Photo: Comité Latino
A little more than a month ago, the Senate handed the responsibility for passing immigration reform to Congress, and not much of anything has happened. It appears that they’re reluctant to respond to citizenry requests for “a path to citizenship.” It is as if the insistence of groups advocating for immigration reform would be causing a deafening effect that leaves them immobile to the demands of the majority. As I write, 82% of U.S. registered voters say, “Congress doesn’t deserve a recess” because they haven’t worked hard enough to take a 5-week vacation, according to a survey by Fox News.
Since the immigration reform discussion started, I’ve been noticing a recurring phenomenon in the daily lives of immigrants. I still don’t know how to call it: perhaps the American law of reasoning or the reasoning of American law. You decide. It works like this: Pablo lives in the United States: (a) is undocumented, (b) is a criminal, (c) and, therefore, a law breaker. This type of analysis (a-c) produces an erroneous deduction that labels Pablo as not being a good citizen due to a lack of documents. Some Americans fall victims, misuse, or misinterpret this thinking model. This is unfair and must stop.
Immigration specialist, Professor Douglas Massey, author of Understanding America’s Immigration Crisis (2007) argues that the militarization of the border increases the costs and risks of crossing the border; he notes that tightening of the border has changed the behavior of migrants, who now minimize the number of times they leave the country. Massey shows that more border security contributes to a resounding surge of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
In August, Coachella Valley organizations initiated a collection of signatures to oppose the renovation of measure 287(g), Immigration and Nationality Act, which encourages police cooperation with immigration agents. This means that if the agreement is renewed, police will have the ability to arrest the undocumented who will subsequently be given to immigration officials for a deportation process regardless of whether they have a family already living here.
Inland Congregations United for Change and Comité Latino believe that this law fractures the community-sheriff relationship in Riverside County, given that people stopped reporting crimes for fear of deportation. Both organizations continue to oppose the separation of working families and condemn this activity as it inflicts an irreversible economic damage in the communities of Coachella, California and the country as a whole, as they lose a monthly income in the family.
We are entering a critical moment for immigrants who need immigration reform to adjust their status so they can stop living in fear in this country. The eternal postponement of a path to citizenship and measures such as the 287 (g) must end. Congressional laziness or idleness concerns hundreds of organizations fighting for immigrants’ rights because there has not been an advance in congressional discussions with respect to immigration reform.
Last but not least, I have something to get off my chest: the law doesn’t make the people, people make the law. Call your Congressman, their laziness causes suspicion to at least 11 million people.
Say yes to immigration reform with a path to citizenship!
