
• Immigration enhances diversity
• Common problems of all immigrants
• Sustainable immigration solutions
• Illegal immigration: across the US borders
• Immigration and sports
• Culture clash; the fruits of immigration
• The trans-border conflicts
• Crossing the Mediterranean ; European immigration
• The effect of new traditions on the economy of a country
• Selective hospitality across the border

These topics will help you come up with different content on immigration. Migration is very wide, though. As time goes by, they might increase or even change.

20 Immigration Argumentative Essay Topics

• The benefits of comprehensive immigration reform for the economy and society.
• The ethical implications of deporting undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years.
• The impact of immigration policies on families and communities.
• The role of immigrants in filling labor gaps in certain industries and their contribution to the U.S. workforce.
• The relationship between immigration and crime rates in the U.S.
• The challenges and opportunities of assimilation for immigrants in American society.
• The economic and social costs of building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
• The impact of immigration on healthcare and social services in the U.S.
• The importance of providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are long-term residents of the U.S.
• The role of immigrants in cultural diversity and enrichment in the U.S.
• The impact of immigration on the environment and natural resources.
• The role of immigration in shaping U.S. demographics and population growth.
• The effectiveness of current immigration enforcement policies and the need for reforms.
• The impact of immigration on wages and job opportunities for U.S. citizens.
• The ethical considerations of separating families at the border and detaining immigrant children.
• The relationship between immigration and national security in the U.S.
• The rights and protections for asylum seekers and refugees in the U.S.
• The benefits and challenges of skilled immigration for U.S. competitiveness in the global economy.
• The impact of immigration on public education and bilingual education policies.
• The role of local and state governments in immigration enforcement and policy implementation.

Child Immigration Essay Topics

• The impact of immigration policies on the well-being and rights of immigrant children.
• The ethical considerations of separating children from their families at the border and detaining them in immigration facilities.
• The challenges and opportunities of providing education and healthcare for immigrant children in the U.S.
• The long-term effects of childhood immigration experiences on mental health and development.
• The role of child welfare agencies in handling cases involving immigrant children.
• The impact of immigration policies on the educational attainment and academic achievement of immigrant children.
• The importance of providing legal representation for immigrant children in immigration proceedings.
• The impact of immigration enforcement on the safety and security of immigrant children.
• The role of social services and support systems in assisting immigrant children and families.
• The challenges of language barriers and cultural adjustments for immigrant children in the U.S.
• The rights and protections for unaccompanied minor immigrants in the U.S.
• The impact of immigration policies on the physical and mental health of immigrant children.
• The experiences of refugee children and their integration into American society.
• The impact of immigration policies on the social and emotional well-being of immigrant children.
• The role of schools and educators in supporting the needs of immigrant children.
• The importance of addressing trauma and mental health issues among immigrant children.
• The impact of immigration policies on the social and economic mobility of immigrant children.
• The role of community organizations and advocacy groups in supporting immigrant children.
• The challenges and opportunities of cultural identity and assimilation for immigrant children.
• The need for comprehensive and compassionate immigration policies that prioritize the best interests of immigrant children.

Immigration Essay Questions: Titles to Guide You

Immigration also has topics that are posed as questions. Some of the questions you will get about immigration include:

• How do immigration laws differ among different states?
• Why do immigration cases keep rising even when most countries are adopting democracy?
• What is the relationship between immigration laws and the rate of their rise?
• How much are the systems of taxation for immigrants in the United States fair? Are there any penalties given to them for not being Citizens?
• What are some of the stresses immigrants go through in their aims to fit in the new communities to avoid or get less discriminated?
• What are some of the biggest health threats and concerns do communities with a high number of immigrants face? Can the available health facilities cater to immigrants?
• Have the reasons for immigration amongst different groups changed in the past decades in the United States? How have they changed?
• Have the American communities improved in tolerating legal immigrants in their country?
• What is the effect of new traditions on the economy of a country?
• What is the feeling that immigrants have about blending in with a different culture?

