(1) PRO/CON Essay: Please be sure to review the course schedule for due date. Hard deadline. NO Gdocs. Only use Word as provided in your GC account. Immigration policy has become a polarizing issue i

Should the U.S. Continue to Build a Border Wall?

Student Name

Date

Federal Government

Dr. R. Durante

Introduction

Buzzwords like, “White Nationalist,” or, “Neo-Nazi,” are very socially present and carelessly thrown around terms in today’s world. The bipartisan disagreement over immigration has transformed from a simple discussion into uncivilized ad hominems and barbaric arguing. Examining the factual data and logic from both parties’ perspective on whether or not the U.S. should build a border wall is key to coming to a strong, sound solution to the discussion of immigration.

PRO 1

It is commonly thought that illegal immigrants amplify crime and drug use in the U.S., and that a wall would be a cost-effective solution to this problem. The President of the United States, supported also by his cabinet members, national, and local leaders believe our southern frontline battle against vicious drug traffickers and criminal cartels violate our sovereignty (President Cabinet Meeting, 2019). Reports indicate Texas illegal-alien murder-arrest rates were 56 percent higher than the rates for all other apprehended murderers (Latzer, 2019). This evidence points to a high murder and crime rate from illegal immigrants. As for drugs, the DEA reports that traffickers exploit large unprotected sparse desert areas (Dhillan, 2018). Illegal traffickers pose not just a safety threat, but also bring illegal substances into our country. While these concerns are grave, building a wall is also a cost effective strategies to solving these issues. A FAIR study examined illegal immigration costs, and determined our nation spends approximately $113 billion, representing $1,117 in taxes from every household (Barnes, 2015). Worse, the study concluded that the costs for states with the largest number of illegals create crippling deficits (Barnes, 2015). Comparing the national deficit of $113 billion spent on illegal immigration to a border wall demonstrates it is a cost effective solution. Some experts agree that a southern border wall could pay for itself in about a month (Allen, 2018). This cost effective solution alleviates dangerous threats and drug traffickers.

PRO 2

A wall also helps to preserve the culture of America. Diversity in America is an American value that defines our greatness. Legal immigration aligns with our American values and culture, but breaking laws is not a system that we value in our democracy. (Wolpert, 2014) speaks to losing a controlling power within a political system that has been created unduly. Race is not the issue rather the loss of a political balance not grounded in Constitutional law. Changing demographics is the American way to reshape our political landscape. Changes made due to illegal crossing does not reflect our history and the values that have defined us as a nation today. A wall, therefore, is a proper solution.

A southern borer wall works to keep dangerous threats out of the nation while allowing our legal immigration system to control the numbers of individuals coming to America. Government agencies show border walls have proven to be extremely effective against illegal crimes and crossings (DHS, 2018). Studies also find that a $2.3 billion wall has helped to curb the threat of illegal migration (Ordway, 2019). This study proves the success of barriers, meaning walls do keep out those whom it intends to keep out based on laws. A wall therefore, poses a cost effective solution to problems like crime, drug trafficking, and shifting the political landscape in undemocratic ways.

CON 1

Proponents against a border wall say immigrant populations have been growing fast for decades and that crime statistics have stayed the same during this same period or perhaps have even moved in the opposite direction (Flagg, 2018). Experts have concluded that undocumented immigration has not increased drug or alcohol problems in America. Any concern applied to drug trafficking and crime rates from an illegal population are simply unjustified attacks pried from nativist, irrational fears (Light, 2017). The fence may provide significant symbolic and expressive benefits to politicians but it is only a marginal defense (Gulasekaram, 2012). Experts also believe money is best spent in more needed areas. Providing Medicaid, for example for 1.4 million people or renewable energy efficiency is money better spent for the needs of our citizens (Koshgarian, 2018). Experts also argue these funding decisions are not only a better use of our resources, but better represent our American values rather than a southern wall. A border wall is a solution to problems we do not have and an expensive symbol to irrational nativist tendencies.

