We have over the past several class sessions spoke, debated, and read about the different elements/levels of our Federal and State government and how they interact with each other. This system is know as federalsim. Sometimes, there is great debate over which institution has the authority to command resources, set policy, or place restrictions on citizen's rights and/or responsibilities.
Your Task: Do you think that the Federal Government should have supremacy over State governemnt in matters of immigration policy? Why or why not? Read over the text on current problems in immigration policy and provide reasons for your response.
Ok Guys - by now you have read the article and hopefully gathered your thoughts on immigration. Remember to look at the question above that states "Your Task" = go ahead and start blogging!!
ReplyDeleteI think that in this case, the Federal government should have supremacy over the States. It appears that in the past, the Federal government has had control with the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and the Immigration Act (1924). So, they should continue to maintain control. The main reason being that immigration affects the entire country and each state should not be able to choose their own policy. This would create problems because immigrants would try to enter certain states and once they did, there would be no stopping them from traveling/moving into other states. Granting citizenship is a Federal power, so states should have no right in allowing illegal immigrants live/work in their states. If we allow states to create their own immigration policy, we as a nation will be far less united as these immigrants would only be allowed in their state or the other states with immigration policies. I feel that as a nation, there could be political breakdown because each state would have varying immigration laws and therefore not everyone could enter every state.
ReplyDeleteYes I think that Federal Goverment should have supremacy over State goverments in the matter of immigration policy. The article states that the number of immigrants is increasing greatly from year to year where in 1995 there was 716,000 immigrants and in 1996 the number was close to a million. Dealing with this many people should not just be left up to each individual state because this is just too great a number and its a task the Federal Goverment would be able to handle better I think. Alos the article states that immigration is contributing to a downward pressure on wage levels and is decreasing job availabiltiy in certain economic sectors. This would and will effect everyone so it shouldnt be left in the states hands but we should let the Federal Goverment handle it because they are just a bigger power you could say. Yes states should be able to voice their thoughts and things should be talked about between the two but at the end of the day the Federal Goverment should hold the choice.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that the authority over immigration belongs to the federal government. It is a topic that spreads across multiple states. And should have the same regulations and restrictions throughout the country. By dividing the authority amongst the states it could cause a lot of mayhem and discombobulation. Lets say that Texas has stricter laws than Arizona in regards to the illegal immigrants they allow in their state. The most likely outcome will be immigrants moving through Texas to come to Arizona to live an easier life. Only leading to an overpopulation of said immigrants in Arizona. Our country needs to stand together on this matter and have a united decision. While this is only a hypothetical scenario, it is something to think about. Who disagrees?
ReplyDeleteFederal Government should have power over the State Government about immigration policy. It should be this way because as the article states the illegal immigrants have an effect on more than just the state they come through to get here. The article states that these immigrants frequently take jobs from actual U.S. citizens across the country not just in one state. Immigrants often will work for less money and work much harder than a U.S. citizen would doing the same job. The obvious choice for a businessman is to hire the worker who will work for less thus taking jobs away from citizen and giving them to illegal aliens. Also states do not have the power to make someone a citizen, this a power held by the federal government, therefore all immigration policies should be under the power of the federal government.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. The Federal Government should have supremacy over the State Government as their issues preside over the entire country rather than a specific region or locale. This should not even be a question. Sure, a state should voice its opinions and concerns about immigration issues within their borders, but ultimately any decisions should be made by the Federal government. Immigration policy affects the entire country, not just a specific state.
ReplyDeleteI think that the decision of this matter should lay in the federal governments hands. Immigration is a nonstop issue, and it allowing the states to have control of immigration laws could cause not only overpopulation and confusion for immigrants and Americans but it could also cause our government to fall apart. The decision on the matter should be mutual between the state and federal governments because if the state governments don't agree with the decisions made then it could lead to states going against the laws made slowly breaking down our government and country. As a country we should stand together and fight for our rights to control and maintain our land, but only the federal government can make that happen.
