"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." These are the hopeful, inspiring words inscribed on a plaque on the Statue of Liberty. There is a broken chain that lies at her feet symbolizing freedom. She stands tall welcoming immigrants from around the world to the greatest country in the world. The United States has forever been known as the land of the free and a nation of opportunity. We were founded by many cultures drawn here with the hope of a better life, and are now considered to be the "melting pot" of the world. Historically, immigration has improved the image of the United States, and we are often seen as a welcoming country because of the cultural diversity we possess. America used to be a home for immigrants and welcomed them with open arms, but during the early 1800s things started to change. Nativist groups such as the KKK started to form in opposition to immigration, and their views began to spread. Now, immigration is strongly debated, and sometimes propagandized in much of the media. Why is immigration looked at as such a large problem in America? Many feel that our immigration laws are being exploited while illegal immigrants are flooding into our borders. Many also feel that illegal immigrants are stealing jobs from American citizens and are a burden on us financially because they don't have to pay taxes. However, many of the immigration criticisms are exaggerated and some are completely untrue. Illegal immigration is disproportionately focused on in the media and overshadows the fact that immigration is great for our country as it grows the economy, brings new skills and cultural diversity and contributes to a stable and safe society.
             The largest and most common argument against immigration is that immigrants threaten American life by taking jobs from American workers. While this argument may seem valid to many, it is almost overwhelmingly false. In fact, Augustine Fa...