CON 2

Support for a southern border wall as a security measure reflects nonfactual, nativist principles and is an expensive solution to a non-existing problem. Experts believe people supporting a border wall are racists and follow incorrect native tendencies because the wall is a symbol for broad racial and religious exclusion and domination (Bouie, 2019) worsened by the truth that the wall is not an effective solution. Borders wall are largely ineffective (Dear, 2013). The Migration Policy Institute holds walls did not entirely prevent previous crossings in the United States or Europe but shifted immigrant flows to more remote or less fortified areas. Professionals believe walls have proven not only to be ineffective, but exists as a product of nativist irrational thought (Jones, 2016). Overall, for opponents no real problems are actually being solved by a border wall nor is it fiscally responsible.

Conclusion

Proponents for the southern border wall believe it is a cost effective and proper solution to escalating drug and crime issues while opponents say the wall perpetuates an irrational fear that our political landscape will tilt toward a matrix created unconstitutionally. Proponents believe greater national security, lower crime rates and a stronger American culture will prevail because a southern border wall is in place. Opponents to the southern border wall believe it is an unnecessary cost for non-existing problems. It is worthwhile to examine all professional arguments in the discussion for the need of a southern border wall. It is imperative that unprofessional name calling and ad hominems be removed from today’s national discussion so rational and logical solutions can truly be implemented.

References

Allen, J. (2018, December 7). Trump now says border wall could cost as little as $15 billion, pay

for itself. Retrieved February 24, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/ politics/politics-news/trump-now-says-border-wall-could-cost-little-15-billion-n945346

Barnes, E. (2015, March 26). Illegal Immigration Costs U.S. $113 Billion a Year, Study Finds.

Retrieved February 22, 2020, from https://www.foxnews.com/us/illegal immigration-costs-u-s-113-billion-a-year-study-finds

Bouie, J. (2019, January 24). Trump's Wall of Shame. Retrieved February 21, 2020, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/opinion/trump-wall-shutdown.html

Dhillan, U. (2018, October 1). 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment. Retrieved February 23,

2020, from https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=818528

Flagg, A. (2018, March 30). The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant. Retrieved February 18, 2020,

from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/30/upshot/crime-immigration-myth.html

Grandin, Greg. End of the Myth: from the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America.

S.1.: METROPOLITAN HENRY HOLT, 2020.

Gulasekaram, P. (2012). Why a Wall? Retrieved February 22, 2020, from

https://scholarship.law.uci.edu/ucilr/vol2/iss1/6/

Jones, R. (2019, February 21). Borders and Walls: Do Barriers Deter Unauthorized Migration?

Retrieved February 22, 2020, from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/borders-and-walls-do-barriers-deter-unauthorized-migration

Kaufmann, E. P. (2019). Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration, and the Future of White Majorities.

New York: Abrams Press.

Koshgarian, L. (2018, December 7). Nine Things to Buy with $5 Billion Instead of a Border

Wall. Retrieved February 22, 2020, from https://www.nationalpriorities.org/blog/2018/12/07/nine-things-buy-5-billion-instead-border-wall/

Latzer, B., John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Cuny, & Fall of Violent Crime in America.

(2019, January 25). Do Illegal Aliens Have High Crime Rates? Retrieved February 21, 2020, from https://www.city-journal.org/illegal-alien-crime-rate-data

Leo, D., & Daniela. (2013, May 18). Why Walls Don't Work, by Michael Dear. Retrieved

February 22, 2020, from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15b9h8q9

Light, M. T., Miller, T., & Kelly, B. C. (2017, September). Undocumented Immigration, Drug

Problems, and Driving Under the Influence in the United States, 1990-2014. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551598/

Ordway, D.-M. (2019, March 26). What the research says about border walls and barriers.

Retrieved February 22, 2020, from https://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/immigration/border-walls-barriers-fences-research/

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Walls Work. (2018, December 15). Retrieved February 22, 2020, from

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work

Wolpert, S. (2014, October 3). Soon to Become a Minority in the U.S., Whites Express

Declining Support for Diversity, UCLA Psychology Study Finds. Retrieved February 22, 2020, from https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/soon-to-become-a-minority-in-the-u-s-whites-express-declining-support-for-diversity-ucla-psychology-study-finds