Immigration Policy

Immigration has been a hot issue in recent months, including debate between Congress and President Trump about border security that ultimately led to a government shutdown.  Is a wall immoral as some of the left have claimed?  How do people even immigrate legally to the U.S.?  Do Republicans/conservatives have a racist undertone when talking about immigration? 

References:

• Is the wall immoral? http://thefederalist.com/2019/01/08/why-is-a-border-wall-immoral/; https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/get-rid-borders-completely/409501/
• Diversity visa program: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry/dv-2018-selected-entrants.html
• Immigration by the numbers: https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/government-shutdown-trump-border-wall-2/
• Analysis of Feb 2019 border proposal: https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/border-wall-trump-budget-deal/
• Environmental impact: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/how-trump-us-mexico-border-wall-could-impact-environment-wildlife-water/
• Eminent domain: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/donald-trump-eminent-domain-border-wall-emergency/
• Visa overstays: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/visa-overstays-outpaced-illegal-border-crossings-in-2017-dhs
• Employers, E-Verify, and Trump’s Hiring of Illegals: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-is-very-weak-on-this-one-popular-way-to-curb-illegal-immigration/2018/05/22/adf5f85e-399b-11e8-acd5-35eac230e514_story.html?utm_term=.0f6c80d5b331; https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/08/trump-once-advocated-huge-financial-penalty-those-employing-undocumented-immigrants/
• Americans killed by illegal immigrants:https://www.conservativereview.com/news/the-media-never-cares-when-americans-are-killed-by-illegal-immigrants/
• Immigrants and crime: https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/01/03/locking-your-house-not-like-locking-border/qH6OTRoIbs0Ord05k8QSlO/story.html; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/06/19/two-charts-demolish-the-notion-that-immigrants-here-illegally-commit-more-crime/?utm_term=.7018bc5e1fbc
• Economics of illegal immigration: https://www.cfr.org/report/economic-logic-illegal-immigration; https://immigrationforum.org/article/fact-sheet-immigrants-and-public-benefits/