Immigration refers to the process through which an individual moves from one country to another with the intention of establishing a residence in the new country. Immigration laws are in place that make it more difficult to emigrate from one country to the next.
Immigration Laws & Citizenship
Immigration laws in the United States are used to control how non-citizens come in and out of the United States. In the United States, an individual is considered alien if that person had not been born in the United States, does not have American born parents and has not acquired citizenship.
Crime
Criminals who do not have US citizenship are not allowed to enter the United States, protecting the US from dangerous immigrants.
Health
At one point, those with contagious diseases or mental illnesses were not allowed to enter the United States in order to protect United States citizens from potential health problems. This is not practiced as much anymore.
Immigration and the Labor Force
Immigration laws are designed to limit the number of workers entering the country so that there is not a surplus of workers. When there are more workers, there are fewer jobs available for citizens already within the country.
Read More: Reasons for Immigration to USA
National Security
Immigration laws are used to prevent potential enemies of the state from entering the country.
References
Writer Bio
Charles Pearson has written as a freelancer since 2009. He has a B.S. in literature from Purdue University Calumet and is currently working on his M.A. He has written the ebooks "Karate You Can Teach Your Kids," "Macadamia Growing Handout" and "The Raw Food Diet."