Immigration | The Complete Moderate's Guide

Citizenship and Immigration in the US

This video discusses the history of citizenship and immigration in the United States, starting with the Naturalization Act of 1790 and ending with current debates over border security.

The Early Years of Citizenship

• Citizenship is a privilege that is earned through service to the country.

• The first law addressing naturalization was the Naturalization Act of 1790, which required applicants to be free white persons of good moral character who had lived in the US for two years.

• Over time, this definition has expanded to include more people, but there have always been those who want to restrict it.

Birthright Citizenship

• The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship for anyone born on US soil.

• Wong Kim Ark was a landmark Supreme Court case that reaffirmed this right for children born to parents residing in the US.

Immigration Restrictions

• Throughout history, there have been efforts to restrict immigration from certain countries or groups.

• The Immigration Act of 1924 created quotas on certain countries and established agencies like Border Patrol and INS (precursor to ICE).

• Today, ICE is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and deporting undocumented immigrants.

Border Security Debates

• There are ongoing debates about how best to secure the US border against illegal immigration.

• While some argue that securing borders would help stem illegal immigration, others point out that completely securing a border may not be possible.

The Border Wall Proposal

In this section, the speaker discusses the proposal for a border wall along the US-Mexico border and highlights some of its features.

Features of the Proposed Border Wall

• The wall will be fully manned from coast to coast and will be 35 feet high, 20 feet wide, and 2000 miles long.

• Underground sensors will be installed along the border wall that are sensitive enough to detect a mouse digging.

• Motion detectors and infrared cameras will be installed on the south side of the wall.

• Guard towers with a border patrol and sheriff's station every 25 miles with quick response airports.

Problems with Building a Border Wall

In this section, the speaker discusses why building a border wall may not be an effective solution to illegal immigration.

Issues with Building a Border Wall

• The proposed border wall is just more fencing like what already exists along several hundred miles of the US-Mexico border.

• A wall would be expensive and attempt to solve a problem that isn't as bad as it seems. Politicians often blame immigrants for job loss and crime during economic downturns.

Plan for Securing Borders

In this section, the speaker discusses how to secure borders effectively.

Plan for Securing Borders

• Bring troops, state, county, and local law enforcement together to complete the fence.

• Illegal border crossings have gone down since 2010 but not because of an incomplete fence.

Misconceptions about Illegal Immigration

In this section, the speaker discusses some misconceptions about illegal immigration.

Misconceptions about Illegal Immigration

• The ad suggests that 70 to 120 million illegals have crossed the US-Mexico border from 1987 to 2015. However, there are only an estimated 11.5 million unauthorized or undocumented immigrants in the US.

• Politicians often blame immigrants for job loss and crime during economic downturns.

Amnesty and Citizenship

In this section, the speaker discusses amnesty and citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Amnesty and Citizenship

• Amnesty is when a certain group of people who are here illegally can apply for legal permanent residency and get a green card with the assumption that they will eventually become citizens.

• There is no such thing as second-class citizens; you're either illegal or a citizen with all rights and privileges that go along with it.

• Legal residents of the United States who are not citizens hold green cards which last ten years.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

In this section, the speaker discusses DACA, which is an amnesty program for a specific set of undocumented immigrants.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

• DACA is an amnesty program for children brought to the US illegally by their parents before their 16th birthday.

• The DREAM Act proposed in 2007 had similar goals but did not pass.

DACA Requirements and Eligibility

This section discusses the requirements for DACA eligibility, including education and criminal history.

Education Requirements

• 21% of DACA recipients have dropped out of high school according to a study by Harvard researcher Roberto Gonzales.

• In order to be eligible for DACA, individuals must be currently enrolled in school, have completed high school or a GED, or have been honorably discharged from the military.

Criminal History

• According to Crime Prevention Research Center, illegals in Arizona commit crimes at double the rate of US citizens. However, this statistic is not specific to DACA recipients.

• To be eligible for DACA, individuals cannot have committed any felonies or serious misdemeanors.

