Define Immigration

Immigration is the movement of people into a destination country to which they are not native or do not possess its citizenship in order to settle or reside there, especially as permanent residents or naturalized citizens, or to take-up employment as a migrant worker or temporarily as a foreign worker.

Brief History of Immigration

The United States has always been a land of immigration. Years ago, the first indigenous people crossed to North America, yet it wasn't until the end of the 15th century that Europeans set their eyes on the New World in numbers. The French and Spanish were the first to establish settlements before the English and Dutch, among others, founded their first permanent colonies. On the eve of the American Revolution, the land was already a kaleidoscope of languages and ethnicities.  

The Republican View of Immigration

The Republican Party believes in immigration laws and immigration reforms that address the needs of national security. The party has always been divided on to exactly what extent immigration laws should be tightened, but as a whole the party believes that a system needs to be in place to ensure that immigrants who enter this country illegally are not provided with the same benefits that legal citizens are. The Republicans strongly endorse and favor legal immigration. They acknowledge that, legal immigrants are making vital contributions in every aspect of our national life. The Republicans are also very strongly against illegal immigrants. As stated in their platform, That is why we oppose any form of amnesty for those who, by intentionally violating the law, disadvantage those who have obeyed it. Granting amnesty only rewards and encourages more lawbreaking.

The Republican Party demand tough penalties for those who practice identity theft, deal in fraudulent documents. . .", which means that Republicans may be very tough and strict against people who used assumed names." It is absolutely essential that we protect [American workers] from illegal labor in the workplace."
The Republicans are highly critical of Obama's approach to immigration, noting that it has "undermined the rule of law at every turn… It has created a backdoor amnesty program unrecognized in law, granting worker authorization to illegal aliens, and shown little regard for the life- and- death situations facing the men and women of the border patrol. The Republican Party will create humane procedures to encourage illegal aliens to return home voluntarily, while enforcing the law against those who overstay their visas." In other words, the Republicans want to encourage TNT's to buy a plane ticket and fly back to their home country, or they will seek to deport those who remain. The Republicans favor states' efforts at passing harsh immigration laws against illegals: "State efforts to reduce illegal immigration must be encouraged, not attacked. The pending Department of Justice lawsuits against Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, and Utah must be dismissed immediately."

The Democratic View on Immigration

The Democratic view on immigration is based on the idea that the United States is a country based on immigrants, and as such it should value and support its present and future immigrants. The 2012 Democratic Party Platform states, “the Democratic Party stands for comprehensive immigration reform that intelligently prioritizes our country’s security and economic needs.” Democrats believe that in order to embrace the diversity of our country, “we need to fix our broken immigration system.” Democrats have become far more open to legalizing illegal immigrants over the last decade, while Republicans remain adamantly opposed, according to extensive new polling by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs that helps explain the rise of businessman Donald Trump within the GOP presidential field and the dim hopes for getting anything done in Congress.

Little more than a decade ago, voters in both parties generally agreed that unchecked immigration was a significant threat to U.S. vital interests — with Democrats actually topping Republicans in that belief, 63 percent to 58 percent. Now, however, the parties diverge wildly, with 63 percent of Republicans saying immigration is a threat, while just 29 percent of Democrats rate it so.
Little more than a decade ago, voters in both parties generally agreed that unchecked immigration was a significant threat to U.S. vital interests — with Democrats actually topping Republicans in that belief, 63 percent to 58 percent. Now, however, the parties diverge wildly, with 63 percent of Republicans saying immigration is a threat, while just 29 percent of Democrats rate it so. Unlike the Republicans, the Democrats appear to favor comprehensive immigration reform. Democrats are strongly committed to enacting comprehensive immigration reform that supports our economic goals and reflects our values as both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. "Our immigration system is badly broken – separating families, undermining honest employers and workers, burdening law enforcement, and leaving millions of people working and living in the shadows."(The Democrats said). The Democrats feel as though the country urgently needs comprehensive immigration reform that brings undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and requires them to get right with the law, learn English, and pay taxes in order to get on a path to earned citizenship. "The Department of Homeland Security is prioritizing the deportation of criminals who endanger our communities over the deportation of immigrants who do not pose a threat, such as children who came here through no fault of their own and are pursuing an education." (This may be a reference to the DACA policy recently announced by the Obama administration.)"Democrats fought for the DREAM Act, legislation ensuring that young people who want to contribute fully to our society and serve our country are able to become legal residents and ultimately citizens.… Republicans decided to play politics with it rather than doing the right thing."