Immigration has been an ongoing topic of discussion since the start of the United States. Immigration is the foundation of the country. Over the past century, the like for immigration has been like a roller coaster. Immigrants have come in huge amounts. Similar to now, people came in with their hopes of their American Dream. Records as early as 1855 show the presence of immigrants coming into the country. History shows business owners were happy to hire workers who worked for low pay. In the construction of railroads, a project that shaped the United States, took in workers that immigrated from China. Many European immigrants were hired in factories. Since the beginning of time, immigrants were often mistreated and taken advantage of because of their lack of status. They were barely paid or sometimes even killed so they would not have to be paid. American society displayed a form of division, as some argue that is felt now, of American citizens hating immigrants. In the past we see acts such as the immigration act of 1907 and the Chinese Exclusion act are passed in efforts to decrease the amount of immigrants coming into the country. Demands for quotas continued on in history. The situation occurs today. President Trump has frequently spoken of the immigration situation. Immigration is at an all time high. The biggest difference aside from the immigration train shifting from mainly European and Asian to Latin American, is how high the overall American population is. Overcrowding has been a concern. News floating around the treatment of immigrants and their future in the United States have continued to make headlines.
In the article,”Immigration Raids Turn Victims into Criminal and Violates Worker Right,” written by Danielle Maestrretti, focuses on immigration law enforcement and the violation of the human rights of immigrants. Maestretti states, “In the absence of meaningful immigration reform, we’ve arrived at a de facto policy that punishes workers, not the corporate bosses who benefit from their low wages and long hours” (¼). Maestretti emphasizes on the effects of communities as people are too scared to leave their homes. The children of these immigrants, who a big percentage happen to be U.S citizens, are going through their everyday lives with constant worry of the deportation of their parents. Maestretti continues her argument stating, “The raids are the most visible symptom of a dysfunctional system-and, perversely, the government may be stepping them up to push for the policies that corporate America wants” (¼) The articles continues to focus on the profiting of immigration reform in receiving both low pay in high labor and limiting people to rights such as limiting their ability to organize. Also if more people are being arrested and detained, the more jails are profiting. People are being arrested for minor incidents such as driving with no seat belt or fishing with no licence. This means that these private businesses don’t care for the fact that people are illegal. They don’t do it to conserve the law, but rather to increase their profit. It’s more important to capture as many people in order to maintain their businesses. This is a big piece of information that immigration deportation is profitable for corporate America. Maestri ends her article with a a quote to empathize with the readers. She states that the need for a better life for a family is not a crime.
The other article I read was called, “Enforcing Existing Immigrantion Law Violates Rights of Illegal Immigrants.” The author of this article happens to be the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee rights. The NNIRR focuses on the rights of all immigrants and refugees. The article begins by highlighting the ongoing pattern in violating the rights of immigrants by law enforcement. The NNIRR states, “Meanwhile, Congress continues to inflate the DHS’s [Department of Homeland Security] ICE and CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] budgets for militarizing the southwest border region, linking it to the intensification of interior enforcement. This consists of lawes, practices, policies and new proposals increasing policing, wall building and incarceration of immigrants and a growing reliance on private security corporations” (⅛). Similar to the first article, it emphasizes the benefits the government receives in incarcerating immigrants. Detention centers make money. In 2005, the U.S passed a bill called the Sensenbrenner bill that makes immigrants felonies if they are undocumented and making it illgeal to give them services. Since then the amount of ICE raids have increased immensely. Between the years of 2006 and 2007, the percentage of raids increased over twenty percent. Another similarity found in the article as the first one is highlighting the effects faced by children. Who would want to leave a child on its own? NNIRR states, “Studies estimates that between 3.1 million and 5 million children- who are U.S. citizens- are living with at least one undocumented immigrant parent” (⅜). The article states that the U.S needs to invest in different strategies in means of decreasing immigration. It’s no longer just immigrants who are affected but actual U.S citizens. These citizens become orphans. Children who are left helpless.
Overall, immigration reform is a very controversial issue. Whether people are pro or anti immigration, it’s important to recognize that a human’s right is violated. A human is a human regardless of legal status. Families are being separated and people are being mistreated for their status. The quality of living in these detention centers are horrible. Children are being forced to live in unacceptable conditions. A person’s status does not determine their value as a human being. A change in the treatment of people has to occur. It needs to also be recognized how much immigrants have done to the U.S both socially and economically. The ending statement of NNIRR article says it all, “Additionally, the U.S. government must address the root causes of migration by upholding and protecting human rights and implementing sustainable economic development” (6/8).
Ciations: National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “Enforcing Existing Immigration Law Violates Rights of Illegal Immigrants.” What Rights Should Illegal Immigrants Have?, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010419215/GIC?u=ggcl&sid=GIC&xid=10fa01b5. Accessed 6 Feb. 2020. Originally published as “Over-Raided, Under Siege: U.S. Immigration Laws and Enforcement Destroy the Rights of Immigrants,” 2008, pp. 1-47.
Maestretti, Danielle. “Immigration Raids Turn Victims into Criminals and Violate Worker Rights.” What Rights Should Illegal Immigrants Have?, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010419219/GIC?u=ggcl&sid=GIC&xid=3b4437f5. Accessed 6 Feb. 2020. Originally published as “Shelf Life: Immorally Detained,” Utne Reader, Jan.-Feb. 2009, pp. 22-23.
Social Justice 