Migration into the United States, particularly from Mexico, has historically been a huge issue. Immigration laws have always been contentious, have constantly changed for many years and continue to do so today.

Legal immigrants come to the United States with ideas of working here, buying or renting property, or putting their children in school or perhaps for all of these reasons. But one must wonder why illegal Hispanic immigrants continually risk their lives to come to the United States.

Every year, anywhere from one-to three-million illegal immigrants cross the Mexican border into the United States. The exact number is nearly impossible to calculate because of how legally “invisible” most of these immigrants become; there aren’t any records of their presence such as driver’s licenses or tax documents.

As U.S. citizens, it’s often difficult to understand that different classes of people exist, and there are many poor people living in Mexico and every other Latin American country. In such countries, one can easily see the clash between the wealthy and the desperately poor.

The average minimum-wage worker in Mexico is earning no more than $4 per day, according to The Washington Times. Such a small source of income makes it extremely difficult for a family to survive, and because the United States is only a hop across the border, immigration – legal or not – is immensely appealing.

It’s a chance for a guaranteed better standard of living.

However, there are countless other reasons that encourage immigrants to stream into our country. Political asylum is a very common motive for fleeing Central and South American nations. In many Latin American countries, insurgent guerrillas and members of other irregular armed forces are destabilizing the local and national governments. Such groups often harass and terrorize millions of citizens.

It becomes a situation where, for many, remaining in their native country means risking their lives.

The U.S. immigration laws shouldn’t be so rigid, and many factors should be considered. These determinants include the moral implications of deporting those seeking political asylum, whether the immigrants have children who were born in the United States, or if the immigrant is making a contribution to our economy and society.

These and other factors need to be taken into account before deporting someone.

Today, many legal and illegal immigrants work in California’s produce industry. They work all day in fields picking fruit and vegetables, which are greedily consumed by the same Americans who want to deport these workers. It’s undisputable that these laborers are a vital part of our economy, and we would miss the fruits of their labor – literally.

There is no reason why we should deport people who are willing to work the physically demanding jobs that most Americans won’t do.

If illegal immigrants are caught but are currently employed, they shouldn’t be deported. We should grant them a work permit and require them to begin the process of becoming legal residents and eventually citizens.

Most illegal immigrants do not want to remain illegal, but they do want and need empathy from Americans and someone to guide them through the process of becoming legal residents in the United States.

The struggles of the illegal immigrants certainly don’t end after they cross the border.

The next time you consider their plight, at least remember that there are and always will be people who – for many legitimate reasons – are willing to do anything to get into this country. Yes, “illegal is illegal,” but we still need to try to understand where these immigrants are really coming from.

-Melissa Dudum-Maya is a Latin American studies freshman.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed – include your full name, major and year in school.