What is Illegal Immigration?

• Illegal immigration is the violation of national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the country.

Causes

• Some of the major causes of illegal immigration are:– War– Poverty– Family Reunification– Population Growth

War• War is often a major

cause of illegal immigration.

• For example there is currently a drug war in Mexico.

• People try to escape persecution or violence in their country, and America can often be a safe haven.

A member of the Army watches the incineration of fourteen tons of drugs in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on December 2, 2008

Poverty• Many third world countries experience

severe poverty. Therefore many people immigrate to America in search of new

job opportunities.

• However, this poverty makes it extremely difficult to immigrate legally. Many immigrants lack the resources to complete the process legally, so they

decide to sneak in illegally.

• Another reason that immigrants immigrate illegally is to live with their family.

• Many immigrants have loved ones in parts of the United States, however for many reasons legal immigration is not an option. Therefore, they do what ever is possible to reach their families.

Population Growth• As countries begin to over populate, people face many

problems. • These problems include pollution, poverty and water

shortages.• This is a big problem in Mexico, where the population

has grown from 13.6 million in 1900 to 107 million in 2007.

Why is it an issue?

• In 2005 the topic of Illegal immigration received lots of attention on capital hill, as members of congress considered what to do about the immigration policy.

• Many illegal immigrants are receiving the benefits of working and living in America, however they are not paying any taxes back to the government.

The Real Problem

• Illegal immigration is growing massively in the United States.

• More than 10 million illegal aliens are living in the states, with that population growing by 700,000 each year

• If we do not fix our immigration policy America could soon be extremely overpopulated.