Such questions are answered in different essays. You can always find many sources that will give you some content on every question:

Illegal Immigration Essay Topics: 10 Featured Ideas

• In what states is immigration a growing problem?
• Should states create more laws to protect immigrants?
• Why is immigration a growing problem in the United States?
• What are the effects of an influx of immigrants to one place?
• Are legal immigrants discriminated against? If so, is it more prevalent in one area?
• Are there health concerns attached to illegal immigration?
• How does immigration affect the economy? Is it negative or positive?
• Do cultural differences get in the way of accepting immigrants?
• Should there be less jurisdiction on immigration?
• Discuss the role of political leaders in solving illegal immigration issues.

Immigration Essay Ideas: Craft the Best Paper Using Expert Tactics

Before you write an essay about immigration, you will first come up with some questions; why are you writing the essay in the first place? Who is your target group? What is the aim of the essay? Immigration is very controversial in its way. Some countries’ population is comprised of very high numbers of immigrants. For you to write a very good essay on Immigration, then your introduction must comprise of the following:

• Explanation of what is Immigration
• The current state of immigration
• Effects of Immigration on a country’s economic conditions.
• Correlation between leadership models and immigration.
• Effect of changes in immigration laws on the rights of immigrants.

At this point, you should have known all the basic concepts of immigration. After reading what is required in your essay, you will now proceed to construct the body of your essay. Explain each idea in a separate paragraph.

After exhausting all the points on the given topic of immigration, you will now conclude. A conclusion is all about briefly explaining the whole topic and what you have discussed in the essay.  After concluding, it is important to give some sources of your work. The reader might be interested in reading further. Get professional help from an expert essay writing service in your imagination essay class assignment – call us now!

• Australia edition
• International edition
• Europe edition

UK politics live: Robert Jenrick resigns over immigration policy – as it happened

Immigration minister quits saying small boats crisis doing ‘untold damage’ to the country

• 5d ago A summary of today's developments
• 5d ago Jenrick 'misunderstanding' Rwanda law, says Sunak
• 5d ago Jenrick discloses 'strong disagreements' with government's immigration policy
• 5d ago Home secretary confirms Robert Jenrick's resignation as immigration minister
• 5d ago Robert Jenrick resigns as immigration minister
• 5d ago Robert Jenrick 'has resigned' as immigration minister
• 5d ago Cleverly refuses to confirm whether Robert Jenrick is still immigration minister
• 5d ago Rwanda would have abandoned deportation deal if new UK bill defied ECHR, its foreign minister suggests
• 5d ago Sunak tells Tory MPs they must 'unite or die' as publication of Rwanda bill exposes divisions
• 5d ago Rwanda bill 'fatally flawed', says source close to former home secretary Suella Braverman
• 5d ago Johnson booed as he leaves Covid inquiry
• 5d ago Sunak says new Rwanda bill will disapply Human Rights Act for small boat deportations
• 5d ago Government publishes its new Rwanda bill intended to allow deportations to go ahead
• 5d ago Johnson says it is 'nonsense' to claim he kept Hancock in post so he could be 'sacrifice for inquiry'
• 5d ago Johnson says he has called Helen MacNamara to apologise for c-word expletive about her in No 10 WhatsApp exchange
• 5d ago Johnson says he sometimes spoke bluntly in meetings 'to give people cover to do the same'
• 5d ago Johnson says culture at No 10 was 'occasionally argumentative', but says that was 'no bad thing'
• 5d ago Johnson says he regrets saying long Covid was 'bollocks' and 'Gulf War syndrome stuff'
• 5d ago Johnson says with hindsight he thinks he should have spent more time during Covid working with devolved administrations
• 5d ago Johnson says government may have pushed too hard in encouraging people back into office after lockdown
• 5d ago Johnson claims he can't remember why he met Evgeny Lebedev at No 10 days before lockdown
• 5d ago Johnson rejects claims he could not make up his mind about lockdown
• 5d ago Johnson says he does not recall Hancock calling for immediate lockdown on 13 March, as he claims he did
• 5d ago Johnson claims he had not been told to avoid shaking hands when he did so on hospital visit
• 5d ago Johnson says he did not consider ignoring advice from scientists that locking down too soon would be mistake
• 5d ago Party leaders row over Rwanda agreement at PMQs
• 5d ago Johnson says he does not recall being told Cobra conclusion from 26 February 2020 mass deaths increasingly likely
• 5d ago Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash over Margaret Thatcher at prime minister's questions
• 5d ago Johnson says by late February he 'should have twigged' about seriousness of Covid
• 5d ago Johnson says 'fallacious, inductive logic' led to government not taking seriously early estimate of possible Covid death toll
• 5d ago Johnson suggests government did not fully believe forecasts about potential Covid deaths in early 2020
• 5d ago Johnson defends not chairing early Cobra meetings on Covid himself
• 5d ago Johnson dismisses Simon Case's highly critical WhatsApp messages, claiming Thatcher's team feuded in private too
• 5d ago Johnson claims he cannot recall being told talented people refusing to work at No 10 due to toxic culture
• 5d ago Johnson rejects claims toxic culture at No 10 was problematic, saying 'challenge' helpful and all governments similar
• 5d ago Johnson tells inquiry he only read minutes of Sage meetings 'once or twice'
• 5d ago Johnson claims cabinet 'more reluctant' to impose lockdown-type measures than he was
• 5d ago Johnson says he is 'not sure' if government decisions led to Covid deaths being higher than necessary
• 5d ago Johnson cannot explain why some WhatsApp messages missing from old phone, but says he did not remove them
• 5d ago Johnson says he is 'deeply sorry' for pain and suffering experienced during pandemic
• 5d ago Protest in Covid inquiry as Boris Johnson begins giving evidence
• 5d ago Inquiry chair Lady Hallett issues reprimand over advance reports about what Johnson likely to say
• 5d ago What Johnson is expected to tell Covid inquiry, according to newspaper reports published in advance
• 5d ago For Johnson to claim he saved thousands of lives would be 'distortion of truth', bereaved families claim
• 5d ago Boris Johnson arrives early at Covid inquiry and is expected to say he got 'most of the big calls right'

