San Diego and Immigration
Immigration has always been a hot button topicýnot just for San Diego but for the entire United States. Technically speaking it is not legal immigration that many San Diego citizens have a problem with, but illegal immigration. Many residents of the city feel that illegal immigration is a drain on their community's funds and resources. The state of California is already drowning in debt and many of the residents of San Diego feel that curbing illegal immigration will help cut government spending and return resources to the people of the United States who are living legally within its borders.
To be sure this debate is heatedýnot just in San Diego but everywhere around the country. People fall all over the spectrum when it comes to illegal immigrants. Some citizens want all illegal immigrants rounded up and sent home. Others think that the solution is to grant amnesty to everyone currently living within the country's borders and tighten up security for those who would try to sneak in to the country in the future.
Some people estimate that it is the illegal immigrants that are causing the social support systems of San Diego to become stretched too thin. Illegal immigrants are able to get welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing, driver's licenses and free health careýsomething that tax payers have a hard time giving to themselves, let alone someone who has come into the country illegally.
Others insist that there is no way to tell for sure what kind of drainýif anyýillegal immigrants are placing on San Diego systems. There is no way to come up with a definitive amount of money that illegal immigrants are costing the city. Why isn't there a way to come up with this figure? The problem lies in the honesty of individuals who are asked about their citizenship status. Someone who is within the borders of the United States illegally is not likely to admit that they did not have permission to enter the country. Still other people find the questioning of their citizenship offensive and refuse to answer the question on the grounds that their place of birth is no one's business.
Another problem that many residents of San Diego have with illegal immigration has to do with the legality of obtaining US Citizenship. Compared to other countriesýeven those who share a border with the United States, becoming a US citizen is relatively easy. Obtaining permission to live here is not complicated or convoluted. With such an easy "open door" policy, San Diego residents wonder why those who come in illegally don't just take the initiative to properly apply for permission to live here.
What do you think? Do you think all people living within the borders of the US should be granted amnesty and be allowed to become citizens? Do you think everyone should be rounded up and sent home? How would you fund such an operation? Leave your ideas and concerns in the comments section!
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