The effects of immigration on the United States, as much as is speculated, have been shown to negatively affect the country. The constant stream of immigration coming from America's southern borders is causing more and more stress on the United States' economy and the lower class American Citizens. Many people do not see this impact because each state has its own immigrant population and the more densely populated regions, especially, border states, are struggling to handle these illegal immigrants. Gordon Hanson presented the statics of immigrants entering the country, "An estimated 12 million unauthorized immigrants live in the United States, and the past decade saw an average of 500,000 illegal entrants per year (Hanson)". People cross the border to seek new life in the United States, however, we do not have the resources to accommodate these immigrants. We need to take awareness of the United States border to the south if we want our country to continue to rise economically. The citizens of the United States are paying the price for people who do not have the right to be in the States. Immigration needs change and for this to happen, we must raise our regulations and standards for immigration and border control. 

The relevance of illegal immigration is a hot topic in today's current news markets. The presidential debates have been a major addition to the modern news stream to cause a spike in coverage. In every debate the candidates address the current standing on the immigration crisis. Trump is pushed forth as one of the most radical presidential candidates in history when it comes to making the immigration standards stronger. In Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer's, backing of Trump she agreed with his message that there is a need for stronger immigration and border control, "For years I pleaded with the federal government to do their job and secure our border. Today, we can elect a President who will do just that  --  Donald J. Trump (DelReal)". This race could show a lot of American's true opinions on the hot button topic because it is hard to take side with people that are so radically different in immigration regulation policy. The presidential campaign will play a key role on immigration policies in the future.

The job market is the most competitive field for all immigrants, legal or not. This is something that occurs throughout the country. Immigrants are taking lower salary and under the table work, allowing business owners to evade taxes and see higher profits for their companies. This is shown in Vice News's, "Immigrant America", who has followed the lives of illegal immigrants in the United States. Their information and studies substantiate immigrants working for cash below the minimum wage on farms throughout the country. This should come at an outrage to the unemployed in the American working force. Unfortunately, many Americans would rather live life through welfare than put in the effort at an honest day's work. This means that there needs to be more work done in America's welfare offices to assure that those using it need it.  Beyond that the government must do a better job of auditing these small businesses that employ immigrants and exploit their work. The blue collar working citizens in construction, farming, and other highly worked jobs by immigrants are being washed out by lower paid illegal immigrants. Therefore, if the illegal immigrants gain citizenship, they are rewarded with a higher wage.  If United States born citizens work these minimum wage jobs at a higher wage then both parties win. There are truly benefits to immigrants that go through the process to become legal citizens, they do see better lives under the umbrella that is the United States government, who is there to provide additional benefits to them. 

The adjustments that need to be made have already been put in place in multiple border states such as California. The people of California are very receptive to the idea of immigrants taking home in their state, "61% consider immigrants a benefit to the state (Skelton)". California is at the front of the United States, when it comes at looking at the immigration crisis with an enlightened point of view. The United States should support immigrants that meet certain standards set regardless of paperwork. The ideal goal is making a path for illegal immigrants to become United States citizens in order to cut out the need for illegal immigration. The Democratic party is much stronger in the aid of immigrants in our nation than is the Republication party. The current election will have a major effect on the immigration crisis, it could change the views of immigration greatly in the coming months. As the home to the largest illegal immigrant population, California is the front runner for developing ways for immigrants to gain legal status and rights of United States citizens. California's new driver license laws for illegal immigrants is one of the best examples for this. It comes from the news website of International Business Times, and is written by Jackie Salo, their "breaking news analyst", who covers their major breaking stories. The new law allows illegal immigrants with no documentation the chance to obtain a driver license. This has flooded their system as well as has given a right of a United States citizen away by allowing it so freely and easily. California is the tip of the spear when it comes to advancements for illegal immigrants.

The illegal immigrant's effect on wages have taken a toll on the lower class more than anything else.

 Illegal immigrants coming to the United States and working for lower salaries have lowered the wages for low income Americans. This fact comes from an article in The Wall Street Journal by writer Bob Davis, who covers economic issues for the newspaper. If a Mexican construction worker competes for a job that a U.S. worker could reasonably do, that substitution essentially increases the supply of workers (Davis)". Lower Income households in the United States have found themselves on the same playing field as many illegal immigrants when considering job options. They are all in the same job market. It is an unfair addition of competition. The job market is competitive, and it is unfair for the American citizen to have to compete for employment with someone who cannot rightfully have employment. Immigrants who are legally here deserve their fair chance in this market, but cannot do so if illegal immigrants are taking the jobs and under the table wages, while pushing the American working man and United States tax system out the picture.