Robert Jenrick resigns as immigration minister

The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick , has quit, just hours after the prime minister tabled a bill to save the Rwanda deportation policy.

He stood down after the legislation did not allow ministers to override international laws which have stopped the government from sending asylum seekers to central Africa.

Jenrick’s resignation will be seen as a move to position himself as the head of a growing rightwing rebellion aimed at ensuring that the UK can act unilaterally and send flights to Kigali.

Thanks so much for following events with us. We are closing this blog now, you can read all our UK politics coverage here .

A summary of today's developments

The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, has quit, just hours after the prime minister tabled a bill to save the Rwanda deportation policy . He stood down after the legislation did not allow ministers to override international laws which have stopped the government from sending asylum seekers to central Africa. Jenrick, who was appointed in October 2022, said the emergency legislation introduced to revive the Rwanda policy had “moved towards my position” but the Bill was “a triumph of hope over experience”. Rishi Sunak has described Jenrick’s resignation as “disappointing”, telling him in a letter he fears it was “based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation”.

The government earlier published emergency legislation aimed at shoring up its Rwanda asylum policy after it was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court last month. The home secretary, James Cleverly, told the Commons the legislation will prevent further legal challenges to deportation flights but Jenrick said in his resignation letter the draft law “does not go far enough”.

The Rwandan government has in effect confirmed what Rishi Sunak told Tory MPs about it being responsible for blocking a bill that would have disapplied the European convention on human rights. Vincent Biruta, the Rwandan foreign affairs minister, released a statement saying its deportation deal with the UK must meet “the highest standards of international law”.

During his evidence to the Covid inquiry, Boris Johnson said it is “nonsense” to claim he kept Matt Hancock as health secretary so he could be a sacrifice for the inquiry. Johnson also told the inquiry in London he is “deeply sorry” about the pain and suffering experienced during the pandemic.

Johnson insisted he does not recall being told in a Cobra meeting conclusion from 26 February 2020 that mass deaths were increasingly likely . He also admitted regrets for previously saying that long Covid was “bollocks” and “Gulf War syndrome stuff”.

Jenrick 'misunderstanding' Rwanda law, says Sunak

In his letter to Jenrick, Sunak wrote: “Your resignation is disappointing given we both agree on the ends, getting flights off to Rwanda so that we can stop the boats. I fear that your departure is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation. It is our experience that gives us confidence that this will work.

