In a country where Latino and Black communities will soon become the majority, the United States is faced with a political dilemma. Should undocumented immigrants be allowed to become citizens or should politicians tighten border policing and increase deportation rates?

This hotly debated topic has views that fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. While President Obama deported as many people in his first term as George Bush did in two, some progressive measures have been advocated by his administration. In June of 2012, President Obama issued a Department of Homeland Security directive to stop the deportation of undocumented immigrants under the age of 30 who obtained a high school diploma, its equivalent or served in the military. Meanwhile, many Republican legislators who rejected proposals like the DREAM Act derided the President’s decree, equating it to amnesty. In the same month then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney claimed he would veto the DREAM Act if it came across his desk, but he would work hard to pave the way for legal residency – a move away from his previous recommendation of “self deportation.” This type of immigration policy focuses on exploiting financial gains from legal immigrant labor instead of granting migrants what they really need – citizenship and voting power to improve their access to basic human rights like healthcare, education and labor protections. If an estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants – a large portion of which are anticipated to vote democratic – are granted citizenship, they could put the Republican Party in danger of losing political strong holds like Texas and Arizona.

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