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Immigrant Rights
My family and I migrated from Mexico in 2004. At the time, I was only five years old and
I did not know what type of things I was going to encounter in the United States. I was just
excited to see the famous white solid my dad always mentioned that would fall from the sky in
the winter, covering the earth with its feather-like texture. I was excited for that and to finally be
with my dad forever, after five years of not living with him. I know my mom was looking
forward even more to being with him; after all, they had not lived together in 18 years. I left
family, friends, and my country behind, not knowing when I would return. Spanish is my first
language, I came here not speaking any English. At first everything was so difficult and
different. I was surrounded by unfamiliar faces, sounds, and places. I must admit it was not easy,
the kids made fun of the new girl who did not understand them when they spoke to her. She was
vulnerable since she could not tell the teacher what was going on with her, she could not
communicate in any way. None of the teachers spoke my language. I felt as if I were trapped in
an empty room where I tried to scream for help but could not manage to have any sound come
out my mouth. Ive seen the struggles many people go through to have a better life. I never knew
it, but now I realize my parents were two in millions of parents doing the best that they could to
give my brothers and I a better life, as well as more opportunities. Despite being so young, I also
noticed how superior people mistreated my people, as well as me. Should undocumented
immigrants have the same rights as U.S. citizens? This is a question that has been debated for a
long period of time. Undocumented immigrants should have the same rights as U.S. citizens.
Rights such as the right to vote, right to vote freely in the U.S. for electing any government

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officials, right to both a working and driving license, and the right to attend any college of
their choice.
Immigrants, documented or not, help the U.S. economy, not harm it. According to NBC
News, Undocumented immigrants, due to their legal status, are typically unable to tap into
government programs beyond public schooling, meaning that they dont take much money from
the government.They also typically do not receive income tax credits, since few sign up for the
needed identification numbers due to fears of deportation. The quote also states that At the
same time, many work under fraudulent Social Security numbers and consequently pay into
social safety net programs they cannot use. Additionally, these immigrants all pay taxes, whether
they are income- or sales based, adding revenue that can then be used within state and federal
budgets.
What does this mean? When an undocumented immigrant uses a fraudulent Social Security
number, they are using another person's name, birth date, and every other piece of personal
information. People do this in order to get government jobs, they don't have to be very high
paying jobs, just simple jobs such as a factory worker. In order to work in these jobs, one must
have a Social Security number. Undocumented immigrant workers who use fraudulent numbers
usually use those of a family member, or family friend, that passed away and was a U.S. resident.
Some people also pay in order to get this information. The people who don't want to risk it and
don't use anyone elses Social Security number must work in jobs that allow undocumented
workers to work in. Typically for males, construction is one of the few jobs, along with yard
work (gardening) that allow undocumented workers to work for them. Women typically work in

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Hispanic grocery stores, or tortilleria/carniceras cutting meats and making tortillas. Some also
make a living by babysitting their neighbors children while they work.
Whatever the case may be, these workers try to make a living in the most honest way they
possibly can. It isn't fair for them that because of their legal status they can't afford to work in
less stressful, higher paying jobs, to help feed their families. After all, as stated in the quote
above, undocumented immigrants help the economy more than they harm it.
Why don't all undocumented workers use a fraudulent Social Security number to work?
Thats a good question. By doing so, they break the law, not only are they lying to the
government, but they are using a fake name in order to make money. This is something that
would for sure anger American politicians and citizens, causing them to believe even less in
rights for undocumented immigrants. Most people also don't do this for fear of getting caught
and deported, which in many cases happens, and causes them to leave their usually American
born children behind. America also runs on the taxes being paid by immigrants, both documented
and not, so the least they could get are the equal rights.
All immigrants work just as hard as US citizens to earn a living and make a better life. It is
believed by many people that immigrants, especially undocumented ones, take jobs from
Americans when they come here looking for jobs. This myth, however, has been proven wrong.
According to The Huffington Post in 5 Theories About the Economic Effects of Illegal
Immigration You Shouldnt Trust, Roque Planas, As the US Chamber of Commerce pointed out
in a 2013 paper, undocumented immigrants generally offer different skill sets than native-born
workers, meaning that they often arent competing for the same jobs. Additionally as

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entrepreneurs, consumers and taxpayers, undocumented immigrants also create jobs that
wouldnt without them.
This statement proves that undocumented immigrants do not take jobs from American
people, like many believe. For the same reason of their legal status, it is hard for people without
a legal working permit to get many jobs. As stated in The Washington Post, Pamela Constable,
undocumented workers hold more white-collar jobs and fewer blue-collar jobs today than they
did before the national recession of 2007-2009, but most remain concentrated in lower-skilled,
lower-paying jobs, much more so than U.S-born worker. This comes to prove that
undocumented workers do not steal jobs from American citizens. In fact, undocumented
immigrants have jobs in America that most people who have a legal working permit dont want.
The same Washington Post also states that the Pew report found that a far higher
percentages of illegal immigrants than U.S.-born workers now hold jobs with the least desirable
working conditions, such as crop picking and animal slaughter. Most Americans with a legal
working permit would not voluntarily choose to work in low paying jobs with poor conditions.
Unfortunately, because of their legal status, undocumented workers cannot afford to get any
better jobs.
The language barrier that many have also affects the jobs they are able to get. From
speaking little to no English at all, undocumented immigrants have it even harder to get any
better paying job than the ones they are used to. Those who come to the country at a young age
have the advantage that they learn the English language easier than those who come here already
older. Whatever the case may be, undocumented immigrants do not steal jobs from American
citizens. There is no way they could, considering that in order to get a good, high-paying, white

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collar job,you must be documented. Immigrants also bring along different skills used in the work
force. Often, these immigrants have more skills that involve farming (picking crops, lawn
mowing, etc.), construction, animal slaughter, cooking, cleaning, etc.
Immigrants do no harm, we come here looking for a better life and a better future. Many
people accuse immigrants of being responsible of bringing crime and drugs to the United States.
This isnt exactly true. Many immigrants come here escaping violence in their own countries.
Using the graph below, you can see that the top two countries where undocumented immigrants
come from are Mexico and El Salvador.

