Reference no: EM133264911

COLLAPSE

Many social problems stem from issues regarding immigration to the United States - for example, illegal immigration (typically overstayed visas, as well as unauthorized immigration), the difficulty in becoming an American citizen, recent attempts to restrict not just illegal but legal immigration and the entry of immigrants and (especially) refugees, the stepped-up push to deport unauthorized immigrants, the open-ended fate of DACA recipients, and so on.

Choose one of the following immigration-related issues and discuss one way that it qualifies as either a social problem or a solution to a social problem, tying one of the theories (symbolic interactionism, structural functionalism or social conflict theory) to it:

• Changing attitudes towards (and countries of origin of) refugees to the United States, including Central Americans, Haitians, and most recently Ukrainian and Russian refugees coming through the US-Mexico border. 
• Along those lines, the Biden administration's decision to try to reunite Central American immigrant children and their families separated during the last administration, as well as the continued deportations by the Biden administration, for various reasons, of Central American and Haitian refugees.
• The reinstitution of the DACA program by the Biden administration, which would include a path to citizenship for Dreamers brought to the country as children.  The program was almost killed by the Trump administration, which was ultimately prevented by the Supreme Court.
• Changing attitudes towards immigrants: we find for the first time since polling on the question began (1965) that more Americans support increasing migration to the United States rather than decreasing it.  This is according to the Gallup Institute.
• Visa reform, which would make it easier for some immigrants with certain educational or skill backgrounds who come to (and remain in) the US legally, to become citizens.