The Different Views of Illegal Immigration

Rosemary Carrillo

Mr. Daniel Mendoza

English 1302

August 6, 2014

The Different Views of Illegal Immigration

        The most talked about news around the world right now is on the Immigration Surge. Thousands of children from Central America are illegally crossing the United States borders in search of a better life. Can you imagine what these children have been exposed to in their country of origin that they courageously decided to risk their lives’ in order to escape their harsh reality in hopes of finding happiness in The United States of America?

In article II the writer made me feel that he is against illegal immigration. The writer seems to focus on why the town mayor, the residents, DHS, and border patrol agents are against illegal immigration. On the other hand there are some people who are in support of illegal immigrants. However, In Article II, the writer made me feel that he strongly believes in protecting illegal immigrants.  He mentions operation Peter Pan in comparison to the surge of illegal immigrant children situation we face today. When speaking on this topic, he shows an extreme appeal to emotion while trying to get his point across. My position on this topic would be against illegal immigration for several reasons. The first reason would be that the cost to pay a Coyote is extremely high, why not just apply for a guest-worker program? Reason two would be that these poor people experience many horrors on the actual trip to a get to where they believe would be a better life. Lastly, because it costs us the American tax payers billions to accommodate them.

In Article one, “Protestors turn back busloads of illegal immigrants, as border stations overwhelmed” by William La Jeunesse, the writer made me feel that he is against illegal immigration. I feel that that he mostly appealed to logic by fallacy to appeal to authority. The writer attempts to justify an argument by citing highly admired or well-known figures who are against illegal immigration. The writer’s main discussion was focused on why the mayor of Murrieta, the residents, DHS, and the Border Patrol agents are against illegal immigration. The mayor of Murrieta California rallied the residents to protest against the bus loads of illegal immigrants making their way in to town by making a sweeping generalization about fears of disease, crime and already strained government services. The mayor appealed to begging the question by claiming that he has asked a lot of questions about the health screens of the immigrants and there are a lot of gaps.

One resident protestor stated “We can’t start taking care of others if we can’t take care of our own” (Nancy Grayson). I feel she appealed to pathos by appeal to ignorance. Due to the overwhelming surge in immigration, DHS is forced to send illegal immigrants by buses and planes around the country in order to get properly processed. One Border Patrol agent stated “the situation is well past the crisis point”. The Border Patrol agent appeals to emotion when he stated “we are overwhelmed with people coming out of Texas, we don’t have the space to hold them. I feel that La Jeunesse focused his article on appeal to Logic; however he only got one side of the story. He only got the side of the people against illegal immigration. How am I going to agree with his views if I do not know the other side of the story?

        On the other hand, there are some people who are very understanding and in support of illegal immigrants. In article II “Turning away children at the U.S. border who are fleeing poverty and violence in Central America is cruel: The border children are persecuted people whose lives are in danger and who deserve all the rights and protections afforded to refugees and asylum seekers” by Albor Ruiz I felt Ruiz strongly appeal to emotion by fallacy to faulty analogy in his article. Ruiz mentioned operation Peter Pan and compares it to the situation of today’s children immigration surge. The Peter Pan operation, in which 14,000 children were sent to Miami from Cuba because the Cuban Government led by Fidel Castro was going to take these children against their parent’s will and force them in to military schools and soviet labor camps. Like the Peter Pan children, the border children are in danger in their country of origin. It is over powered by the drug cartel and these kids are in danger of being forced in to a life-style of crime. The writer is out raged that the protestors in Murrieta California would not take these frightened, powerless children in to their town.

He mentions America’s appetite for illegal drugs have fueled most of the brutality in Central America. When speaking about the President’s plan to change the rules and expedite the immigrants, the writer expresses a great deal of appeal to emotion by fallacy of hypothesis contrary to fact. He states “if Obama sends these children back to life of violence and abuse, I would label him forever the worst President in history on immigration matters. I think that Ruiz extremely over killed this article with appeal to emotion. How am I going to believe what he is saying when he is only speaking on only pure emotion and no logic to any of it? I get it, these children are no different than the Peter Pan operation however Ruiz, could have been a little more logical and not so emotional in getting his point across.

        My position on this topic is against illegal immigration. Human smugglers also known as “Coyotes” are believed to generate about $6.6 billion dollars a year according to a 2010 United Nations report. The cost to pay a coyote is anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 per person and that is if everything goes as planned. This money is used to pay off government officials, gangs operating on the trains and drug cartels controlling the routes in the north. These illegal immigrants give their life savings to these criminals just like that, and it is not even certain if they will even make it to the other side in one piece. It really upsets me that coyotes take such advantage of these poor people. The immigrants should stop giving their money to fuel organized crime. I believe immigrants should save that same money and do things the right way. Legally hire an attorney and get a guest-worker permit. All while not risking their lives and not losing their money.