Mexico and El
Salvador are two countries that have been taken over, by either gang or drug-war violence. In
Mexico, the fight against the drug war continues to be fought by the Mexican government.
According to CNN news, More than 60,000 people have been killed from 2006 to 2012 due to
drug related violence. The major drug cartels currently threatening Mexico are: Beltran Leyva,

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Gulf Cartel, Juarez Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, Los Zetas, Sinaloa Cartel, Tijuana/Arellano
Felix Cartel. These cartels threaten all of Mexico, but they mainly reside in Northern Mexico,
near Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, and Guerrero. All of this violence taking place in Mexico
leads to migration to the United States.
In El Salvador, according to International Business Times, the high murder and crime rate
are due to an increase in clashes between street gangs and security forces. Gang violence, which
is rampant in the Central American nation, has resulted in the deaths of 907 people in August,
according to police statistics. El Salvador is believed to be home to more than 70,000 gang
members. The violence in this country is caused mostly by El Salvador's main gangs, Mara
Salvatrucha and Barrio 18. El Salvador experiences some of the highest murder rates in Latin
America. It is also considered an epicenter of the gang crisis, along with Guatemala and
Honduras. All of this violence brings fear to these people. That is another reasons as to why
many if they wait, theyll be the next to be in a body bag. Violence, and religious persecution,
along with political dont wait to go through the whole legal process to enter the country legally.
They fear that persecutions, are amongst the main reason as to why people migrate. Put yourself
in their shoes. If the United States was a high crime rate country, like Mexico and El Salvador,
where murders are common, wouldnt you flee with your family to another country that provides
more safety?
Undocumented immigrants should have the same rights as citizens. Laws to protect their
rights should be put in place. Undocumented immigrants should have laws that give them the
right to vote, get a working/driving license, and the right to obtain a higher level of education
than just high school, and community college, and laws to protect them from being deported and

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separated from their American born children. After all, they live in the country and help its
economy along with more things. The least they deserve are rights to live freely. Also, people
who are going through the legal process to obtaining a permanent residency should have rights
given to them and being protected by laws.
In this research paper, I have proven that undocumented immigrants are no harm to the
United States or its citizens. We are normal people looking for a better life just like anyone else.
Immigrants dont always leave their countries and families for pleasure, they do it because they
need to make a better living, one for themselves and their family, one that their own country
cannot give them. For these and many more reasons, undocumented immigrants should have the
same rights as U.S. citizens.

Work Cited

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1. "Court: Illegal Aliens Don't Have 2nd Amendment Rights - Judicial Watch."
Judicial Watch Court Illegal Aliens Dont Have 2nd Amendment Rights Comments. 21
Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
2. "El Salvador Murder Rate, Gang Violence Surge To Civil War Era Levels As
Government Vows To Stem Crime." International Business Times. 02 Sept. 2015. Web.
17 Nov. 2015.
3. "Employment Discrimination Against Immigrants: Overview - FindLaw."
Findlaw. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
4. "The Estimated Undocumented Population Is 11 Million. How Do We Know?"
CMS. Center for Migration Studies, 8 Sept. 2015. Web.
5. "Estimates of the Unauthorized Population for States." Estimates of the
Unauthorized Population for States. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
6. "5 Facts about Illegal Immigration in the U.S." Pew Research Center RSS. 24 July
2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
7. "5 Things to Know About Immigration and the U.S. Economy - NBC News."
NBC News. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.
8. "Green Card." USCIS. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
9. "Majority of Undocumented Immigrants Work in Low-skill Jobs, Report Finds."
Washington Post. The Washington Post. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
10. "Mexico Drug War Fast Facts - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network. Web. 17
Nov. 2015.
11. Nazario, Sonia. "The Heartache of an Immigrant Family." The New York Times.
The New York Times, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
12. PBS. PBS. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
13. Planas, Roque. "5 Theories About The Economic Effects Of Illegal Immigration
You Shouldn't Trust." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
14. "The Rights of Immigrants -ACLU Position Paper." American Civil Liberties
Union. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
15. "10 Myths About Immigration." 10 Myths About Immigration. Web. 17 Nov.
2015.
16. "Undocumented Immigrants Taking Jobs From US Citizens? Most Americans
Believe Immigration Is Bad For Economy." International Business Times. 14 Aug. 2015.
Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
17. Woody, Christopher. "Mexico's President Appears to Be Fudging Numbers about
the Biggest Threat to the Country." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 27 Sept. 2015.
Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
18. Zeigler, Karen, and Steven A. Camarota. "U.S. Immigrant Population Record 41.3
Million in 2013." Center for Immigration Studies. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.
19. Zong, Jie, and Jeanne Batalova. "Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants
and Immigration in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 05 Nov.
2015.

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