American society

What aspect of American society do you feel are most in need of change? Why? How do you think this change can best be brought about? How can the legal profession bring about change?

The aspect of American society that I believe should be changed is the immigration policies and laws. Basically, according to the 1990 Immigration Act, the United States can allow only up to 700,000 immigrants per year.

The main premise behind this law is for the reunification of families who have been separated by various circumstances. However, despite strict immigration laws and policies, there are roughly 10 million illegal immigrants or aliens who currently live in the United States. Most of these immigrants come from the Philippines, India, and China. These figures generally show two sides of the issue which most of the time contributes to the legislative and other legal impediments to the problem at hand.

On one side, the staggering number of undocumented immigrants is a good proof of the attractiveness of America. Around the world, despite the global economic crisis, many people still believe that there are greener pastures and better jobs in the United States.

Although there are millions of illegal immigrants who work in the country, it is ultimately beneficial to the economy. On the other hand, the massive number of immigrants poses a larger problem particularly in national security. Although this security threat is indirect, it could alter laws, redirect resources, and most of all, serve as a cover for criminals, extremists, and terrorists, among others.

Meaning to say, there must be a comprehensive law or program that will more or less fix these problems mentioned above while at the same time ensuring that these illegal immigrants are somehow given a chance to live prosperous lives.

Basically, the law profession plays a powerful role in deciding the fate of these immigrants as the decision of allowing them to stay or sending back to their mother countries lies on American immigration laws. Considering the fact the there is a very large number of illegal aliens in the country despite stringent immigration laws, it can be then deduced that something is lacking in the country’s immigration system.

Therefore, at the very least, a program that caters to non-citizen guest workers should be crafted in order to address this problem. Most of all, this program should ultimately result in economic gains and incentives for the United States. The legal profession can then lobby and call for the advocacy of this kind of program in Congress to ensure its legitimacy.

Although there can be multiple dimensions to the program mentioned above, it should more or less revolve around certain principles. The most important of which are the immigration costs and benefits. The legal profession, in collaboration with concerned government agencies and groups, can conduct studies and researches on this area so that an effective immigration program can be made.

The law profession can also craft a system in which all guest workers entering the U.S. be identified immediately. Basically, the key to cracking down illegal immigrants is swiftness together with the help of technological advancements such as biometric identification, which include fingerprints and retinal scans, among many others. Current migrant workers must also be presented with benefits if they choose to take part in the program.

Moreover, the law profession can also stress that being a guest worker in the United States should not be viewed as a way to gain citizenship so that foreign migrants will not be oversupplied. Furthermore, lawyers can also petition for the review of existing immigration laws so that possible irregularities and loopholes can be addressed.

 In short, what the law profession can do to address these problems in immigration to the United States is to ensure stricter and more effective implementation of old laws and the crafting of new ones that will resolve the issue while ensuring that economic benefits are attained.