Should undocumented immigrants be able to acquire
legal residency through marriage to a U.S. citizen? That is the question that millions
of couples are facing in our country today. There are between 15 and 20 million
illegal immigrants in the United States today and many of those people are
married and/or have children with American citizens. Many of these immigrants
are good natured hardworking people, who just for some reason or another came into
this country through the back door. Besides not being born here, many of them
are no different than our own families. They have wives and husbands who they
love, they have children that they care for, and families that they want to
protect. Coming here illegally though, does mean that there is one thing that
does make these immigrants very different than U.S. citizens; and that is the
fear of losing their families because of deportation.
Millions of marriages in the United
States involve a spouse who is here illegally and millions of U.S. born
children have at least one parent in the same position. When these people are
discovered and get deported, they leave families behind to struggle. Many
families who are living in fear of such a situation happening to them are
pushing for immigration law reform. U.S. citizens who have married illegal
immigrants believe that their spouses should not have to live in fear of
getting sent away. They believe that marriage should provide them with legal
status.
In the article, “Americans Married
to Immigrants Push for Reform,” three American wives tell their stories about the
hardships they are facing because of deportation. One woman chose to leave with
her husband when he was deported back to Angola. They have three young children
together and feel all alone in a country they do not know. They are fighting to
be able to come back but with no response so far, the future seems dim. Another
woman who is married to a native Guatemalan man says that her family is
unwilling to petition for her husband to gain legal status. Doing so would
require that her husband leave the United States for 10 years and so instead
are left waiting in limbo.
Not everyone thinks that undocumented
immigrants should be granted legal status if they marry a citizen. Many people
think that it makes it too easy and encourages more illegal immigration. The
article, “Rasmussen: Majority Believe Federal Government is Encouraging Illegal
Immigration,” says that 58 percent of
people surveyed said they thought the federal government was encouraging
illegal immigration. They look at it like they are “catching a break,” and a
break that is not deserved. Some people cannot look past the fact that these
immigrants snuck into the United States and see them as strictly criminals for
doing so. They are worried that it could inspire undocumented immigrants to
pose in fake marriages just to get papers. Another article, “Immigrant
Couples Face Scrutiny in Bid to Root Out Sham Marriages,” discusses sham
marriages and how they are affecting immigration policy. According to the
article, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services uncovered and denied more
than 600 fraudulent green card applications for foreign spouses between 2007
and 2009.
The issue of illegal immigrants in
the United States is very controversial overall. It has many layers when looked
into deeply, having co-issues like government money, crime, and family and
community unity. Depending on which layer is focused on, one’s opinion could
change. The bottom line is that the question is left unanswered. Should
undocumented immigrants be able to acquire legal residency through marriage to
a U.S. citizen? It’s difficult to say, but a look at both sides is definitely necessary
before making any conclusion.
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