The current population in the United States is about 326,042,478. Of these people, an estimated 12.5 million are undocumented and here illegally. The dilemma of illegal immigration is slowly compromising our country as we struggle to find a solution to this tug-of-war conflict.

Some say that illegal immigrants are a necessary social glue in our society. For example, they take a lot of jobs that some citizens don’t want. Some immigrants are willing to work for minimum wage while those born in the US are not as willing or able to take jobs that are low paying.

“Labor from undocumented immigrants is fundamental not just to agriculture, but to child care, restaurants, hotels and construction. This is a workforce, a supply of labor from our undocumented workforce, that actually does provide the basic foundations of these sectors and industries of being able to succeed and thrive,” said Betty Yee, California’s State Controller.

Illegal immigrants may help the workforce, but does that mean that they should be able to reside in the U.S. after breaking immigration law? Should we put stricter requirements on those who want to move through our country’s borders?

“We are a nation of immigrants and our immigration system has contributed to the greatness of the United States. However, we can all agree that our nation’s immigration system is broken. I have strongly advocated for immigration reform that focuses on enforcement and upholding the rule of law, including elimination of enforcement waivers that have been abused by previous and current administrations,” Virginia congressman Bob Goodlatte told the press.

President Donald Trump had a clear message as he ran for office. He claimed that illegal immigrants “compete directly against vulnerable American workers.” In addition, Trump told Americans that he would help with the immigrant population and “boost wages and ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.”

Although some come here without documentation, many immigrate legally. Immigration done illegally is not fair to those who have to wait for citizenship, which can take six months to several years, according to U.S. immigration software online. On the other hand, people who are currently living here illegally, but work hard and are good people, should have the opportunity to become citizens, so they do not have to worry about deportation or being separated from their families. It is not right to tear people away from their lives and family.

Over hundreds of years, people have successfully immigrated to the United States. Almost all Americans are descendants of immigrants. This country was founded on immigrants! My own father immigrated from Ireland to the United States when he was just a child. It took his family several years to do this, and they sacrificed much to make this dream happen. His father, my grandfather, worked in Manhattan in construction for many years to save money in order to bring his family to America. Until then, my dad lived in a cottage in Ireland with his mom, brother, and sister until he was six years old. At that point, his father had saved enough to able to bring the entire family to the United States to finally live together.  

While there is no solution that makes everyone happy, there needs to be a compromise. Freedom and citizenship are rewards that are worth the wait. Even though it is tough to gain citizenship, it is only right to wait and do the process correctly, rather than entering by breaking the law. People need to put in the effort to become citizens, not only for their peace of mind, but to be proud once citizenship is attained. America is an amazing country, and I am proud to live here. Immigrants should be too, so long as they don’t take advantage of this country, instead entering with respect toward our laws.