“Our returns deal with Albania, that you were instrumental in securing, has cut Albanian arrivals by 90% …

“This [Rwanda] bill is the toughest piece of illegal migration legislation ever put forward by a UK government. It makes clear that Parliament deems Rwanda safe and no court can second guess that…

“If we were to oust the courts entirely, we would collapse the entire scheme. The Rwandan government have been clear that they would not accept the UK basing this scheme on legislation that could be considered in breach of our international law obligations. There would be no point in passing a law that would leave us with nowhere to send people to.”

Sunak has described Robert Jenrick’s resignation as “disappointing”, telling him in a letter he fears it was “based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation”.

You can read our full report into Robert Jenrick’s resignation – and what it means for Rishi Sunak – here.

Jenrick entered the Commons as MP for Newark in Nottinghamshire in a 2014 by-election, Press Association reminds us.

Theresa May promoted him to a Treasury minister in January 2018 and he was made housing secretary by Boris Johnson when he took office in July 2019.

But his time around the cabinet table ended in controversy, when he was sacked after a string of high-profile and damaging accusations. His departure followed the unlawful approval of a Tory donor’s housing development and eyebrow-raising journeys during lockdown.

Johnson stuck by Jenrick despite anger over his approval of media mogul Richard Desmond’s 1,500-home Westferry Printworks development in east London. The permission came the day before a new council community levy would have cost Desmond’s company an extra £40m. Jenrick later had to quash his own approval, conceding the decision was “unlawful” due to “apparent bias”.

There was also criticism over Jenrick’s decision to travel 150 miles from his London property to his Herefordshire home, and then journeying for more than an hour to visit his parents in Shropshire while the country was in Covid lockdown. He later lost his post in a reshuffle. The arrival of Liz Truss in Number 10 saw Jenrick return to government for a short stint in the Department of Health. Then in October 2022, with Rishi Sunak taking the top job, Jenrick was appointed immigration minister.

Labour’s national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said: “This latest chaotic chapter demonstrates why the country is ready for change. And Keir Starmer’s changed Labour Party stands ready.

“The British people deserve a government that will fix the issues that matter to working people, not a Tory circus of gimmicks and leadership posturing.”

Jenrick, who was appointed in October 2022, also said the emergency legislation introduced to revive the Rwanda policy had “moved towards my position” but the Bill was “a triumph of hope over experience”.

He said: “In our discussions on the proposed emergency legislation you have moved towards my position, for which I am grateful.

“Nevertheless. I am unable to take the currently proposed legislation through the Commons as I do not believe it provides us with the best possible chance of success.

“A Bill of the kind you are proposing is a triumph of hope over experience. The stakes for the country are too high for us not to pursue the stronger protections required to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme and negating its intended deterrent.”

In the letter to Rishi Sunak , Jenrick said the small boats crisis was doing “untold damage” to the country and the government needed to place “national interests highly contested interpretations of international law”.

He added: “As you know, I have been pushing for the strongest possible piece of emergency legislation to ensure that under the Rwanda policy we remove as many small boat arrivals, as swiftly as possible to generate the greatest deterrent effect.

“This stems from my firmly held position that the small boats crisis is a national emergency that is doing untold damage to our country, and the only way we will be able to stop the boats completely is by urgently introducing a major new deterrent.

“I have therefore consistently advocated for a clear piece of legislation that severely limits the opportunities for domestic and foreign courts to block or undermine the effectiveness of the policy.”

Jenrick discloses 'strong disagreements' with government's immigration policy

Robert Jenrick has officially announced his resignation on X, saying “I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government’s policy on immigration.”

It is with great sadness that I have written to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Minister for Immigration. I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government’s policy on immigration. pic.twitter.com/Zg3ezFJr8t — Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) December 6, 2023

That brings the Commons’ reaction to the home seecretary’s Rwanda statement to an end.

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar on Robert Jenrick’s resignation.

🤔I was told by one senior minister who is close to Jenrick last week that he was positioning himself for the future. “Rob is distancing himself from Rishi, it’s as simple as that. He’s young and is in this for the long term, and can see which way it’s going,” they said. “He… — Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) December 6, 2023

Cleverly, asked how the Bill can comply with international law when its front page states the Home Secretary cannot say it is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, told the Commons: “Because what the statement says on the front of the Bill is clear, the words are unambiguous.

