Imagine yourself in a life of poverty. No healthcare, low earnings in terrible working conditions. This is the life of an illegal immigrant, surprisingly, in the United States of America. What exactly is an immigrant? According to the World Almanac of US Politics 1997, “Not subject to any numerical limitations, immigrants [are] classified as immediate relatives (spouses, parents, or natural children) of U.S. citizens; repatriation of foreign permanent residents; some former US citizens; and some long-term U.S. government employees” (Wagman). The fear of being discovered as an illegal immigrant hinders every decision related to their livelihood, from education to work: their whole life is negatively affected. Nobody needs to live that way. The solution, however, is not simply to freely accept every willing immigrant, but to give all foreigners a fairer and more reasonable chance to become citizens of the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” Rigorous enforcement of a more streamlined government vetting process in legal immigration oversight is necessary to continue America's cultural and economic evolution with the addition of individuals from foreign nations seeking to successfully enter the States United States of America. Currently, America's immigration process is quite imperfect, requiring years of waiting and a significant amount of money. Early in United States history, President Thomas Jefferson saw the benefits of large-scale immigration; as it offered cheap labour, it provided technology for renovation and links to the trade of the time (Martin). Since then many years and many events have passed, including the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York... in the middle of paper... the same: being able to live a better life. The chance to live the American dream, a dream different for every individual, is here and waiting for people around the world. The ability to fully live the dream, however, is only possible through a quick and secure legal immigration process. It must be changed to allow others to join the “melting pot” family. As President Obama stated at an American university: And then there are the countless names and silent deeds that never made it into the history books but were no less important in building this country, the generations who defied the difficulties and great risks in reaching our coasts in search of a better life for themselves and their families; the millions of people, ancestors of most of us, who believed there was a place where they could, finally, be free to work, pray and live their lives in peace. (Obama)