Immigration in Texas

How is the population changing in Texas?

The population of Texas is experiencing fast growth in population because of the increase in the number of undocumented immigrants. According to the Pew Research Houston alone has approximately 600,000 undocumented immigrants making it to be among the cities with the highest number of immigrants (Romero and Jordan par. 3). The increase in the number of immigrants and refugees has made Texas to be among the most diverse states in the country with the Hispanics being the fastest growing ethnic group.

What are some of the possible political implications of the changing population in Texas?

The increase in the number of undocumented immigrants in the State of Texas comes with socioeconomic and political implications.  The political implication on the increase in the number of undocumented immigrants is on the economic planning. The governor should establish measures to ensure accessibility of the services to the public such as education and medical services (Romero and Jordan par 4). Giving citizenship to the undocumented immigrants can empower them politically, give then power to vote as well as seek for the privileges and entitlements enjoyed by the citizens. This can changing the voting structure in addition to increasing the burden of the government to ensure that the inadequate resources are shared equally with the new group; services such as higher education loans and medical programs such as Medicare and Medicaid (Martinez 963).

After reading the “You Decide” passage, do you agree with Dan Patrick or Julian Castro? Should undocumented immigrants be given a pathway to citizenship or be sent back to their country of origin?

Because immigrants come with both positive and negative impact in the State, it is important to focus more on the contribution of the immigrants before making a decision. The government of Texas should be given a pathway to citizenship because of their contribution to the economy of the State. Undocumented immigrants should not be sent back to their country because they are also a useful part of the society. With the increase in the number of undocumented immigrants attaining higher education and engaging economic activities, deporting them can dent the economy. Additionally, deportation leads to breaking of families therefore causing along term impact on the members left behind (Khimm par. 4).

What are the pros and cons of illegal immigration in regards to both the U.S. and Texas economies? Consider how illegal immigrants have positively or negatively affected the economy.

Illegal immigrants have advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages that illegal immigrants have contributed in Texas is the availability of cheap labor. The report by the Martinez et al (955) one of the factors that have contributed to the high representation of undocumented immigrants in the menial labor is because of their relatively low level of education. However, illegal immigrants are also employed in high professional because they are increasing embracing higher education as compared to the natives (Khimm par. 2).

On the contrary, undocumented immigrants have been criticized for crossing into the U.S and bringing with them some negative habits and activities in the country. Mexican immigrants and citizens of the countries in the Caribbean are reported to engage in smuggling of drugs into the country in addition to promoting violent crimes in the country. Additionally, illegal immigrants are perceived as the main cause of the increase in unemployment in the U.S (Khimm par. 5).

Do you believe compromise is possible on immigration? Are the only two options deportations and amnesty? Is there a third option?

With the strengthening of the federal laws on immigration, States are compelled to comply with the requirements of the federal law. Immigration issue has failed to be addressed for many years because of focusing only on two options; deportation and amnesty. Another option to addressing the issue of illegal immigration is to put the current immigrant under the guest worker program (Martinez et al 953).

What role should the state of Texas play in the immigration policy?

Although the State of Texas should comply with the federal laws on immigration, the State should still focus avoid immigration laws whose implementation can dent the economic and social setting of the State. The state should also establish local laws to deal with the issue of undocumented immigrants rather thane following the federal policy which my see a plunge in the economy. Texas can take new measures such as boosting the security at the boarders of the states to prevent the influx of more immigrants (Martinez et al. 948).

Works Cited

Khimm, Suzy. How much did Illegal Immigrants Contribute to Texas’ Economic Boom? 19 August, 2011. Web. 12 September, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/how-much-did-illegal-immigrants-contribute-to-texas-economicboom/2011/08/19/gIQASvBFQJ_blog.html?utm_term=.d13e8508fefe

Martinez, Omar, et al. “Evaluating the impact of immigration policies on health status among undocumented immigrants: a systematic review.” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 17.3 (2015): 947-970.

Romero, Simon and Jordan, Miriam. It Was an Uneasy Time for Immigrants in Texas. Then the Rains Came. 29 August, 2017. Web. 12 September, 2017.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/us/immigration-harvey-border-patrol.html?mcubz=0