Trump's Offer on Immigration Reform

This section discusses President Trump's offer on immigration reform and how it relates to DACA.

• President Trump was willing to give almost 2 million illegal immigrants amnesty in exchange for a border wall, an end to chain migration, and the end to the visa lottery.

• The 2 million number is an estimate of how many people might be eligible for DACA.

• Federal courts have ordered that current DACA recipients be allowed to continue under the program because you can’t go back on deals made by previous administrations.

The Visa Lottery Program

This section discusses the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (also known as the visa lottery).

• The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program grants lawful permanent residency to 50,000 people each year.

• In order to be eligible for the program, your country cannot have sent more than 50,000 immigrants in the last five years.

• The program is designed to promote diversity by saying we have enough immigrants from those places, so let’s mix it up a bit.

• The Visa Lottery only accounts for 4% of all legal immigration.

Refugee and Immigration Policy in the US

This section discusses the requirements for obtaining refugee status in the US, as well as the different types of immigration policies.

Requirements for Obtaining Refugee Status

• A refugee is someone who is displaced due to an ongoing war or violence or is fleeing political persecution.

• To obtain refugee status in the US, one must belong to one of five protected groups and establish fear of returning to their own country.

• The government must be involved in or unable to control that persecution.

• Once someone has been accepted as a refugee or asylum seeker, they cannot be forced to go home.

Chain Migration and Family-Sponsored Immigration

• Chain migration accounts for 67% of all legal immigration in the US.

• Spouses and children are a given for family-sponsored immigration. Parents make sense if you’re under 20 or they’re elderly dependents.

• Those who complain about chain migration often misunderstand that only direct, immediate family relationships with a US citizen qualify.

• Family-sponsored immigrants do not automatically become citizens; they get a green card and can go through the process if they choose.

Temporary Nonimmigrant Visas

• Temporary nonimmigrant visas account for 12% of all immigration into the US.

• There are currently 88 different kinds of visas available, including student visas (F class) and temporary workers (H class).

• The most popular temporary worker visa is the H-1B visa, which allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.

Extraordinary Ability Visa

The video discusses how to increase your chances of getting an extraordinary ability visa by taking courses in math and science on brilliant.org/knowingbetter.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting an Extraordinary Ability Visa

• Olympic athletes, musicians, actors and actresses, scientists and Nobel prize winners all classify as having extraordinary ability.

• Taking courses in math and science on brilliant.org/knowingbetter can help you understand these concepts and increase your chances at getting that genius visa.

• Brilliant has courses in computer science if you want to get one of those H1-B visas.

• Go to brilliant.org/knowingbetter to get started. The first 200 people to use this link will get 20% off.

Immigration Issues

The video discusses immigration issues such as family sponsored migration, illegal immigration, and the requirements and costs of legal immigration.

Racist Undertones in Immigration Debate

• Immigration is a hot button issue with racist undertones and dog whistles.

• Family sponsored migration mostly only applies to US citizens, yet when politicians talk about ending chain migration or the visa lottery, they have a specific skin tone in mind.

• Only 74% of DACA recipients are from Mexico or Central America which is about the same percentage of total undocumented immigrants.

Illegal Immigration Decline

• Illegal immigration has been on the decline over the last ten years especially when it comes to crossing the border.

• Requirements and costs of legal immigration along with the fact that people from several countries can’t even apply should help you understand why some people choose to take the more dangerous illegal path.

Understanding Immigration Programs

• It's important for us to have a debate with a little more understanding of what these programs are, their limitations, and their numbers actually are.

• Knowing Better is not an immigration lawyer, but it couldn’t hurt to have more knowledge on the topic.

Conclusion

The video concludes by thanking a new patron and encouraging viewers to subscribe and follow on social media.

Shout Out to New Patron

• A shout out is given to the newest legendary patron, Joseph.

• To become a patron, head over to patreon.com/knowingbetter.

Call-to-Action

• Viewers are encouraged to naturalize that subscribe button, follow on Twitter and Facebook, and join the subreddit.