Before focusing the lens on Arkansas specifically, no one will dispute the fact that immigrant workers have gradually, but certainly become an intrinsic aspect of what makes the cogs of our nation's workforce wheel turn smoothly and effectively. In truth, you can safely state that the impact and influence of immigrant workers extends far beyond just affecting the workforce of the nation. While some people might contest the above statement, once you consider the studies conducted by the Panel on the Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration put the estimation of immigrant workers to be about 13% of the nation's population as of 2014. This should put things in perspective.

There has been considerable clamor over the years that more should be done to preserve the rights of immigrant workers in the state of Arkansas. In the past two years, the demand for more strict laws protecting these workers has risen even more. With the population of immigrants and their contributions to the state continuing to increase, this is an important facet of the society that can't be overlooked. The question becomes whether such a reform is necessary, and if so, how best to implement such a change.

To start, there is truly no denying the fact that immigrant workers are integral to the workforce in the state. After all, there must be a reason that you see these workers in virtually every sector, from agriculture to health. They bring a lot to the table, providing new insights on how to tackle new and existing issues and helping make headway in international space. Immigrant workers are definitely indispensable.

However, is this sufficient reason to warrant new laws unique to immigrant workers? Does this make them better or worth more than regular native-born workers? Is offering these workers special treatment really the best solution?

While the impact of these workers in the labor force is indeed commendable, that isn't the only place it is restricted to. And while the impact of these actions is positive (at least to an extent) in the state's workforce, the same cannot be said for its impact in areas like the health and the education system.

According to the American Immigration Council, an estimated 41 percent of the immigrant population in the state is undocumented. The direct implication of which is that even though immigrant workers contribute significantly to the labor force, these positives are negated by the burden they place on the education and health because many of them don't pay tax. More precisely, this is the same reason many of them are able to work cheap, effectively lowering and in extreme cases, even eliminating what wages native-born workers would ideally earn.

In the interest of fairness, justice, and equity, immigrant workers should have the exact same rights as native-born Americans. No more and no less. There's a place for balance in the Arkansas workforce, and giving one side privileges that would not benefit the other destroys that balance.

Let all workers have equal rights!