Crystal's Current Event

In the article, "Does illegal immigration hurt U.S. economy?" by Aiyana Baida, a reporter from the University of California proposes the idea that illegal immigrants that work in the United States are good for our nation. In the report it states that the reason we have so many illegal immigrants is due to the fact that domestic workers in the United States do not want to do the lower end more tedious jobs that are required for our economy to run.

Some of these immigrants are hired by business owners in the states though the H-2A program which is a program that requires the employer to pay a certain amount of money in order to be guaranteed a worker. The H-2A program was modified in March of 2010 so that the workers would have documentation that they came to the United States to work.

In your oppinion, do you thing that illegal immigrants should be blamed for the United State's failing economy? Should the H-2A program be more selective about the immigrants that are coming to work in the U.S.?

http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/apr/01/la-does-illegal-immigration-hurt-us-economy/

Michaela's Current Event

The article “Alabama Wins in Ruling on Its Immigration Law” by Campbell Robertson talks about how Alabama has joined Arizona and Georgia in creating a bill to stop illegal immigration. It also states that Alabama’s law is said to be the strictest of all the states. The bill outlawed transporting illegal immigrants, barred them from enrolling in public universities, and required police to verify a person’s immigration status during stops and/or arrests. The article does not explain how police are supposed to know when to check a criminal suspects immigration status which leads us to believe that race will play a big factor in determining whether or not a person’s immigration status is checked.

In the article “After Immigration Law, Few Americans Taking Immigrants Work,” the affect on the agriculture industry is discussed. The article mainly highlights how the new law in Alabama is affecting the farmers for the worst. At one point in the article however, the author states that Senator Scott Beason has received several emails and phone calls thanking him for helping them get jobs and/or getting promoted due to the fact that he signed the law.

What are your feelings about states, such as Alabama, implementing strict new immigration laws?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/us/alabama-immigration-law-upheld.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/after-alabama-immigration-law-few-americans-taking-immigrants-work_n_1023635.html