NOTE TO STUDENTS:  The issue of the large number of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. is a controversial topic. Remember that most of the people who come here do so to have the opportunity for a better life and the freedom to make it happen. This is not an issue of being "unkind," but an issue of enforcing the law. Also, in this age of terrorism, it is crucial that we know who is coming into the U.S., and for what purpose. It is important to secure our borders. Those who enforce U.S. laws should not be accused of being unkind--they are being responsible. Speak courteously to one another on this topic.

1. What request did the head of the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents' union make of President Obama in a letter this week?

2. Which groups did President Obama include at the meetings he has held on illegal immigration?

3. a) Why did Mr. Crane say representatives of ICE should be included in the immigration talks?
b) Do you think he is right? Why or why not?

4. What position is the Obama administration taking on the status of the 11 million people who are in the U.S. illegally?

5. What does Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano credit the Obama administration with doing?

6. Mr. Crane has filed a lawsuit against Ms. Napolitano, challenging that her agency's new non-deportation policies make most illegal immigrants ineligible for deportation. ICE agents say these policies force them to ignore their own sworn duty to uphold the law.
The ICE website states: ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration. The agency … is primarily devoted to its two principal operating components: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Does Mr. Crane have a valid argument? Why or why not?

7. a) President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) in 1986 that gave legal status to the 3 million people who were living in the U.S. illegally. During the signing ceremony, President Reagan explained that his reform would "remove the incentive for illegal immigration by eliminating the job opportunities which draw illegal aliens here." The IRCA was designed to allow illegal immigrants to emerge from the shadows in which they had been hiding and afforded many residents the opportunity to become citizens. Reagan hoped that future generations would reap the benefits of this legislation through the commitment to humane border control. (from a YahooNews Q&A)
Last week, Secretary Napolitano said that legalizing illegal immigrants would help law enforcement do its job by reducing the number of people here illegally and, she hopes, reducing the demand for smuggling and for future illegal immigration. Do you agree with her assertion? Explain your answer.
b) Ask a parent the same question.