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Illegal Immigration

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Submitted By ingridruiz
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Why do people come illegally to USA?

Illegal immigrants in the US are the most marginalized work force and citizens. While

they provide cheap labor and sustain the US economy, they are denied basic education

and are unable to participate in voting. Fears of getting caught, and their lack of

awareness of their rights prevent them from engaging civically in their communities.

These facts hinder them from integrating into US society. Instead they form a “shadow”

society which ultimately contributes to disintegration of society overall.

The goal of my research is to help these individuals (who do not have rights as citizens

but do deserve basic human rights) to learn about the laws of this country and, in spite

of being here illegally, the rights and duties which belong to them. The first step is to

understand what external factors affect them and to analyze the common profile of

illegal immigrants and their tendencies.

Indirect /Direct Method

My plan is:

To conduct a survey in the Indianapolis area, randomly select individuals through the

Westside of Indianapolis.

The main purpose of the quantitative analysis is to find out whether there is correlation

between their legal status and desire to return to their home country, desire to obtain

US citizenship, level of participation in their communities and level of happiness in the

US. My survey will include both legal and illegal immigrants. In this way we are able to

compare and contrast two groups of similar ethnic and cultural background but with

different immigration status.

Qualitative Analysis: In order to improve my understanding of the issues surrounding

illegal immigration and considering that more than a half of the illegal population is from

Mexico (most Hispanics in Indianapolis are from Mexico) I would visit the Mexican

restaurants and interview their managers/owners to question their staff immigration

status. And ask why do they cross the border.

Do they want to live here or just work here?

I found out that most illegal immigrants come to the U.S. to work. Current immigration

laws create obstacles not only for immigrants, but also for employers. Using a

multilateral approach

to reform these laws can bring benefits for both immigrants and U.S. employers.

References:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-ryo-immigration-20141126-

column.html#page=1

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/11/18/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-

the-u-s/

http://www.pewglobal.org/2009/09/23/most-mexicans-see-better-life-in-us-one-in-three-

would-migrate/

1/23/2015

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