“But also I am absolutely certain that we are in accordance with international law, the two are not interchangeable.”

Conservative former immigration minister Kevin Foster asked if Ministry of Defence aircraft could be used to transfer people to Rwanda , with Mr Cleverly replying: “I don’t want at this point to go into too much detail of all the operational procedures, but I can reassure him we’re thinking about the logistics of that.”

Conservative former minister Mark Francois said the Home Secretary had “pointedly ducked” questions about individual appeals.

He asked: “As every person we would seek to send to Rwanda is an individual, if under this legislation those people could continue to appeal and appeal in order to delay being put on a flight, what’s the point of the Bill?”

Cleverly, in his reply, said: “An appeal process is an important part of a new legal process, it will not preclude people from being sent to Rwanda on this scheme.”

I think I’m losing it. Asked how James Cleverly can say on the face of the bill that it doesn’t meet international law but then say it does, home secretary says both things are true and neither one cancels out the other. — Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) December 6, 2023

The provision of individual appeals is not related to the safety of Rwanda , the home secretary said.

James Cleverly’s comments were in response to a question from Conservative former minister Dr Caroline Johnson, who said: “There is a provision as he said for individual claims, can he tell what circumstances such an individual could expect to be successful? And how long that and the appeals process will be expected to take?”

Cleverly said: “The provision of individual claims is not to do with the safety of Rwanda, that’s an important distinction that needs to be made.

“Of course there does need to be provisions for appeals, that’s a normal part of any judicial or legal process.”

Home secretary confirms Robert Jenrick's resignation as immigration minister

Cleverly has now confirmed that Robert Jenrick has resigned as immigration minister.

“That has been confirmed,” Cleverly said after repeated questioning.

James Cleverly will be judged for “decades” on the impact of the Government’s new Rwanda treaty and emergency bill, a senior Conservative backbencher has claimed.

Tory former minister Sir John Hayes, a close ally of ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , told the Commons: “The new Home Secretary will of course be aware and welcome the fact that he will be… judged by the effectiveness of this legislation for weeks and months and years, perhaps decades even.

“So will he confirm that the provisions in this Bill are sufficient to resist individual challenges from those who might be sent to Rwanda, and the interest groups and the dodgy lawyers who support them? And in particular would he speak specifically about the disapplication of Rule 39?”

Rule 39 orders from European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg have been used to suspend attempts to deport migrants in the past.

Cleverly replied: “The right is for ministers to decide on our response to a Rule 39 application, that is in the Bill. He is right that this sets important precedents.

The European court of human rights would benefit from “evolution” and “updating”, Cleverly told the Commons.

The Conservative former home secretary Priti Patel asked for details of any assessments made “as to whether the disapplication of the Human Rights Act and other laws are robust and will stand up to the legal challenges and ensure ultimately the delivery and the implementation of this policy”.

Cleverly said: “The UK takes its international obligations incredibly seriously. The Human Rights Act is in part being disapplied through this legislation”

He said the UK was one of the founding members of the European court of human rights, adding: “We regard it as an important institution, but like many postwar institutions it would benefit from evolution, it would benefit from updating.”

The home secretary added: “We have a robust legal system, we have a robust parliamentary system here in the UK. We should have some more self-confidence in those systems and use our experience to help capacity-building in partner countries like Rwanda .”

• Politics live with Andrew Sparrow
• Boris Johnson
• Covid inquiry
• Coronavirus
• Rishi Sunak
• Keir Starmer

More on this story

Covid lockdowns had ‘catastrophic effect’ on UK’s social fabric, report claims

Met says no one will be fined over Commons Covid gathering

‘Completely out of touch’: five people hit hard by pandemic on Johnson at Covid inquiry

Is Boris Johnson right that UK had fewer Covid deaths than much of Europe?

Boris Johnson at the Covid inquiry: key points

Boris Johnson: I wasn’t properly warned about seriousness of Covid

'You're not really sorry': Johnson's apology at Covid inquiry interrupted by hecklers – video

Boris Johnson ‘trying to rewrite history’ before Covid inquiry appearance

Boris Johnson faces tough questions at Covid inquiry over handling of pandemic

Comments (…), most viewed.