(Letter from Kelly Wyatt)

Dear Senator Boxer,
My name is Kelly Wyatt, I am a high school student at the Bay School in San Francisco and am writing regarding the debate about immigration. My understanding of the issue is that there are two basic views. The first is that immigration is hurting the United States and should be slowed or stopped. Those of this opinion argue that the recent wave of immigration to the United States is bringing increased violence, drug use, prostitution, overpopulation, strain on resources, and job competition. The other view is that immigration is helping the United States and should be encouraged, or we at least shouldn't be putting much effort into trying to prevent it. My opinion is that illegal immigration, whether or not it is bringing money into the US economy, should be stopped. I think that all illegal immigrants, because they are breaking the United States' immigration laws, are criminals and I don't think this nation should allow criminals to live here unpunished.

Currently, one popular suggestion for stopping immigration is to build a seven hundred mile fence along the border of the United States and Mexico. I think that, while this idea may succeed in decreasing illegal immigration for a while, anyone who wants to come to the US will find an alternative way. What I think the US needs to do is to impose harsher punishments on illegal immigrants who are caught as well as make it easier to immigrate here legally. This would give those interested in coming here an incentive to do so legally. Also, the US should change its policy about who it lets in. I think immigrants with skills that are in demand should have top priority. That way, the immigrants who do come will be a positive contribution to the American work force, rather than adding to our unemployed as many illegal aliens are currently doing.

Past immigration to the United States shows the possible effects of too many people moving here at once. One of the main effects is increased job competition between immigrants and natives of the United States; this can be seen as a part of any fairly modern (last couple centuries) migration wave. Not only does finding a job become more difficult, but, in the past, the tension between immigrants and natives that comes from competition eventually caused resentment and discrimination, which the US now wants to avoid. Recent immigration also tells us that immigrants coming here are willing to withstand a lot to live in the United States. All of the recent groups of immigrants have had to withstand some kind of hardship, usually hard work for low wages, and discrimination. This tells me that our consequences for entering the country illegally have to be worse than they are now if they are to deter prospective illegal immigrants. Otherwise the immigrants will withstand them easily enough and this will send the message to others that immigrants can come to America illegally without particularly bad consequences, which is not the precedent the US wants to set.

I think that what the United States should do is to punish illegal immigration while rewarding legal immigration. While it would be too difficult and unrealistic to find and deport all illegal immigrants in the US, I think illegal immigration should be considered a felony so any illegal immigrants who are caught will receive harsher punishments. Also, making immigration to the United States easier and faster would give people less reason to come in against the law. Right now, many immigrants know they don't have a good chance of being allowed in if they apply legally so decide they have a better chance of getting in illegally. The United States should especially make it easier for skilled workers to come here because this would let in more people who could add to the skilled labor force and boost American economy while showing others from their own country how easy it is to come here legally. And I believe that once a legal immigrant is here, the law and the way we enforce it should make it much easier and better for legal immigrants to live here. For example, legal immigrants should receive the same and more benefits than illegal immigrants.

The fact that you voted 'yes' on the Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment tells me that you also believe this. While I don't think that there is any way to fully stop illegal immigration, I think that my proposal will go the farthest to slow it.

Sincerely,
Kelly Wyatt