Should the United States provide a path to legalization for illegal immigrants? The issue has been at the forefront of American politics for several years but the debate continues. What does a nation do with an estimated 10 to 20 million people residing in its country illegally?

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When elections are on the horizon, one would expect immigration reform to be a hot topic on the campaign trail. However, topics like illegal immigration are usually put on the back burner. It’s hard to win the hearts and minds of certain demographics when you’re discussing stricter enforcement and harsher penalties. You might just anger the very people whose votes you’re trying to gain.

In the absence of any new federal policies, state officials are trying to do what they can to deal the illegal immigrants showing up on their doorsteps. But their good intentions only serve to increase the problems. If states have varying policies on illegal immigrants, a state that starts to enforce its strict policies will force its immigrants to pack up and move to a neighboring state with more lenient policies.

Background
Illegal immigrants are foreign nationals who come to the United States without following the legal immigration process to enter and remain in the country. The reasons for immigrating vary, but generally people are looking for better opportunities and a higher quality of life than they would have in their native countries.

While the illegal population is concentrated in California and Texas, illegal immigrants may be found in every state. More than half of today's illegal aliens were born in Mexico, although other Latin America countries, Asia and other nations contribute to the population.

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