Congress’ failure to pass immigration reform — and President Obama’s unwillingness to issue an executive order ending deportations — are splitting the immigration-rights movement and turning many activists against both corporate-backed political parties, Democrats as well as Republicans.
What some advocates of a just immigration reform want included, others want excluded — such as the pathway to citizenship. There is talk in the federal government of doing piecemeal immigration reform — but where would they start? Some see the undocumented as criminals and insist they be deported for breaking the law.
Privately owned prisons and detention centers make big money warehousing the undocumented. Corporations are salivating over the $46 billion that would go to border security with the immigration reform Congress is contemplating.
The undocumented population has been a source of income for the broader nation in many ways. As payers of local, state, and federal taxes, they contribute to state and federal programs (and as workers, to the economy as a whole) while not being able to access benefits for themselves or their families. Social Security is lasting longer because of their contributions.
Although Congress’ inaction is destroying families, it may be causal by them thinking, “Why change this situation now if it’s worked for so many years?”
When polled, the majority of people favor of immigration reform. Most don’t want to see families separated. Many understand that low wages for the undocumented drag down wages for all. But apparently, this is not enough reason to pass immigration reform.
Why immigrants have been forced out of their own countries is not even considered. The North American and Central American Free-Trade Agreements have flooded Latin America with cheap factory-farm corn and forced millions of small farmers off the land. The policies of U.S. agribusiness working hand in hand with the federal government are major reasons that migrants must look for survival outside of their homelands.
Dreamers, unions, faith and community organizations have tirelessly marched, protested and prayed to convince the politicians about undocumented peoples’ needs and contributions. Now, across the United States, civil disobedience and fasting to support immigration reform are increasing.
Washington’s inaction is splitting the immigrant-rights movement, and its unity of action appears to be shattering. Some supporters are now okay with a bill that does not include a pathway to citizenship.
The frustration of waiting is proving to be too much to handle. More and more have lost faith in our elected officials, including President Obama. Many believe that he could stop the deportations and force Congress to negotiate.
The system is broken for those who are not counted and who live in the shadows and are vulnerable to deportations and the separation of families. The politicians’ sense of morality seems different than the people’s. The politicians’ answer to corporations and their priorities are obviously different than ours when it comes to equality and justice.
It is time to develop a different plan to find humane solutions and remove the barriers to passing just laws.
Stop all deportations and separation of families! Stop massive incarceration and separation of families! Re-unite families that have been torn apart by these unjust laws! Demand that no one go without food, housing, medical care, or the basic human needs.
The unwillingness of those in power to pass meaningful immigration reform is part of their campaign to deny democratic rights to the country’s great working-class majority. In this it parallels the movement by state legislatures to make it more and more difficult for people to vote. The fight for immigration reform is part of the same fight as Moral Monday, Dream Defenders, and supporters of Andy Lopez — movements that are class-based, not racially or ethnically based.