ReplyDeleteYes I do believe that the Federal Government should have supremacy over the State Government in matters of immigration policy. I definitely think that the Federal Government would be able to handle the issue better than the State Government. Immigration is greatly increasing each year. The article states a number of things the high level of immigration is causing. For one, it causes a decrease in job availability. The illegal immigrants apply for jobs and are hired over legal citizens. The issues illegal immigrants cause are too great to leave for the State government to handle. The number of illegal immigrants is too large for the issue to be left in the hands of the State Government. The issue is too great to be left up to each individual state. Dividing authority between the states would cause commotion, arguing and fighting which is just not necessary. The issue of immigration is so large that our country needs to come together and decide on one big decision on how to deal with the issue. The article states that when illegal immigrants come over into our country, they don't just affect the state they enter but the entire country. To fix the immigration issue in our country, the Federal Government needs to take strong action.
ReplyDeleteI think that on the issue of immigration, it should be both Federal and State. I think this because each state has their own issues with illegal immigrants, the southern states more so because the border to Mexico is right there. I also think it should be Federal because the United States as a whole is becoming flooded with illegal immigrants.
ReplyDeleteAs for the State's reasons for immigration, the state itself could not have enough jobs for its own natives, and businesses would much rather hire cheaper work. I think this is a problem because if people are paid less to do a job, it gets taxed less, which in turn the country gets less money. I think that its wrong for a native from the United States should be rejected a job because an illegal immigrant would work for less. This causes issues in the home, because less money means less money for food, and to pay the bills, and overall less money.
As for the Federal reasons, I think that the president should look at the fact that the United States is over populated as it is, and were running out of resources. The United States is having issues with pollution, space, jobs, and resources. If we continuously get more and more people who aren't even legal, nor native to the United States it just causes us to pack in more tightly in this country. I also think that illegal, and legal immigrants should not get welfare because they chose to come here with nothing, and the taxes that native people from the U.S would be paying for that, which I don't think is fair.
Overall, I think we need stricter or better ways to stop or slow down the number of immigrants coming into the United States. I don't think the U.S can support that many people over time, and if we didn't have people jumping the border everyday, the United States' population wouldn't be so high, and we would steadily grow. Which I think would be a lot better so by the time we do get flooded with people, we have ways to solve the job issues, and the pollution, because we'll grow with the population in terms of science and education.
I think morgan is wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to who should have the power of immigration policy I find myself having a hard time to pick but over all I feel that the federal government should have supremacy over the state government in matters of the immigration policy.
ReplyDeleteOne reason I found myself having trouble deciding was because of this line " Immigrants fill jobs that U.S. citizens often reject, help the U.S. economy maintain competitiveness in the global economy, and stimulate job creation in depressed neighborhoods." State know their community economy better and know where jobs need to be fill better then the U.S. government. With many immigrants fleeing their countries to come to America to start over and make money, they are more willing to be paid at a lower price and work harder then U.S. citizens. The federal government has a more resources and a better sense of how our economy is working as a whole and if allowing immigrants would fix or trouble our situation. All though America is a melting pot with many different nationalities from around the world and has always been a place to have a dream of a better life a number of how many immigrants a year should be set so it doesn't effect the dream of those who are already here and trying to life it. Already having a high unemployment the number of in-coming immigrants does not help. The federal government and state government need to work together to fix this problem and how to make our economy flourish as a whole and how immigrants are factored into that.
I believe that the immigration issue should be handled by the federal government. This issue affects all Americans and is too big to be handled by any state government. Towards the end of the article, it began to go into detail about the implications of our nation's rapid population growth. Over 50% of our population growth is due to the large volume of immigrants each year. The US is the world's largest consumer and anything it does has effects on other countries. Resource scarcity is an important issue to consider when discussing anything regarding immigration laws. This issue is much too big for any state to handle.
