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Is Immigration a problem you think is important? Why/ Why
not?
Yes. There are millions of hard-working, law-abiding people
in the United States who are undocumented because our current immigration
policies do not provide a path to obtaining legal status. Undocumented
immigrants are forced into a permanent underclass in our society, prevented
from accessing education and employment opportunities. In addition, the
United States wasted billions of dollars a year enforcing immigration laws -
incarcerating and deporting undocumented immigrants. Moreover, by deporting
people with US citizen spouses and children, our immigration laws destroy
families.
Do you think others in our community think Immigration is an
important problem? why/ why not?
It seems like this is an issue many people our concerned
about.
What is the biggest misconception associated with immigration?
Undocumented
immigrants take jobs away from US citizens and drain resources like Medicare or
public benefits.
How
do you feel about the laws passed in Arizona? What do they mean to you?
I think
they are xenophobic and racist. They give local police the authority to
racially profile and essentially harass anyone who appears to be non-white.
Moreover, the law is a waste of resources. The money spent carrying out
the law could be spent on education or some other socially beneficial project.
The law is also bad public policy. We want people, including undocumented
immigrants, to cooperate with the police if a crime has been committed. Under
the Arizona law, victims of crime, such as domestic violence victims, will be
unlikely to contact the police for assistance for fear of deportation.
What policy, if any, does government now have to deal
immigration?
Immigration law is complicated and the government employs a
number of policies to enforce immigration laws. One policy is the US of
immigration detention to enforce immigration laws. There is a laundry list of
minor criminal offenses, such as possession of drugs (any drug, marijuana
included) that subject a person to mandatory custody. This means that the
immigration judge has no discretion to determine whether the person should
remain in custody during the pendency of immigration proceedings. In criminal
proceedigs, for example, the court makes a determination regarding whether the
defendant is a danger or a flight risk, before setting conditions of release.
However, decreased constitutional protections apply in the immigration context.
Where
can I get more information about immigration and the different positions people
take on immigration?
Detention
watch network: http://detentionwatchnetwork.org/
Immigrant
legal resource center:
Florence
immigrant and Refugee Rights Project:
I really enjoyed chatting with her and hearing her thoughts even though I knew her points of view. I was lucky enough to see her in action in May. I watched a her in trial and it was amazing. I respect the work she is doing for a population of people that many Americans dismiss and are ready to throw away. Her views are my views and I really like to hear her talk about the laws in Arizona. Those laws are so racist and are a complete waste of resources. They show how our country may have come a long way from civil rights but in other ways we have barely made any headway. People may not be as openly racists but when these laws began to pass it highlights how racist we still are in parts of the country and it makes me sad.
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