by Serwan Zangana
The immigration has been one of the major problems in the U.S, and for decades, it has been politicized and used as an election tool. Liberals and Conservatives are using the immigration issues to attack and blame each other’s failure policies.
While immigrants in general contribute to the U.S, and they are valuable assets in many fields and professions, the influx of immigrants can be a slippery slope, which means it can add a burden on the nation and cause economic, cultural, and security problems.
There is a balancing problem between the liberals and conservatives regarding the ongoing issues, including immigration in America. The U.S government is in lack of solution to the immigration problem for three major reasons:
1-The wide gap between the two major ruling political parties, the Democratic and the Republican, and the political conflicts creates an obstacle for the two to compromise and agree on one effective policy.
2-The ideological differences between the liberals and the conservatives as each one view the immigration problem from a different angle.
3-Denying the failed immigration policies, and instead focusing on gaining votes in elections by any means, and hence, continuing the political conflicts.
Avoiding the negative impact of immigration and focusing only on the positivity of immigration will complicate the effort to solve the problem, which can also draw a negative image of the immigrants in public’s eyes. And hence, create division among American people, which can cause more disturbances in the nation. Also, in each election year, the matter immigration is used to influence the voters, and each political Party has its own target.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, people across the world were immigrating to America without being questioned or vetted. Later, in 1875, the Supreme Court announced the regulation of immigration as the federal government’s responsibility. As the result of the increase of the immigrants in the 1880s, that affected the economy in some areas in the U.S as people’s economic condition worsened, the Congress started to pass the immigration law (USCIS).
However, during his presidency, Biden reversed many of Trump’s first term immigration policies and opened a wider path for immigrants into the U.S. The Democratic Party carries a reputation of being an advocate for the minorities and immigrants in the U.S, and reversely, the Republican Party known as the rich and the White’s Party.
According to Pew Research Center (2024), 56% of White support or lean toward the Republican Party, while 41% support the Democratic Party, and 83% of Black align with the Democratic Party, while only 12% align with the Republican Party. Also, a large percentage of the minorities support the Democratic Party, 61% Hispanic, 63% Asian, and other minorities, such as the Middle Easterners in the U.S support the Democratic Party.
However, while the majority of Muslims in America support or lean toward the Democratic Party, their support for Democrats has shrunk for various reasons, such as, homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion. The Muslims who emigrated to the U.S, however, align and support the Democratic Party regarding its immigration policy. Overall, according to Pew Research Center, 53% of Muslims support Democrat, and 42% support Republican.
After all, the political conflict in America will not resolve the immigration problem nor will it improve American lifestyle. The government will not be able to go forward unless the Democrats and the Republicans compromise in passing bilateral legislations to solve the immigration crisis.
