D#2 Grammar HW#8

The problem area in my writing that I chose to focus on is punctuation, commas to be more specific. I find myself often breezing through my writing or getting ahead of myself and often forget to use the correct punctuation, or any punctuation at all. After completing a quick tutorial on the Daily Writing Tips website and reading through the "Commas: Quick Rules" section of Purdue Owl, I am reassured that my use of commas and punctuation still has plenty of room to improve. This information was helpful in finding introductory words or phrases in my paragraphs that needed commas after them.

(Before Editing)
An obvious solution to the immigration problem starts with securing the border. Although some areas have sufficient protection the U.S.-Mexico border is largely divided by thin wire fences. After installing a 14 mile section of fence along the San Diego border called "the ‘San Diego Primary Fence’ ... apprehensions at the Imperial Beach Station were reduced by 80 percent" (Wagner). Many people believe a fence is unnecessary to keep illegal aliens out. However a recent study found that "53 percent of individuals being deported simply came right back" (Wagner). This proves that the tactics being used to keep them out are ineffective and illegal aliens are basically waltzing back and forth across our borders. Also the open borders provide a free ride pathway for drug smugglers to go back and forth. In conclusion the only way to stop immigrants from illegally going back and forth is to secure our borders with bigger and better fences.
Deportation in this country is extremely passive and basically runs on the honor system. Normally, when an illegal alien is caught they are given a certain amount of time to leave the country and are usually given a date for an immigration hearings. Through this process many escape and slip through the cracks living their lives in the U.S. as fugitives. Over a 16 month period when 42,000 illegal immigrants were found, "28,000 were released pending immigration hearings, but 90 percent did not show up to their hearings" (Hendricks). However, officials have taken action against these unnecessary hearings and are taking a more aggressive approach. The new method of deportation is "a formal procedure that carries a five-year bar to re-entry and usually does not allow for a hearing before an immigration judge" (Hendricks). While some think this method is harsh it is aimed to encourage the legal process of immigration and harshly punish the illegal immigrants. Also, eliminating a hearing before an immigration judge is allowing fewer and fewer immigrants to slip through the cracks. In brief, we must continue to enforce timely deportation of illegal immigrants.


(After)
An obvious solution to the immigration problem starts with securing the border. Although some areas have sufficient protection, the U.S.-Mexico border is largely divided by thin wire fences. After installing a 14 mile section of fence along the San Diego border called "the ‘San Diego Primary Fence’ ... apprehensions at the Imperial Beach Station were reduced by 80 percent" (Wagner). Many people believe a fence is unnecessary to keep illegal aliens out. However, a recent study found that "53 percent of individuals being deported simply came right back" (Wagner). This proves that the tactics being used to keep them out are ineffective and illegal aliens are basically waltzing back and forth across our borders. Also, the open borders provide a free ride pathway for drug smugglers to go back and forth. In conclusion, the only way to stop immigrants from illegally going back and forth is to secure our borders with bigger and better fences.
Deportation in this country is extremely passive and basically runs on the honor system. Normally, when an illegal alien is caught, they are given a certain amount of time to leave the country and are usually given a date for an immigration hearings. Through this process, many escape and slip through the cracks living their lives in the U.S. as fugitives. Over a 16 month period when 42,000 illegal immigrants were found, "28,000 were released pending immigration hearings, but 90 percent did not show up to their hearings" (Hendricks). However, officials have taken action against these unnecessary hearings and are taking a more aggressive approach. The new method of deportation is "a formal procedure that carries a five-year bar to re-entry and usually does not allow for a hearing before an immigration judge" (Hendricks). While some think this method is harsh, it is aimed to encourage the legal process of immigration and harshly punish the illegal immigrants. Also, eliminating a hearing before an immigration judge is allowing fewer and fewer immigrants to slip through the cracks. In brief, we must continue to enforce timely deportation of illegal immigrants.