Population growth during the 20th century was notably rapid. In 1994, the total world population was estimated at about 5.6 billion people. It increased nearly 4 billion people during the 20th century. The most significant world trend shows that death rates are currently decreasing due to recent technology, allowing people to live longer and better. However, the birth rates are increasing in poor countries, and decreasing in wealthy nations, causing the population to increase. "Eighty-eight percent of the world's population takes place in Third world countries. More than a billion people today are paid less than one hundred and fifty dollars a year, which is less than the average American earns in a week" (Microsoft Encarta).

In 1996 Congress passed the "Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act." The act made it easier to deport aliens attempting to enter the United States without proper documents. It expanded the number of crimes for which immigrants can be deported. The act severely restricted the right of immigrants to appeal decisions made by the government to the federal courts. "The 1996 act also established an income test for those attempting to bring family members from abroad to the United States. Under the provisions of the act, a person sponsoring a family member is required to earn at least 125 percent of the poverty threshold, the annual income required to maintain an adequate standard of living according to the U.S. Census Bureau."(www.aila.com) Illegal immigrants who remain in the United States for more than six months are barred from re-entering the country for three years. Illegal immigrants who remain in the United States for a year or more are banned for ten years from re-entering the United States borders. In 1996 Congress also implemented a welfare-reform bill that restricted legal immigrants from receiving subsidies for food, known as food stamps. The act also denied social security benefits to legal immigrants who had not worked in the United States for at least 10 years. In 1997 Congress rescinded some of these measures, voting to restore disability compensation benefits and to exempt thousands of Central American refugees from deportation.

When adding the numbers of legal and illegal immigrants, 50 percent of all U.S. population growth comes from immigration. While Americans try to have smaller families, immigration threatens our nation. If immigration rates remain this high, more than seventy million people will be added to the United States population in just fifty years, with no end in sight. We are taking in more people than all of the rest of the world combined. As have all the other countries of the world, America needs to control its borders in a way that will actually prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border illegally. As every house needs a door, so every country needs a border. And yet, our borders are full of holes. We have clearly lost control over our future. My children and your children will pay the price of uncontrolled immigration.

In the 2000 election immigration is one of many issues of each candidate. However, it is not one to ignore because it will affect our nation a great deal in the up and coming future. Presidential candidate George W. Bush is proposing these ideas to our nation:" a 500 million-dollar cut to INS application time to 6 months. Welcome Latinos; immigration is not a problem to be solved. Make INS more "immigrants friendly". High tech: More H-1B worker visas; less export controls. Farm policy: Open markets abroad; more H-2A worker visas. Latinos enrich us; family values go past Rio Grande. More border guards to compassionately turn away Mexicans. Guest workers, maybe; citizenship waiting period,

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2019
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)