ReplyDeleteYes i think the Federal Government should have supremacy over state government in matters of immigration policy because the immigrates go in to that state but they move on to other states to so the there should be a universal law that ever one know and the fed is who can do that. i all so think that we should have stricter border controls. more and more illegal immigrants come in to our country less and less jobs there are for you and me a U.S.A citizen.
ReplyDeleteYes I believe that the Federal government should have supremacy over state government. Immigration is not only a state problem but it is a national problem. Immigration is happening on multiple border states and to have the policy vary from state to state can cause long term confusion and inequality to certain rights. In a way this is unconstitutional, but this wouldn't be the the only factor in what is wrong with having states having the power to create a policy for immigration. The article states that U.S citizens jobs are being taken over by illegal Immigrants because illegal immigrants will work at a lower wage. This is an economic issue, In saying this the country must deal with the economy as a nation, Illegal immigration falls under this national issue. Illegal immigration links to multiple federal levels as explained, This is why federal government should have the authority over the state's authority on the immigration Policy.
ReplyDeleteThe Federal Government should have supremacy over State Government in certain situations like immigration. The reason for allowing the Federal government to overpower the state government is because the problem of immigration is creating a strong sense of insecurity, both economically and socially throughout all of the United States. The state should work with federal government to create a solution to solve problems that both the state and country have with the problem of immigration. But the federal government should hold more power because this issue is strongly affecting the all of the US.
ReplyDeleteThe immigration issue is a national matter. It affects every state, directly or indirectly, and for this reason it needs major attention from the Federal government. The problem with this, however, is that some states are affected more by immigration than others. For example, due solely to geography, the state of Texas is going to have more Mexican immigrants than, say, Vermont. And since many illegal immigrants cross the border from Mexico, Texas will have many more illegal aliens than Vermont, putting economic stress on Texas that Vermont won't have.
ReplyDeleteIf the Federal government is left with all the power, not enough attention will be given to individual states' needs. There needs to be a balance between state and federal power with the immigration issue.
The issue over immigration has long been debated between state, local, and Federal government. The issue that arises is the matter of jurisdiction over the moral and legal implications that come along with border patrol and the citizenship status of all immigrants. A recent example of debate over jurisdiction over immigration is the Arizona law that passed, and permitted local authorities to stop and apprehend any suspicious and potential aliens. The Federal government is incapable of organizing and enforcing strict immigration laws nationally, as border crossing is not exclusively a southwestern issue. Therefore, the issues of immigration should be the states issue. The interpretation of citizenship and the accounting of moral implications associated with blockading border crossings should be delegated and enforced by sub-committee's at the state's extent. Border control is too large of an issue to be controlled by purely the Federal government. In the end, the local authorities are more qualified to make decisions about their immigration laws, as an influx in immigrants will immediately affect the local society economy and political issues.
ReplyDeleteI think that immigration is a topic that should be left to the states. The immigration problem effects each state differently and to different extents. For example, California is hit much harder by immigration that various other states. It was such an issue that their government resorted to making Proposition 187, although it was too extreme given it's proposals. It is important that each state is given the opportunity to adapt to immigration in their own ways. Immigration causes huge problems, environmentally and in the work force. But at the same time, immigration can not be entirely eliminated and immigrants should not be treated unethically. The events that occur in each state as a result of immigration are not all the same, so they can not all be addressed in the same manner. If the federal government presided over the immigration issue, it would treat immigration in each state uniformly. This would not fully help the issue, because the federal government's solution would most likely be too harsh in some areas and not harsh enough in others. Acts propose national quotas, but do not consider where the concentration of those immigrants will land. I also think that the federal government needs to supervise the policies that the state government puts in place because some states do not take ethical factors in mind when creating their policies, like California's Proposition 187.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone actually of the opinion that the States should have more power than the federal government. Because this doesn't seem like such a big issue if everyone has agreed on the best plan of action so far.
