Immigration: To reform or not to reform?

Just about 42 million immigrants share common grounds in the United States, which alone accounts for five percent of the world's population and it literally screams out "I choose you to live, to raise my children, to grow old, to waste my money, to buy my house, to trust you with my bank account(s) and money." Why else would these individuals choose this country, where their language is not spoken and their culture practices are totally different?

Needless to say that on Feb. 16 the U.S. District Judge of Texas, Andrew Hanen, took a very controversial decision to put a temporarily hold on the executive order of President Obama and has given a "coalition of 26 states" sufficient time to contest and pursue a lawsuit against the order to legalize more than 5 million immigrants in the U.S., according to the  February 17 Associated Press article, "Federal judge stalls Obama's executive action on immigration."

It has also left millions of immigrants on the verge of deportation and despair.

The halt on the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the new relief program for families of citizen children, Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) seem to be the only streams of optimism for many families in the shadows.

Crossing borders and relocating, for immigrants who have lived all of their life in a so called comfort zone is not easy. Yet they find a way to adapt to the democratic ideals, social practices and the environment of different metropolitan areas in the U.S. without a hassle; because a belief that they can “make it in America” is a concept that is passed down from generations. Indeed, for many centuries immigrants have contributed to this country more than what we think, aside from the, "dirty jobs", biodiversity has been one of the most beneficial stems to our society.

Even though the immigration process entails a complex journey, these individuals along side with their families grab on to hope and don't give up the equality that they deserve as parents of citizens, according to the U.S Constitution. Sadly enough, the immigration debate has been through various backlashes in the Congress and Senate; and has been treated lightly as an issue, as if it were a simple football game involving two sides throwing a ball back and forth.

There are lives at risk, with children at times loosing one or both parents. Plus, exposure to stressful events could also lead to these children becoming ill, getting psychologically disturbed by mediocre decisions that the leaders of such a Capitalist country carry out.

The United States is known for caring and protecting their fellow citizens from harm, either utilizing war or providing aid when needed.

Is it worth separating citizen children from their parents?

These children could end up in foster homes, some even being abused in unimaginable ways. It is not fair to ignore the truth that these parents only come to the U.S. to work to support their families and earn it with the sweat on their foreheads. In fact, DAPA is not a permanent immigration reform, but rather an opportunity for those who qualify to live freely without a rock in their shoe every time they walk through the streets.

Without a doubt this nation was built on the sole concept of equality and justice for all, but yet has taken it for granted. In this case, immigrant communities are marginalized day-to-day, denying them basic rights when this country was built by immigrants who also crossed borders and embedded the ideals that hard work pays off; but most importantly who saw this country as "the land of opportunity."

Not to say, that the true citizens are the Native Americans. They accepted the Europeans through sharing their goods, natural resources and food. Never did they isolate them or treated them as what they really were, illegal immigrants. Instead they welcomed them without boundaries or restrictions to live.

To say this is the 21st Century doesn't really apply when individuals rights are oppressed and neglected every single day. We are still at a primitive stage of evolution. There will be a day when officials will realize that it was a simple notion to allow immigrants to live in the United States without the fear of being deported or the fear of getting his or her child ripped away. It is vital that these children stay with their families. These lives do matter and the government needs to stop playing the limbo game.