Discussion: Ethical Issues in Illegal Immigration (Research Paper Sample)

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Ethical Issues in Illegal Immigration
Introduction
The problem of illegal immigration is among the leading social issues in the modern American society. By 2014, it was estimated that over 30 million illegal immigrants resided in the United States (Joseph 154). Both the democrats and republican have acknowledged illegal immigration as a serious issue for the U.S. However, when analyzed from ethical perspectives, the immigration issue is one of the least understood and frequently misrepresented by politicians and policy makers. It is notable that many people always address ethical issues of immigration from a business ethics point of view, thus, failing to create a clear picture. This is because illegal immigration is normally fueled by employers who hire illegal aliens. This paper examines ethical issues and implications concerning illegal immigration.
Discussion
The majority of illegal immigrants who move to the United States are Mexican. A situation that dates back to the 19th century is normally characterized by demands for labor in the U.S. economy and a frail Mexican economy where systematic protection is limited (Frank and Roger 325). Based on merit and demerits of illegal immigration, many scholars have differed in the recent past about the topic. From a utilitarian perspective, illegal immigration still appears as a controversial issue. According to utilitarian theory, what is right depends on what will yield the greatest good for the greatest number (Hing 992). In other words, the underlying consequences of an action are what determines the right or wrong actions and things. It is observed that the ultimate winner of illegal immigration is the capitalist community in the United States (Frank and Roger 123). Illegal immigrants provide labor services for the jobs that Americans would despise. By embracing such jobs, the rate of production of goods and service deliverance has increased. Arguing from this perspective, illegal immigration appears to be enhancing maximization of social goods and happiness. It is notable that the argument of utilitarian approach is that economic growth and increased wealth are a source of happiness and well-being for the majority. In contrast, studies have shown that native Americans still pay higher prices for good and services regardless of cheap labor being provided by the immigrants. For instance, according to Joseph, over 70 percent of Americans feel that illegal immigrants only make their social life difficult (152). This presents one of the shortcomings of Mills’ utilitarian theory. The theory does not provide criteria for determining what higher happiness is or who should decide when happiness is higher and realized by many.
Another proof that illegal immigration does not correlate with the utilitarian arguments is its tendency to assert negative pressure to the wage rate. In this context, increased immigrants rate intensify competition in the job market. As a result, it becomes challenging for the native Americans to secure jobs, eventually forcing them to accept low wages. Minimal wages and reduced job rate results in reduced well-being of the Americans. From this viewpoint, illegal immigration is unethical based on both utilitarian theory and the principle of justice. In the light of the principle of justice, only legal migration can be termed as ethical as looking for a better living standard can be equated to seeking for social justice (Hing 987). Therefore, it in unethical for immigrants to illegally cross the boundaries of a sovereign state pegging search for higher paying employment. The federal government has an obligation to protect the native Americans from issues emerging from illegal immigration. For example, it is unfair that Americans incur higher cost for living, paying higher taxes to cater for the needs of illegal immigrants. Moreover, illegal immigrants cause crowding in the institutions that provides social services such as schools, hospitals.
Based on the principle of rights, native Americans are entitled to enjoy improved access to social services without facing competition threat from non-Americans. Therefore, in the context of both utilitarian and principles of rights’ perspectives, illegal immigration is unethical, and the perpetrators should face the rule of law (Hing 998). Since th...