Other children who were breastfeeding were torn from their mothers-- a very painful process for both mother and baby. Worst, mother were quickly shipped to detention centers thousands of miles from families and community.
Okie, this is much more than a hot button issue to me. This is my ministry (to use a term from my religious past). Immigration issues include the values of our country toward the poor and those different than us. The core of all of these issues is compassion.
This is a personal issue for me because of the community I live in. There are people that I care about deeply who are at risk of being separated from their families.
It is important for US citizens who have a voice to speak up for people who don't have a voice. That is my intent.
I understand illegal and there is no question that many of these people have broken the law by either crossing the border or overstaying a visa. There are some undocumented immigrants who haven't broken a law because they were brought here as young kids.
A young man I know well has lived here for 15 years and only knows the US as his home. He is now ready to go to college and is having to navigate a situation the all of his friend, who have lived the same life he has in every respect, don't even understand.
The point I want to make is that the people you are calling "illegal" are real people. The fact that they have broken a law by crossing a border doesn't change their humanity (and if it did there would be a lot of "illegal" Americans). If I could introduce you to my community you would understand.
This thread is to say that the current enforcement-first policy is breaking families and causing pain to both immigrants and Americans. As our governer said it is a humanitarian catastrophy.
I believe the enforcement first solution is both unecessary and unwarranted and that the pain it causes is inacceptable. For those who believe this response is necessary, I would like them to at least acknowldge the cost.
I want a compassionate immigration reform bill that recognizes that immigrants are human beings in addition to finding a border policy that most Americans will agree with.
Congress will start working on immigration reform legislation in the next couple of weeks that will work to fix the current system that all sides agree is unworkable.
I would like these inhumane raids on families to stop, at least until Congress has the chance to work out a compassionate policy.
I want a compassionate immigration reform bill that recognizes that immigrants are human beings in addition to finding a border policy that most Americans will agree with.
Congress will start working on immigration reform legislation in the next couple of weeks that will work to fix the current system that all sides agree is unworkable.
I would like these inhumane raids on families to stop, at least until Congress has the chance to work out a compassionate policy.
This is an old, and failed, argument-- that if you want to stop people from doing something, first you criminalize it, and then make the punishment harsher and harsher until it is unbearable.
When people wanted to stop abortion, they criminalized it and increased enforcement efforts. They targeted girls and the threatened the careers of doctors. The results were that girls died. Unscrupulous abortion providers (who put the girls lives at risk) of course made money.
When people wanted to stop drug use, they criminalized it and increase enforcement efforts. The target even casual users with harsh penalties. The results are broken communities, a business opportunity for violent gangs, and millions of young men and women in prison.
Immigration laws as they are now are very harsh to people. The result is that families are being broken, communities isolated, honor roll students who could have bright futures and benefit the US are being denied colledge.
The irony is that the harsh immigration laws are not helping anything. They are actually hurting US workers by providing the worst threat to them... and underground workforce with no rights. Workers that can demand a raise, or can change jobs when they are not treated well can't be exploited.
Likewise there are a system of "bars" in place that penalize immigrants who leave the country. If an immigrant has been in the US for a long time, they will quite possibly be barred for life... meaning if they leave to try to come back in legallly, they will end up seperated from friends, family and commuity. Many times this ban is for life.
Undocumented immigrants, like any other targeted community, are real human beings. Each person has hopes, dreams, family and a story. Many of them you would probably like, and many of them, after you understood their story, you would likely support their plea to become legal.
These punitive raids have no beneficial effect unless punishment is the goal. They break up families. They make communities live in fear with out sympathy or regard to why each person is here. They effect US citizens who are friends family and community to these immigrants.
They don't decrease immigration.
The raids do make it that much easier for unscrupulous business owners to take advantage of a frightened workforce to make even more money (screwing American workers at the same time). In case after case (including this one) the owners get out of jail while the immigrant workers are shipped to Texas without even being able to talk to their children.
This is an old, and failed, argument-- that if you want to stop people from doing something, first you criminalize it, and then make the punishment harsher and harsher until it is unbearable.
In regard to the children, yes everybody that has a heart has compassion for these children you make the subject of your posts here. I would also ask you, do the parents have a responsibility for these children?
Personally, I would much rather see employers in this country punished and incarcerated if necessary, for repeat offenders that know what they are doing and are blatantly ignoring the law, to stop the problem. It is a supply and demand problem. There is too much demand for employees without regard for legal citizenship, and as long as that situation exists, the supply will find a way to get to those jobs. Once employers require legal citizenship, the word will travel fast, and people will not be crossing the border illegally so fast.
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, Okie, but I have a question or two. It IS a supply and demand problem, most definitely. Employers are looking to get the most bang for their buck, and as long as some people are willing to cram 4 families into a two bedroom apartment so that they can work long hours for minimum wage or less, employers will prefer to hire those people. They are cheaper than American workers. So let's just say that all American employers suddenly come to Jesus and decide to require legal papers for all of their employees, and let's just say that your scenario pans out and the supply dries up. Well, then we still have the demand, no? Do you think that employers will take the hit and pay the wages and benefits that Americans demand in order to fill it? And if they do, do you think that Americans will clamor to fill these jobs? What's the unemployment rate look like in our country right now? How does it look in regions where immigration (legal or not) is very high?
Again, I'm not arguing with you as I think you more or less get that this is a systemic problem. I just think there's some more thought that needs to go into it.