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Jenna Heenan

Dual English 111 2B

Mrs. Pettay

October 21, 2016

Informative Essay

Contrary to popular belief, approximately 40 million of todays population in the U.S is foreign-

born, and that amount has almost tripled in the past four decades. In the upcoming election, Immigration

has been a hot topic due to the drastically different views between the Democratic and Republican parties.

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both say they favor secure borders, but in

pretty much every other respect they are at odds over how to go about tackling key immigration issues;

While Trump calls for a plan to deport and keep out all illegal immigrants, Clintons plan emphasizes

immigrant integration and protection from deportation.

Trump claims his plan for immigration is to focus more on the needs of working Americans and

less on benefits to foreign nationals. According to Trumps official website, the first big change he plans

to make is to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has said he will begin working on an

impenetrable physical wall on the southern border on day one of his presidency, and that Mexico will pay

for the wall. He also has called for increased enforcement of immigration laws. One way he plans on

doing this is by eliminating sanctuary cities, where local police departments refuse to contact immigration

authorities when they apprehend someone who may be in the country illegally, which is exactly what

Donald Trump is against. He also wants to end birthright citizenship, saying its "the biggest magnet for

illegal immigration," so that children born to undocumented parents should not be granted U.S.

citizenship. Lastly, Trump emphasizes a focus on American workers. He claims foreign workers weigh

down salaries, keep unemployment high and make it difficult for Americans and legal immigrants to earn

a middle-class wage. In order to combat this, Trump suggests employers seeking to hire should first turn
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to the nations unemployed population before recruiting foreign workers. He plans to create a hiatus

during which foreign workers abroad would not get green cards until employers hire native-born and

immigrants already in the country. Overall, Trumps aggressive plan on regulating immigration seems to

focus on prioritizing the jobs, wages, and security of the American people.

In contrast, Hillary Clinton claims she will Introduce a comprehensive immigration reform with a

pathway for illegal immigrants to full and equal citizenship. On Clintons official website, she describes

her plan to end the 3- and 10-year bars which she claims forces familiesespecially those whose

members have different citizenship or immigration statusesinto a heartbreaking dilemma: remain in the

shadows, or pursue a green card by leaving the country and loved ones behind. Oppositely to Trump,

Clinton encourages immigrants to become naturalized citizens by making it easier for people to become

U.S. citizens. Her plan is to increase outreach and education so that potential citizens have a better

understanding of the naturalization process. Clinton promises to help the nations estimated 42 million

immigrants integrate into the United States by reducing language, education and economic barriers. She

also emphasizes the need for immigration enforcement to be humane, targeted, and effective. Hillary will

focus resources on detaining and deporting those individuals who pose a violent threat to public safety,

and ensure refugees who seek asylum in the U.S. have a fair chance to tell their stories. Overall, Clintons

plan for immigration puts an emphasis on keeping immigrant families together, promoting naturalization,

and supporting immigrant integration.

With Immigration being such a controversial issue, it is clear the debate over immigration reform

will be a central issue for the remainder of the election. Donald Trump and Hillary Clintons plans on how

to handle immigration in the US are practically opposites. While Trump calls for mass deportations of

illegal immigrants and a wall to keep away these immigrants from coming into the country, Clinton wants

a pathway to citizenship, immigrant integration and protection from deportation.

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Works Cited

"Hillary Clinton 2016." Hillary Clinton 2016. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

Immigration. Make America Great Again!, https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/immigration/.