Refer to Lesson 30-2 in your study guide and pages 812-815 in your textbook. Read the excerpts regarding illegal immigration and answer questions 25-27.
The George W. Bush administration presented a proposal to deal with illegal immigration, from
Mexico and Central America. The proposal ignited a heated debate about how illegal immigrants
already in the United States should be treated and how to stop the flow of new illegal immigrants
into the country. Because of the controversy, the proposal went nowhere and illegal immigrants
continued to find their way into the United States.
Excerpt #1 "Usually we catch young men, who are looking for work to support their families
back in Mexico. But more and more we are seeing entire families. They start coming around 7:30
P. M. over the mesa near Cristo Rey Mountain. A steady stream of people all night. We use our
night-vision 'infrared' equipment to spot a lot of illegals who would otherwise go unnoticed...
. Perhaps our greatest concern is the trafficking of drugs tied to the smuggling of illegal aliens.
Smuggling of all sorts has become big business in the border regions. Some smugglers have set
up networks that may start in Central America or Cuba. We catch illegal immigrants who come
from as many as eighty-five countries around the world. Even people from Eastern Europe, who
are smuggled in for large fees through South America and Mexico City."
- Michael Teague, U. S. Border Patrol, from New Americans: An Oral History, by Al Santoli
Excerpt #2 “The buzzword is diversity. It's on TV, politics, and this school [university], but then
people like me are seen as foreigners and worse, illegals. The logic is if you look Mexican you
are an immigrant, don't speak English and are illegal. I get tired of saying that's not me, oh well,
except for the Mexican part. I don't look at an Anglo with an Italian name and say, 'Hey, do
you speak Italian and when did you come to the United States?”” -Diana, second-generation
Mexican American, from Narratives of Mexican American Women, by Alma M. García
Excerpt #3 “We're increasing the border security of the U. S. There ought to be a temporary
worker card that allows a willing worker and a willing employer, so long as there's not an
American willing to do that job, to join up. I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't
think we ought to reward illegal behavior. There are plenty of people standing in line to become a
citizen. If they [illegals] want to become a citizen, they can stand in line, too."
- George W. Bush, former President of the United States, 2004
25. What important issue does Diana raise?
26.
Michael Teague notes that the U. S. Border Patrol has seen an increase in the number of
entire families crossing illegally into the U. S. What might be the cause of this trend?
27.
If amnesty, as George W. Bush says, is unacceptable, why do you think the United States
does not simply deport illegal immigrants?