Nadine Zegura

Conflict Management

8:00am – 10:20am

There seems some very strong opinions and much to discuss with regards to the topic of illegal immigrants. "In October 2008, the illegal immigrant population stood at 11.9 million according to the Pew Hispanic Center." Another study done in 1997 by the American Academy of Sciences found that the cheap labor of illegal immigrants and poor immigrants caused a 44% decrease in wages among the poorest Americans from 1980 to 1994." Half of the illegal aliens in America arrived legally with temporary, non-immigrant visas. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that a large percentage of America’s illegal immigrants are made up of visa overstay.

Although there are many issues that can be brought up when speaking about the topic of illegal’s in our Country, I just wanted to speak about one that I have really been thinking a lot about recently. That is the illegal children immigrants. It seems that they are really being over look in the matter and not given a fair chance.

Many of these illegal immigrants who either cross the boarder or come on a visitor visas of some sort and over stay their time have children. I believe it to be very unfair to these children in many ways. Most of these children who come here are usually very young and are brought here by their parents. They are then put in to public school learning the ways of American culture and the English language. A large majority of these children grow up with good grades and repetitions due to family values and being scared of being deported. They are very careful not to break the law and obey the rules. If these children are caught for anything they are to be deported by to a country they have not idea of the culture or life style, many don’t even know the language completely or well enough to enter in to the public schools in their birth country.

My daughter has a friend who is currently in this situation; she is just turning 16years old and a straight A student. As my daughter is going for her driving license I ask about her friend she said that she can’t get one because of her citizenship. This young lady will not be able to get a valid drivers license, or qualify for any school grants or any type of scholarships that would be offered to other children who were born in America. I believe the law should be based on what a person has contributed to society rather than where a person was born.

Work Cited:

"Children Caught Up In Illegal Immigration Debate | KPBS.org." KPBS San Diego: Public Radio, TV and Web. Web. 29 June 2011. <

Questions:

1. How do you feel about giving illegal children immgrants scholarships and other government funded services?

2. Do you think if an illegal immgrant serves in the military they should be able to be come a U.S. Citizenship?

3.What should happen to children whose parents get deported and they stay in the United States?

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

CHILDREN

NADINE ZEGURA