A World of Opportunities

The United States is viewed as a World of opportunities for many individuals around the globe. Afterall, the US is an economical giant and a superpower with endless educational and job opportunities. It seems, at least to some, like there's a place for everyone in "The Melting Pot" known as the United States.

Buzzards and children compete for scraps at the Tegucigalpa, Honduras, landfill. Boys scavenge for anything they can eat or sell. Northbound freight trains through Mexico are crowded with Hondurans fleeing poverty and in search of work or a relative in the U.S.

Illegal immigrants recognize the plethora of opportunities and yearn to take advantage of them. These individuals live in countries with a large amount of poverty, crime, and insufficient resources. For example, in a survey done in 2002, half of the Mexican population was living in poverty and one fifth was living in extreme poverty. Individuals living in this extreme poverty earn less than $2 a day, are not able to support their families, do not have access to running water, food, and many other neccessary resources. The causes of this poverty can be explained by three major factors: invidual condition, the geographic factor, and the political economy of the country. These extenuating circumstances are what eventually force the individual to migrate to the United States and explore the options to improve their standard of living.






Actually entering the United States illegally is challenging enough, not to mention the new border enforcement and the fence being built to prevent such events from happening. Immigrants risk their lives to enter the US and the lives of their loved ones as well. This can be attributed to the "pull factors" that draw these people to the US. These factors include higher wages, possible employment, higher standards of living, and better education opportunities. The education system in the US offers a better education than school systems in places such as Mexico or Honduras. If the children of these immigrants are able to recieve a better education, they will be able to obtain better jobs.


When immigrants successfully cross the border, they fill jobs as "low skilled workers". The working conditions are not good and the immigrants are often paid below minimum wage. The immigrants are exploited, however they accept the working conditions, low pay, and long hours because it is better than their former circumstances. These immigrants help the economy by filling jobs as "low skilled workers" and benefit US citizens by performing cheap labor which helps keep costs down.


Illegal immigration has been a hot topic in politics lately. The main focus has been on ways to solve the "immigration problem". US citizens view immigration as harmful to the economy and are forcing politicians to find ways to improvise the immigration policy. One improvision is the Real ID policy which would make it harder to falsify legal documents and obtain a fake driver's license.


President Bush has also begun to seek improvements in the immigration policy by his "Guest Worker Program". The program will allow illegal immigrants to obtain jobs that Americans are not willing to fill in exchange for a 3 years visa, with an option of extension with proof of employment.