“These aren’t people. These are animals.” – President Trump, in 2018, in reference to undocumented Mexican immigrants
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | As of 2017, there were nearly 700,000 “Dreamers.” These “Dreamers” are undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. They are named after the Dream Act, which was first introduced into Congress 20 years ago (and reintroduced numerous times since), but never passed because of opposition from Republicans.
It would have provided a path to citizenship for these Dreamers. Instead, we have had these law-abiding, hardworking individuals…many of whom only know life as an American… constantly afraid of being deported.
In view of this abominable situation, in 2012, President Obama issued an Executive Order which protected them from deportation via the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) policy. Specifically, although there was no path to citizenship, Dreamers could apply for a work permit every two years. The permit would be granted if they met specific criteria, which included having a clean legal record. President Trump abolished the program, although his action was stopped by the Supreme Court. President Joe Biden has since reinstated the original policy.
Historically, the USA’s immigration policy has always been controversial, hypocritical and the subject of internal political debate. The USA is a nation of immigrants, although many of us forget that basic fact. For example, despite his anti-immigrant statements like the one above, Donald Trump’s mother and two of his wives are immigrants.
In fact, the USA has a long history of racism and discrimination in its immigration policies. Up until 1965, there was a “national origins” system that prevented much Asian and Latino immigration.
The 1965 revision to our immigration laws tracked with the civil rights legislation also enacted at that time. Since then, our immigration has become much more Asian and Latino. The proportion from Europe has fallen dramatically.
When a Republican President, George W. Bush proposed a logical and comprehensive immigration blueprint, his own party refused to back him. Now, the national situation has become much worse. Because immigrants tend to vote for Democrats, the entire issue has become increasingly politicized.
Which gets us back to the Dreamers’ issue. According to a 2020 poll, nearly three fourths of Americans favor granting Dreamers permanent legal status. Even 54 percent of Republicans agree. The question then becomes, “What’s holding Dreamer’s legislation up?”
Until the more moderate elements of the Republicans in Congress can stand up to the pro-Trump elements, there will be no resolution of this issue. These Dreamers are Americans just like the rest of us in every sense of the word, except for birth on our shores. They continue to be in a state of fear and anticipation, afraid of deportation if Donald Trump or a like-minded person is elected president.
That’s un-American in my view, to hold these people in limbo. Apparently most Americans agree, and the reason our Congress needs to accept humanity and reality, and give them a chance to become American citizens.
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