Immigration in the US

We've (understandably) spent most of the year discussing the past. Now that we're done cramming information for the AP Test, I think it could be cool to look ahead and use our knowledge of United States history, as well as the current political climate, to make predictions of the future of the US.

The US has been a huge destination for immigrants for decades. United States legislation, though, has not always been very friendly to incoming immigrants. The Immigration Acts of 1920 and 1924 established strict quotas for incoming immigrants to stop the "New Immigration" from Southern and Eastern Europe. These quotas were overturned. Then, in 1965, an immigration reform act was signed in to effect that relieved the quota system and relaxed regulations on immigration.

The following is a timeline that explores the recent developments in immigration compiled by myself and other members of The Talon for the Undocumented Immigration spread.

1996: AEDPA and IIRIRA
Federal level: The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) were published in 1996. Before AEDPA and IIRIRA, deportation was a two-step process in which authorities had to find out whether someone could be deported and then had to review the case that had brought this person to court.

2001: The USA PATRIOT Act
Federal level: Following 9/11, Former President George W. Bush urged Congress to pass the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act. In order to prevent terrorists from entering the United States, the USA PATRIOT Act grants the nation’s Attorney General the power to take “illegal aliens,” or any people that create suspicion, into custody where they face mandatory detention resulting in deportation or a criminal charge based on the grounds that they pose a threat to national security.

2001: The DREAM Act
Federal level: In response to the USA PATRIOT Act, The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was proposed with the intention of protecting the deportation of minors based on their parents’ legal status. If approved, the DREAM Act would allow minors to live in the United States and receive basic, Constitutional rights of citizenship. If an undocumented individual’s application were to be approved, he or she would be granted Conditional Permanent Residency and be expected to spend two years serving in the military or pursuing a higher education. When first introduced to Congress, the bill was quickly struck down.

2007-2010: The DREAM Act Continues
Federal level: The DREAM Act, after much debate throughout an entire Congressional period, was reintroduced three times with multiple revisions in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Opponents of the bill feared the DREAM Act would open the gates of the United States border and make immigration rates soar beyond the capacity of the country -- immigrants would, in their minds, drain available resources, take available jobs and consume valuable space. All three times, it did not pass.

2011: The USA PATRIOT Act Continues
Federal level: President Barack Obama signs the PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act. This Act extends three provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act for four years.

2011: California DREAM Act
State level: The California DREAM Act, introduced and passed in 2011, allows undocumented students in California with an entry age of below 16 and who have consistently received a legitimate, verifiable education to apply for college financial aid benefits in the form of scholarships and grants. The major source of aid comes from Cal Grants, a type of monetary support available to people to meet GPA, parent income and high school graduation requirements. The bill was implemented in January 2013.

2012: DACA
Federal level: In 2012, the Democratic Party announced it would cease to promote the DREAM Act to Congress and would instead provide for immigration amnesty through the Deferred Action through Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Essentially, if undocumented immigrants were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 and do not pose a threat to national security or public safety, they can apply for deferred action, an immigration reform act designed to help students. If approved, social services can keep a record on the individual who applies but will not deport him/her.

State level: DACA is a federal bill that each state within the United States can choose to ratify or nullify. If the state chooses to nullify the bill within its borders, it can completely reject all components of the bill, or it can offer provisions to certain clauses within the bill and pass a modified version within the state legislature. In support for undocumented immigrants who receive a DACA grant, California allows them to have a state driver’s license so long as they follow certain state guidelines, such as paying income taxes.

2013: California Trust ActState level: The Trust Act, which restricts who law enforcement can hold for possible deportation, was passed by California legislature on October 5, 2013. The law will go into effect January 1, 2014, and, according to the Los Angeles Times, means that “immigrants in this country illegally would have to be charged with or convicted of a serious offense to be eligible for a 48-hour hold and transfer to U.S. immigration authorities for possible deportation.” Alongside California’s approval of the Trust Act is the beginning of a movement for immigration reforms and legislation all across the United States.

“While Washington waffles on immigration, California’s forging ahead,” California Governor Jerry Brown said. “I’m not waiting.”

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For more information, check out The Talon's website for its coverage on Undocumented Immigration at http://immigration.lahstalon.org/