This is one side of the issue. To read the opposing side, click here.
We are mourning the death of Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, 26, who was killed by a drunken driver Feb. 4. The driver, Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, illegally immigrated to the U.S. and has been deported twice — once in 2007 and again in 2009.
After this tragic event, President Trump took to Twitter to tweet about the event.
Essentially, the president appears to be using this tragedy as leverage to push for strict immigration reform.
This is a perfect opportunity for the president to show the need for stronger immigration policies. It is a perfect example of what the president is trying to prevent, people entering our country illegally and breaking our laws. This incident was much more than just another drunk driving accident, and not just because it involved a celebrity. This is an issue of illegal immigrants coming to the U.S. and breaking even more laws.
According to Pew Research Center, there were 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2015. The Government Accountability Office has reported a particularly high rate of criminal offenses from illegal immigrants that has drastically increased over the past few years. At the same time, the CATO institute has reported that illegal immigrants are statistically less likely to commit crimes than domestic citizens.
However, we have to realize this supposedly lower rate cannot be used to justify the stagnation of stricter immigration reform. The U.S. cannot allow any more illegal immigrants to come to this country if they are not going to be productive, law-abiding citizens.
This is not just some new, Trumpian idea either. No country wants people immigrating into its borders and breaking its laws. There exists a path to legal citizenship through which everyone must go if they want to live here. Trump has even mentioned forming a pathway to legal citizenship for those protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as Dreamers.
Essentially, the president is emphasizing the idea if people are staying in a country illegally, they need to follow the rest of the laws in that country. Likewise, if we are going to do anything about this, the U.S. needs to secure its borders and make sure it does not let in people with histories of criminal offenses.
This is also recognizing that some people immigrate to this country illegally because the process through which they must go to be legal citizens is too lengthy, and due to dangerous conditions in their home countries, they have no other option than to come here immediately. This is the case quite often. However, President Trump is not attacking the idea of people simply coming here for safety; he is attacking those who come here and attack us.
Ultimately, yes, although the loss of Edwin Jackson’s life is tragic, it may have just given the final spark needed to make sure similar situations do not occur in the future.
