(A view of Mission Viejo, a city in the 45th congressional district of California./Creative Commons)

Alders, a director of staffing at Taco Bell, disagrees with the reform’s acts regarding education.

He feels that offering legalization to immigrants who get an education is unfair.  He called the offer of a green card “a carrot” and said, “It should not be automatic like that.  That allows for individuals to supersede others who have been waiting for years to become citizens and just because they’ve earned a degree doesn’t mean they should go above and beyond the others.”

The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 was introduced to Congress on April 16, 2013.  On June 27, 2013, the Senate passed the bill.  The House of Representatives has yet to make a decision.

Another issue concerning the U.S., as well as the Orange County area, is a lack of availability of health care.  Alders sees this as a major problem in Orange County, calling it a “financial strain.”

Congressman John Campbell III understands that health care in the district needs to be addressed.  He wrote in the Orange County Register that he supports the Patient’s Choice Act, first introduced in 2009 by Congressman Paul Ryan.

Orange County is located in southern California.  Originally founded on miles of orange groves, the area is known for its warm weather and various activities such as horse riding and surfing.  Fashion industries and international businesses are headquartered in the county, many of which are located in the city of Irvine.

Nori Ebersole, a human resources manager for Allergan pharmaceuticals, believes the U.S. needs to change how it handles immigration, no matter the cost.

Despite the U.S. currently struggling economically, Ebersole feels it’s worth it to spend money on immigrants.  “We are spending money on them anyway with free school lunches and healthcare.  They should be legalized so they can pay into the tax system.”  

Ebersole thinks that the U.S. is in need of a fresh start anyway.  “The old reform is more than 25 years old and times have changed.”  Some acts in the reform include the amnesty act, which protects immigrants from certain laws.  The House of Representatives is discussing this act before it votes on the reform.

Ebersole thinks immigrants shouldn’t be given this luxury.  She said, “Certainly they should abide by all the laws in the U.S.” and added, “but arresting or deporting people who have worked here for years does not make sense.”

The D.R.E.A.M. act gives immigrants the opportunity to become U.S. citizens if they graduate from high school and are model students.  Ebersole thinks this is fair, saying, “If they have been here long enough to go through the educational system then they should be able to stay.”

If the reform is passed, the U.S. plans to strengthen border security, in an attempt to lessen the number of foreigners entering the country illegally.  Ebersole thinks it will also affect Mexico’s drug trafficking.  She said it will “not only control the numbers coming into the U.S., but in the case of Mexico, drugs are making it into our country.”

District Fact Box

Population: 3,010,232

Hispanic or Latino: 18.4%

White: 55.5%

Black: 1.4%

American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.6%

Asian: 20.9%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.3%

Other: 3.8%

Mixed race: 2.9%

Total: 100%

Per capita income: 34,017

Voter turnout in 2012: 178,407

Current voter registration: 240,805

Democrat: 111,609

Republican: 59,735

No party affiliation: 7,063

Unknown: 0

Winner of the 2012 election in 45th district: Obama

Winner of the 2012 election in California: Obama

Reach guest contributor Chris Grismer here.