Undoubtedly, illegal immigration has become one of the most important social, economic, and moral issues facing the United States in the 21st century. I believe the reason there is no conclusive correct answer in the debate of undocumented immigration is that somebody always loses. There is either a socioeconomic loss on one side, or the loss of dreams on the other. Putting this topic under a closer lens, sanctuary cities serves as an important sub-category that is under fire in U.S politics.

Chris gave us a great rundown of the court Supreme Court case to which sanctuary cities revolves around, Arizona vs. United States. All justices agreed to uphold the provision of the law “Allowing Arizona state police to investigate the immigration status of an individual stopped, detained, or arrested if there is reasonable suspicion that individual is in the country illegally.” However, where the ruling becomes blurry in the real world is  that Justice Kennedy specified in the majority opinion that state police may not detain the individual for a prolonged amount of time for not carrying immigration documents. This puts into question racial profiling and other tensions that could possibly lead to violence and further disdain against law enforcement.

There are also so many economic aspects to consider. Are they paying taxes on their income like the rest of U.S working citizens? Are undocumented immigrants allowed to take jobs in public service if they are qualified. If an educated, illegal immigrant can and is willing to teach at a public school that needs employees, should he be able to? If so, how do we facilitate the process and incentive their documentation?

At this point in the discussion, I want to take a minute to digress and look at undocumented immigrants as a whole. There are strong arguments on both sides. Undocumented immigrants can often avoid taxes and often have an increased rate of repeated crime. But also, they often are willing to work jobs that are very under-saturated. To me, as hard as this may be legislatively, illegal immigration should be treated on a case to case basis. Undocumented criminals who have repeatedly been deported are 100% a threat to the safety of U.S citizens. That does not mean that there are not legitimate refugees looking to work hard and pursue the American dream. Just look at the example that Chris gave us in class regarding the individual who was arrested and couldn’t get his car back. Putting economics aside, I think there is a bold line between him and those who cross with malicious intent.

We can discuss economic impact, border security, and so much more, but the takeaway is that this is an issue that will only grow bigger. Many peoples lives are impacted by this issue, but hopefully, a feasible solution can arise in the upcoming future.