Illegal immigrants has created a lack of resources and has lowered the success rate of the public education system. In the past year more than 95,000 illegal immigrants have enrolled in United States' schools making the United States government add funding to those educational programs. This statistic comes from a web article on Breitbart, a political news site that is rather independent. In reference to a Washington Post article, analyst Caroline May said, 

"The cost of meeting the educational needs for the kids who are arriving illegally as part of the surge is the main way that the administration's policy is burdensome to state and local governments. (May)".

The government assigns the students to schools, but keeps funding at the same level. Immigrant students are overpopulating United States schools daily, which would be acceptable, if it did not take resources away from our citizens and tax payers. The students have been coming in far behind for their age and speaking little to no English. This is an unfair pressure on the teaching force of America, making them meet the needs of students that cannot be met. The schools simply cannot support it. This lack of awareness for the teacher and fellow students is detrimental to public schools effected by this high rate of illegal enrollment into the public education system.

Another major reason for the illegal practice of illegal immigration from the south is due to the drug cartels creating danger on those citizens of the home countries. People run in fear from areas of violence in South America as well as Central America due to the drug wars between different cartels in those areas. These cartels endanger families, force involvement, and add to an already hard lifestyle in those countries.  Multiple factors have contributed to the surge in immigration from Central American countries to the United States. The Mexican cartels have outgrown Mexico and their quarrels are now expanding throughout Central and South America. The control of human smuggling routes by the cartels allows the cartels to force the innocent effected by the drug wars around them to fund the cartels who made their homes unlivable. The movement of the cartels to the south are due to a step up in attacks by the Mexican government against the cartels domestically. The cartels have a firm grip on the immigration crisis occurring in the United States as they are one of the largest profiteers from the lack of control on the border. They benefit from payment for the people, drugs, and illegal goods as they find their way into the United States.

Despite facts, there is some proof that immigration reforms have been occurring frequently in the United States. Despite the belief of many people, the immigration level has declined since Obama's presidency, but it is still a relevant problem. The United States is hosting under 11 million immigrants for the first time in over a decade. It is primarily the Grand Old Party that has contributed to the idea of the immigration being a crisis. The Republican party and the conservative population have voiced a great need for "huge walls", "deporting immigrants", and much more against all kinds of immigration in recent politics. However, this number is primarily caused by a decline in Mexican immigrants. South America and Central America continue to be spilling immigrants in high numbers into the United States in the past few years. The current number of immigrants undocumented in the United States is roughly 10.9 million. This is still a scary and completely unnecessary number. This problem could be solved by introducing a reasonable way for those immigrants who deserve it to earn citizenship and removing those who do not deserve it from our country. The United States government must take a stand because our resources are limited and we cannot provide for 10.9 million people in addition to our legal population. We need our government and public resources to benefit those American citizens that deserve it, the allowance of illegal aliens to receive our public resources permits them to abuse the system of government that is made to support its lower class citizens. 

The reforms necessary are simple and can be made easily. The most important addition to immigration is that they must have paper work, if not some proof of identification beforehand. Without identification it is not possible to know who or what we are letting into the United States. Also, citizenship should be an application process as it is in other countries to include Mexico. If there is someone with a skill or quality that can be put to use to better benefit our country, then we should not only allow them but help expedite the process. In addition, the government should help put immigrants and the unemployed in the work force. For example, to gain citizenship in the United Kingdom, one must jump through multiple hoops, either marriage, time, or work. Then they must also go through the process on a state level (For example: Scotland, England, North Ireland). This model, shown in successful European countries, is the way to go about citizenship. If an immigrant deserves to be here, we should have a system in place for them to thrive, but if they cannot benefit our society or put effort towards it, then we should deport them. This may seem rash but necessary when considering the effects of over population, illegal immigration, and border disputes. 

With these immigration reforms added to the American standard of immigration, we have a significant chance of lowering the illegal immigrant population in the United States by helping ease the process of gaining citizenship to those who deserve it and strengthen border control. An intelligent US citizen would agree that immigration is good when properly practiced and is an amazing part of our country. In fact, based on a random telephone poll, "Americans overall are more likely to say that newcomers from other countries strengthen American society ... (60 Minutes)". This shows that with a rational outlook the population would support the government in making reforms in immigration to benefit both immigrants and US born citizens. This could greatly benefit the American economy by giving jobs to blue collar American citizens. If rational reforms take place, then the United States could see benefits on the front lines of immigration. 