ReplyDeleteI strongly think that the Federal Government should have supremacy over the State Government. In the article it says that a lot of border- crossers fall victim to robbers and rapists. I think that we have to much crime in the US to invite more. Even though there are more immigrants in some states than others the Federal government should defiantly take control over this issue. If the government predicts that the immigration increases by 1.5 million a year it is a good idea the have representatives from each state to help with this issue but ultimately the Federal Government should take control.
ReplyDeleteI think that the federal government should have supremacy over the states, in terms of immigration policy. I definitely agree with Megan's point about state immigration policies creating political barriers between states, which is part of why I believe that the federal government should have supremacy. I also think that the federal government should have supremacy over the states because this would ensure cooperation between states. I also believe that the states should have some degree of power in the decision-making process regarding immigration policy because any policy would most easily be enforced on a state level.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Aj says. He talks about the problem of overpopulation due to illegal immigration. Over 50% of the nations annual population increase comes from illegal aliens. With our country consuming the highest amount of resources per capita than any other country in the world, overpopulation would lead to the rapid expenditure of natural resources that would lead to dramatic consequences in the future.
ReplyDeleteI personally think jordan takes a communist viewpoint on this subject...
ReplyDeletei think the same thing as "NotJordanWithers" who my Be Jordan Withers. but i have not seen any one who think the states should have the power. so I'm with ever one else here
ReplyDeletePeyton brings up a very good point at the end of his post. He says that states don't have power to grant citizenship, so why should they have control over immigration? To me, it seems like immigration should've been written in the constitution as a delegated power from the beginning. Major issues that effect almost everybody should definitely be handled by the federal government.
ReplyDeleteThe federal government should have more control that the state government. Immigration is not just a state problem; it affects the whole country. I think the states should be able to voice their opinions on what they want but the federal government should have the final say. If you look at our history federal government has always taken control over this issue; with the Immigration Act of 1924 and the Chinese Exclusion Act 1882. The federal government has taken measures to try to stop the steady flow of illegal immigration too, it issued the Reform and Control Act and stricter boarder controls. It hasn't worked the way we wanted it to, but I think that if both the state and federal government put their heads together they will be able to come up with a solution that everyone agrees with and works effectively.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that the federal government should have control over creating an immigration policy. If the federal government controls immigration laws then they will be the same throughout the country. Different states would create different laws. Illegal immigrants would be discouraged from going to the states where there were the strictest laws. The states with laws that were not as strict would have the highest concentration of immigrants and would suffer from that. By putting the federal government in charge laws will most likely benefit everyone equally instead of those with the strictest laws.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Stacey's post, I definitely agree with some of the points she made. She said that both the Federal and the State Government should be handling the situation together. Certain states definitely do have way more of an immigration problem, like the states in the south closer to Mexico. But then again, immigrants do move from the states they enter and spread across the country making immigration an issue that the Federal Government is more responsible for. I definitely agree with Stacey when she said that overall our country needs stricter and better ways to stop and slow down the number of immigrants illegally crossing our border.
ReplyDeletewill i see now that there are some that do say states should have this power. i see were there coming from but i just cant side with them
ReplyDeleteThe federal government should have supremacy over the state governments. If each state created their own laws, then states would most likely end up fighting each other over immigration, and the country would be more divided. For many people it would make it difficult to move across state lines, and perhaps even impossible. Because of that, many people would be confined to a small number of states for their entire lives, and would be trapped there even if they were unable to find a job or taxes were too high for their income. Especially with the large number of immigrants entering the US each year, the state governments simply don't have the power to handle it on their own. Yes they need to give their input to help with the formation of new laws, but overall it should be the federal government's responsibility. Immigration is a nation-wide issue, and should be treated as such.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Megan when she says that by giving state governments control over their own immigrants this makes the US seen less unified as a nation.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Jordan. If everyone agrees with the Federal Government having supremacy over the State government there shouldn't be any controversy.
