A letter to people of United States on Immigration.

July 22, 2019

Immigration has been the talk of the town for quite some time now. Our current president ran on the promise of building the wall. He has not succeeded in building the wall, but he certainly has dug trenches in American political landscape. As an observer, I would like to shed some light on the issue. Mr. trump, who is not known to be a visionary of any kind sees through a narrow lens of two ventures he has undertaken in his life. He is corrupt and excels at failing in everything. To be precise, it is unfortunate that society puts enormous value on money and success means having it by any means necessary or receiving it in inheritance. It is an evidence of a flaw in our democracy that an individual who has floundered in achieving anything meaningful in life but claims to have the money has become the very leader of this country. He is capable of bullying people around him, belittling anyone that points a finger in his direction, telling a lie, being an agent provocateur, appealing to racist undercurrents in the society, grabbing female genitals, shouting belligerent rhetoric but any expectation of understanding of the complicated issue as immigration on his part would utterly be a disaster. The man grew up as an elite and simply cannot relate to the ground realities that Americans or the documented and undocumented immigrants face.

 Both political parties and their supporters must agree on one thing. A nation cannot function properly if its members i.e. citizens, permanent residents, immigrants who aspire to be citizens do not obey its laws, but laws are not set in stones. They definitely are enshrined in the constitution, but amendments can be made, and old and obsolete laws must be thrown away as necessary.  Undocumented immigrants are a cumbersome issue, but we must not forget the fact that America is a country that was founded by immigrants and now is run by sons and daughters of immigrants from all over the world. The wealthiest country to date that rightly claims to be the world leader and lives by the principle of American exceptionalism can definitely find the solution to this issue. 

In my opinion, building a wall would be a futile endeavor. The great wall of china led to the collapse of the dynasty that built it. If united states were to pursue the building of the wall, it would be a drain on the resources that can be used somewhere else. It would be a blemish on our image as an assimilating and accepting nation. I suspect that what the republican leadership really wants is to give construction contracts to its voting base in border states to ensure further loyalty who in turn may hire undocumented workers to save money. The money earmarked for the wall should be spent on strengthening the country by enforcing the laws. Before, we enact our laws, we must consider some hard realities.

It is often claimed that undocumented immigrants take the jobs that most Americans are not willing to accept. It is not far from the truth. Some Americans may accept the lower tier jobs but not at the wage rate and exploitative conditions that many undocumented workers face. It is very normal for most undocumented workers to work 12-hour shifts without appropriate working conditions. There are no weekends, holidays, overtime, bonuses, raises, worker’s comp, union benefits or any job security. Many do not even get the minimum wage. Some Americans claim they have broken the law but there is another party that is breaking the law. The party usually is either a US citizen by birth or naturalization, one who has taken an oath to obey the rules and laws as prescribed by the constitution, and then there are those who are in the process of acquiring citizenship. Is the current administration, which is hell bent on blaming all that is wrong with United States on undocumented immigrants going to consider the other side of the equation? If the answer is yes, the government indeed wants to uphold the law, but I have not seen any groundwork or even a remark as of, yet which means it is only my fantasy. In my opinion, the government of United States must reign in its own law defying citizens before it goes after all the poor people who come from far flung areas of the world to make a better living. Heavy penalties and revocation of green card and citizenship for hiring and exploiting the undocumented immigrants and for not paying due taxes would be a just and equitable approach.

Why do these poor people come to United States? There is an old saying in the east that small plants cannot grow under the shade of a large tree. It is a simplistic answer but says a lot. American adventurism and interference in political landscape beyond its southern border has in part resulted into current backwardness of the region. Strong dollar and dream of a better life brings all these poor people to endanger their lives, break their family ties and risk taking an arduous journey through coyote run badlands. CIA, president Reagan and failed war on drugs is also to blame. Had America not failed in curbing the drug trafficking, it is plausible that cartels and gang infestation in these countries would not be as bad as it is. That would mean less hardships and persecution and definitely lesser undocumented immigrants in America. Undocumented migrants from other countries simply come to better their odds in life which is a result of both the prominent American hard power and influential soft power.

As far as political asylum is concerned, it is a tool of U S foreign policy. Mr. trump wanted every Syrian vetted properly and he banned immigrants from some countries. How about the citizens of other countries that feign persecution? Was everyone who left Iran during revolution running from persecution or some were just running away with the money they stole from their people? Were they all vetted? Was everyone migrating from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya after the Arab spring carefully and critically examined before entering? The answer is no. There are not enough means, manpower or finances to accomplish such an undertaking. People show up at the US embassies or consulates in various countries or enter United states using whatever routes possible and told a story and are given their due process in immigration courts. Why are the immigrants from central American countries different? Is it because there are no energy deposits in these countries? Is it because these Hispanic migrants may change the demographics of United States sooner than expected? Is it because the republic administration cannot own up to failures of the previous governments?

There could be many reasons. All I am trying to say that America has wonderful values. The source of its strength is its tradition of welcoming hard working, ambitious immigrants who may either choose to make America its home by choice or may be running from the current political chaos in their countries of origin. Whatever the reason may be, The United States and the spirit of its people is far stronger than this president claims it to be. I would welcome the new laws that pass with bi partisan support. For those who are already here, have family ties, have not committed crimes and are trying to make an honest living should be given a second chance. Reasonable penalties and gradual assimilation into the system on the basis of individual economic output and a law-abiding record should assist these undocumented to realize their American dream. That is the American exceptionalism. If a billionaire can fail and rise again and again, we must give a second chance to those on the ground too.

Disclaimer: 

·      I admire United States of America. I have been living here for 16 years and when I say I like America means I am very fond of spirit of the American people. As a member of this society, I declare that it is my intention to give my best in terms of opinions, productive contribution and honest critique. 

·      Every nation experience constant metamorphosis. It must meet the demands of today and challenges of tomorrow.

·       Opinions of an informed citizenry form the backbone of what we call a policy or direction. This is accomplished either by electing members of governing bodies or by members of academia, think tanks, concerned citizens and political groups. 

·      Productive contribution means people pursuing a constructive course in their lives, they have chosen, in an efficient and mutually beneficial way. Obeying the constitution and paying taxes to run a government would be a part as well. 

·      Critique is an observation that is negative in appearance or sound, but quintessential for smooth running of the system. It is similar to the strengthening of immune system. Self-introspection, transparency, holding authorities accountable, looking at the bigger picture are some of the strategies that can keep our institutions healthy.