Currently according to the American Immigration Council's article The Growth of the U.S. Deportation Machine | Immigration Policy Center The Growth of the U.S. Deportation Machine while the number of illegal immigrants entering the country has slightly decreed. More illegal immigrants are being deported now then in past years. Under President Barack Obama's administration, two million illegal immigrants have been deported from the United States. The modern policies aim towards automatic deportation. As the number of deportations since 1980-2012 has increased the numbers of voluntary returns offered to the offenders has decreased due to the governments new policies and outlook. As time passes, more and more laws are created or altered to make staying in the United States harder for illegal immigrants and resulting in criminal offenses.
In class we covered and discussed Plato's Crito, about Socrate's reasoning for remaining in his cell. Two of his reasons can apply to the response of the US Government to Illegal Immigrants. First of all one of Socrate's reasons was that when a person choses to live in a state and benefits from it, they have entered a contract do abide by the laws and punishment's. When an immigrant wether they be legal or illegal, enters a new country for example the US. they should expect to cooperate with any laws regarding immigration. And if they violate these laws they should expect repercussions. So it should be fair that any immigrant who enters a country should follow the rules and the justice system of the land they have chosen to live in. The second reason for Socrates remaining in Athens was that if he left he would be leaving his sons behind with is tarnished legacy. When many illegal immigrants enter a country. Their cheating of the system which legal immigrants enter through. Can cast a bad reputation to all immigrants because the public will often personify their anger on both types of Immigrants. Leading to accidentally displacement of Legal immigrants by mistake.
But do the Immigrants not deserve the right to stay in the United States? Although Socrates gave reasons specifying why he should remain in jail, what the immigrants are running from is different than Socrates; He's affluent and getting jailed based off of social prejudices whereas the immigrants are not wealthy but instead escaping poverty. Is it too much to give a few an exception to the rule?
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that any immigrant deserves the opportunity to live in this country but some of these immigrants are treated harshly due to the way they enter (illegally). also I agree that some sort of exceptions should exist for people coming here for certain reasons. Socrates is more privileged and has the choice to stay in or leave the country he lives in while many illegal immigrants don't have any say in the matter, and their only real option to to be forced from the country they want to live in.
DeleteYou mention that how the laws are carried out is changing on the immigrants. Does this make it more just for them to resist? Do they have a right to try and change the laws of the country they live in?
ReplyDeleteIt is completely just for any legal immigrants to resist these harsh laws. Since they have the right to try to change the laws since they have gone through the correct and legal way to reside in this country. Sadly there is not much that any of the illegal immigrants can do to change these laws.
DeleteSocrate's considers the fact that he has a chance for a better life if he were to leave his cell and flee to another country. Would you consider the immigrants being torn in similar ways, in the sense that if they flee their country they may see themselves as taking an easy way out?
ReplyDeleteYes, some immigrants live in a really harsher condition in the states, when those immigrants suffered from illegal violations, they were afraid to appeal to the court because they worried they may got repatriated. Also, I agree with you that there should be some exceptions for people who come here "illegally" to get the rights of residence like refugees. Return those people to their homeland sometimes is fatal to them due to the hunger and chaotic situation in their countries. It is just great to see the recent news that US government is going to give more quotas to the number of refugees next year.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main differences in this comparison is that Socrates had the choice to opt-out and leave whenever he pleased. He chose to stay and face the consequences of his actions for the reasons stated above. Illegal immigrations don't have this choice when facing deportation. They broke a law laid out by the United States and because of it were forced to face the consequences. In addition, I think it would be difficult for people to look down upon types of immigrants without coming off as racist. As we are all descendants of immigrates, highly respected citizens have established themselves in almost every opportunity America has to offer. Disrespecting some type of immigrant would in turn always be disrespecting all the ones that have followed the law and are contributing to a better America.
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