Immigration is the foundation of the United States as a whole. Every person came from somewhere, mainly different parts of the world, and decided America was a fertile and prosperous place to settle and thrive. This unique quality allows America to be the melting pot that it is today, full of diverse and rich cultures spread throughout its country. With this rush of immigrants and visitors come rules and regulations; otherwise the vast opportunities of America would crumble. Of course with each of these rules and regulations follows groups and parties on either side defending why the decision of the government was right or wrong. The dispute of illegal immigration in the United States is currently being combated by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration services, Homeland Security, and the Executive Branch of the United States Government through the creation of policies and vigilant actions, all having a piece of the puzzle but never the full set.
Immigration has long since been a hot topic throughout many presidencies since there was never a time when immigration ceased in America. As early as the 18th century immigration has been heavily encouraged and rejected due to global conflicts or overpopulation. In 1965 the Immigration and Naturalization Act brought a huge up roar of new settlers because it repealed an earlier piece of legislation that determined a quota system based on national origin. The 1965 act established a new immigration policy based on reuniting immigrant families and attracting skilled labor to the United States.1 The president at the time, Lyndon B. Johnson, new that this bill was not revolutionary but it was a starting point and hopefully America would allow the policies on immigration to become more open and forgiving. The legislations that got past that allowed an increase in immigration to the United States came with a few set backs as well. Today's wide-ranging immigration began in the 1970s, and has been made up of both legal and illegal surges.