Donald Trump proposed during his campaign that America was going to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants from Mexico out. Since then a lot of thought and debate has gone into the idea of a border wall, much of which has been used for online meme culture. But in all seriousness, Trump’s border wall is a terrible idea.
For one, most immigrants don’t come here through the Mexican-American border. Most come here on planes and overstay their visas.
In an article from Politifact, written by Jon Greenburg, forty percent of illegal immigrants come here by plane and overstay their visa. This means that a huge percentage of immigration is not directly from the border. This leads to the idea that a border wall would not stop a large portion of immigrants. Following the large number of immigrants that come here on planes, one in thirty of every American is an undocumented immigrant according to the Pew Research Center in 2014.
This fact brings up the moral dilemma of if immigrants are “stealing our jobs”. The reality of the matter is, undocumented immigrants have been here for decades and yet the job market has yet to crumble.
The terrible thing about this situation is that America took Mexican territory simply because they wanted more land. PBS stated in their article about the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that America took a half-million square acres of land because America wanted to become a power nation in the nineteenth century.
It is baffling that a nation who took so much could suddenly think they are entitled to deporting millions of people and building a blockade to keep them out.
The better solution to a border wall would be to improve the immigration system. The immigration courts rarely give immigrants the opportunity to state their case, and in some circumstances, translators are not available.
On top of this, we need to have better visa policies that allow immigrants to come to the states, but at the same time make sure they do not overstay.
The biggest thing America needs when dealing with immigration is compassion. We need compassion for those who are seeking asylum, compassion for the families separated and put in tent cities, and compassion for those who want to come to the states to find a better life.
When did America lose the idea that we are a melting pot? America is a place where people should feel welcome, if they are law abiding.
America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, yet we have lost our intention behind these words.
Trump’s border wall is a terrible idea that would cost billions for little reward. We need to embrace a culture of people and accept them for who they are. They are humans just like us. They have hopes and dreams.
One day, hopefully, we will live in a nation where everyone can be respected. Until that day, we must have compassion.
Emily Rubino
Opinions Editor