5 Things You Need to Know About the Immigration Crisis

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/07/politics/5-things-immigration-reality-check/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

The immigration crisis has been an ongoing problem in the United States for the past several years. There are too many undocumented immigrants illegally crossing the border, with an estimated eleven million people living in the shadows of the United States. The article being discussed has broken down five questions commonly brought up among those involved in the crisis.

First of all, the question being asked is, "Why is this happening?" This was briefly explained by stating several reasons, consisting of broken families yearning to be brought back together, as well as several push and pull factors, including the amount of endless opportunities in the United States, and the poverty stricken countries of Southern and Central America. A connection can be made between these circumstances and those faced in "The Distance Between Us", where Reyna's parents aspired to change their level of prosperity in Mexico. To do this, they crossed the border, which is what is still happening currently.

Another question being brought up is whether or not the government should have seen it coming. The article states that yes, the government should have seen it coming, as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 authorized the Department of Health and Human Services to take over the kids, including giving them the health and legal help they were in desperate need of. When Reyna and her family crossed the border, the amount of immigrants was not as high as it is today, which is one of the reasons the government may not have seen it coming. However, without the immigration reform being set in place, the numbers will continue to rise among those immigrating to the U.S. 

The third question pertains to what will be done about the surplus amount of minors traveling to the United States. The children are supposed to attend a court hearing, where they're fate will be determined, most likely resulting in a deportation. However, the amount of children actually showing up to the courts is not as high as expected, causing problems of its own. To fully understand why the child wouldn't show up would be to think about it from their point of view. Finally, you're in the country over the border, where you are told to attend a court hearing, where you will most likely be told you are going to be sent back where you started. Not only is this happening in the United States, but over a hundred million dollars is being sent transporting these immigrants home, leading to even more debt in the United States.

The final questions have to deal with the immigration bill. Obama has stated that if an immigration bill had been passed, an estimated 8 million of the 11 million undocumented immigrants would be granted citizenship, leading to less people here illegally, but more people coming into the United States. Good and bad things could come from this. First of all, people would no longer have to hide in the shadows, such as Reyna's family in "The Distance Between Us". However, this would lead to more people coming to the United States with the hope of becoming a citizen, leading to an even bigger crisis than we already have. 

To fully understand what good could come from illegal immigrants flooding into our country, you'd have to know what they're coming from, as Reyna portrayed in her book. Not only would her talent as a writer have been wasted, but more than likely, she would have ended up in a job where she would have never escaped her poverty. However, with good comes bad, which are what most people living in the United States is concerned with. To us, they could bring diseases, and make the economy worse. While these are possibilities, there are always two sides to the story, and it all depends which one you decide to look at.