Should The U.S Government Do More To Help Immigrants?
The once deemed promised land where milk and honey flow has become the source of oppression, exploitation, and misuse to say the least. Many people especially from the third world spend all they have to end up in the US where they feel assured of better living conditions and work opportunities. They build their dreams high and are viewed by those they leave behind as the most fortunate, only to be shocked when they land in US. They find very expensive lifestyles and very high living standards which are beyond their sustainability; they end up in the ghettoes where they encounter the hardcore learning techniques for survival.
With no basic amenities, they go begging for any opportunity that is available to make ends meet. They end up being misused especially where they may not have legal documents such as work permits. Once they are in the US, various problems face them: inadequate health, basic decent shelter, access to a balanced diet, and rights from exploitative employers at their work place. One can never leave his home town to be a refugee without a reason for leaving his/her original home and the US immigration officials should understand this point. The immigration officials have also been involved in tormenting the lives of these immigrants where they give threats of deportation and other consequences to the immigrants. Corruption is imminent as some officials may even ask for bribes to allow the immigrants into the country. Most workers in the US who are immigrants are faced with various problems that include; under payments, poor working conditions, forced labor (e.g. working while sick, or overtime without payments), not being compensated incases of injuries, illegal retaliations, pay cuts, and firing. All these are the troubles facing the immigrants.
In health care, they cannot have access to good health care due to limitation in cost or documentation although some are inhibited by cultural beliefs from their backgrounds that don’t allow for services of western doctors. Although they have a clear focus on the future, exploitation and injustice always hinder their progress as immigrants. Some even find themselves doing odd jobs that they could have seen awkward in their own countries.
It is time the US government gave these immigrants an attentive ear. Their cry is hard felt and their plea always lands on deaf years. Can’t there be a policy to support them. All the forms of injustices have to and must be stopped at any cost. Immigrants should not be frustrated amid their contribution to the growth of the economy of the states through their daily hard labor. They are entitled to better or fair treatment relative to the natives. They are the ones who are working tirelessly for the natives, getting wounded in factories, yet they have no health insurance. The government should be strict on legislations that call for equity and justice both in social and labor environments.
Policies should be set to encourage better living conditions that ensure that all residents including the immigrants can afford necessities, such as food, decent shelter, quality and affordable health care and good social amenities. They should have freedom to invest just as is in their countries as well as own property. Equity should also be enhanced in access to quality education which will eliminate social alienation and conform to the unified and representative lifestyle. Quality education will enable them to be productive and transform them from beggars (refugees) to self reliance members of the working class.
They should be given work permits and other legal documents that will enable them to live without fear of the immigration officials and fight for their rights. Policies to enable the immigrants and ethnic-minority populations live in peace and comfortably in this land should be formulated. This is to clear the tainted name of this great land and bring the image of democracy as is always preached to the wider society. The policies should have humanitarian objectives with streamlined and restructured work programs for temporary workers for odd jobs, and guaranteed basic rights for the refugees.
The government will only be seen as fair and democratic when it starts to see these refugees and ethnic minority as equal through giving them an equal and level playing ground when they are in this great nation. No one is above the law and no human is better than the other. Therefore, treating the immigrants with brotherhood and alienating pride and prejudice will not only foster good relationship, but will also enhance positive perception and an opportunity for innovative thinking which may otherwise be hindered. Intervention is necessary through legislation to curb exploitation and to harmonize labor relations.
Better relations and arrangements should be made through the relevant authorities and countries of origin to unearth the circumstances leading to immigration and where necessary deport the illegal immigrants rather than expose them to ruthless employers who take advantage to exploit them for their own selfish gain.
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