I agree with Jordan withers, If everyone here agrees then why is it such a big debate?... Us as a class is an extremely scaled down version of the mast majority of opinions in the United States. So don't the majority of the people in the United States think the same as we do? the people and the government?
ReplyDeleteTaylor, I think they're suggesting cooperation and sharing of the power between the two rather than States exclusively having that right.
ReplyDeleteI dont know who this Jordan is eli feenan, but I'm certainly not him...
ReplyDeletei agree with what alex said about how some states are affected more so than others making it only fair that they have some say in the matter. A lot of states don't understand the seriousness of the matter because they are hardly effected by it, so some states should have more say in the matter, but in the end only the federal government should be able to have the final say in the matter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bri, the government has always had control on this issue, so there's no reason to change it now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Alex said about the distribution of immigrants throughout the U.S. I also agree that to some extent, the federal government needs to be involved. However, the basis of the policies should come from the states in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Sharon said at the end of her post. Immigration does affect the states. In order to make successful laws to treat the issue there needs to be representatives from the states working with the federal government so everyone can get the best deal out of the solution.
ReplyDeleteI agree with jenny, in the fact that no, the states alone cannot handle the immigration issue. I think that the Federal and the States should combine forces, and work together at stopping the immigration problem before we get over run with people who aren't even American anymore.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the federal government has the right to assert more control over the state government in regards to the immigration policy. Arizona is not the only state to be affected by illegal immigrants; this is happening in California as well as many other states. Personally, I believe that if this is an issue for more than one state, it should be up to the federal government to decide. With the state asserting power, there is only going to be more issues with the border policies. With the current immigration policies, problems are arising such as the fleeing refugees from their countries as a a result of repressive governements and violent political situations. It is clearly unfair for state government to have their own control over what seems to be a national issue. At this point in time, the federal government needs to establish a strong set of laws so that illegal immigrants are not able to find loopholes
ReplyDeleteIn response to what Jen B said, I agree that the federal government should take over control because the country will end up more divided when the states are in disagreement over their immigration policies.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the federal government should have power in regards to the immigration policy. I think the federal government should have the power because this problem doesn't only occur in one state, it happens in many. This problem effects the whole country, which is a major reason why the power should be held in the federal government's hands. The article states that the federal governement grants people citizenship, which is another reason why the problem should be addressed by the federal government. Many illegal immigrants are taking low paying jobs that many Americans would opt out of doing. Because they do not have citizenship they are not paying taxes. The federal government needs to make a strict group of laws so that illegal immigrants cannot find ways around the border.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kwarren on the fact that this problem is to big of a task for individual states to deal with. I don't think states would be able to deal with the problem effectively, and that the federal government would be able to fight the problem with more power.
ReplyDeleteI think that the states should be given more power in deciding who should live in them. I think what we should do is to allow the states to make their immigration laws however they please. Most likely, the states that are already suffering the most will have harsher laws, and the immigration will direct itself to states that don't have these problems. The federal government would be in charge of keeping the flow to a steady trickle, and under this method all the states would get through it together, which is what the union is supposed to be about anyways.
ReplyDeleteTo Alex M.: I too believe the govt. should have power, but not so much. The problem affects individual states more than it does the country as a whole, and so they should have supreme power over their own borders. And it simply seems wrong to keep everyone out. Truthfully, we run into problems with drug trafficking, but it takes cruelty to reject the victims trying to escape these very problems. If our country's people are willing enough to support these practices commercially, then in my opinion we shouldn't just be trying to get rid of immigration, but drug abuse as a whole.
ReplyDelete@Ekaterina: America is not a haven for people with troubles to flee to.
ReplyDeleteTraditionally, the Federal government has the responsibility of managing the nation's borders; it should. However, if the Federal government is failing to address issues regarding borders/immigration, individual States should have the power to do it themselves (ie building a wall, initiating laws, etc.) If the Federal government does not approve of these implementations, it must enact superceding reforms to fix the problem instead of just saying no and leaving the situation alone.