Make immigration a priority Does our freedom speak to immigration? Immigration has become a new buzz word, much like âÄúgreen,âÄù âÄúorganic,âÄù âÄúimpactâÄù and âÄúnext generation.âÄù But in the past months, how many campaign commercials and debates have you seen on immigration? ItâÄôs true that the election has changed the face of our nation. Life as we knew it for the past eight years will no longer exist. Change was bound to happen, no matter which candidate replaced George W. Bush. But this change still leaves those who have chosen to leave their own land for a land of opportunity in jeopardy. What kind of immigration reform will we see? We are the next generation, but what are we going to do to leave our mark? There is a reason why so many men, women and children chose to continue to migrate to the United States of America during a period of time when you could only hear negativity about our government on the streets. That is the freedom we are given as U.S. citizens by those men and women who choose to go to war and risk their lives for our freedom. This freedom that has been so graciously given to us is exactly the freedom that men and women hope to gain by crossing the border. So let us take a moment to ask our new Commander in Chief what he is willing to do to ensure our freedom as well as the freedom hoped to be gained by so many brave families, joining our family as one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Tierney Black University student As the nation heads to the polls this week, the future ensures large changes in our nation. Unfortunately, one issue that seems to have been pushed aside in light of economic challenges is immigration. We need to address immigration immediately as it is undeniably linked to the future so many Americans are dreaming of. ItâÄôs no secret that Latinos have become the largest minority. The role they play in the socioeconomic fabric of this country will ultimately contribute greatly to the changes many candidates are promising. As of March 2006, the US Census Bureau estimated the 14.8 percent of our population was Hispanic. Of those 44 million, a study done by the Pew Hispanic Center expected an additional 12 million people were undocumented immigrants. The Pew Hispanic Center also estimated that in 2005 undocumented workers made up as much as 25 percent or more of a variety of civilian labor job fields. Although the government does not officially acknowledge undocumented immigrants, they are becoming an increasingly larger percentage of the population, and their economic contributions are becoming more crucial. In reaction to such an influx of people there arise new challenges. We need to design solutions to these resulting problems of immigration legalization, bilingual education, and civil injustices. As people vote this week, we need to remember to be mindful of the influence these people have in our country. To brush aside these individuals as unimportant would be political suicide. Ryan Dean University student