Here's another thoughtful response to my last entry on the following question from a friend of mine after reading my thoughts about the latest immigration crisis following my stay at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester.
The response is from Sarah Herder
Development & Communications Director
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
650 Third Avenue South, #550
Minneapolis, MN 55402-1940
Tel: 612-341-3302 ext.126
Fax: 612-341-2971
sherder@mnadvocates.org
www.mnadvocates.org
www.energyofanation.org
COMMENT AND QUESTION!!!!
I went to the blog that you referenced and read your entry. I must admit some questions about these immigration issues, although I am far from informed. Night after night I watch the local news reports of weeping children crying over the loss of their mother who was so mercilessly deported by our supposedly heartless government. I watch picketers and nuns outside of the immigration offices pleading for an exception "in just this one case". Lots of emotional tugging at the heartstrings. And I do feel for the kids and families. But my question is: Shouldn't mom have considered these consequences when she presumably decided to break the law and enter the country illegally? Could she not have forseen that this might be a possible outcome? And where does one draw the line for "just this one exception"? Does the immigrant (illegal) bear any responsibility for the consequences of the decision that they made perhaps years ago when they came here? Or is the argument that we have no right to put any limits on the number of people entering this country because our borders should be porous for anyone in search of (or some would probably say "with a right to" a better life). This seems to me to be far from a clear cut issue of heartless injustice on the part of the US. But immigration reform? Yes it should not be stalled indefinitely. Some sort of bill should be agreed upon and passed. But saying what? I am confused...........
Thoughtful Response from Sarah Herder:
Years ago, before my head was full of statistics and nuances of immigration policy reform, I was talking to a friend of mine who was about to marry a man from Mexico. She had been going through “the system” and we talked often about immigration. One day, I posed a question about the border: “What is the right thing to do about enforcing the border?” She thought for a moment and then said, “They should create a system where people can actually come legally and then they should enforce it.” Years later, after a lot of education, research, and analysis, I think this simple statement gets it exactly right.
It’s very similar to the question about enforcement within our borders. At the heart of the problem with the increased deportations is that they are enforcing what everyone recognizes as bad policy, and that undercuts what people believe to be fair and just. A good policy wouldn’t ask a woman who has been living here for 15 years, has a clean record, and is contributing to our economy to go home. Why would we do that? It creates heartache, yes, but it’s also senseless. Why not give her a reasonable way to apply for legal status?
The second part of the blogger’s comment seems to be asking what the right policy is – and that is the $10 million dollar question, to be sure. It is also the natural follow-up to “let’s make a good policy and enforce it.” At Minnesota Advocates (and as part of the AFFIRM coalition), we advocate for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) that includes:
1) Labor protections for workers and employers;
2) Protection to refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution;
3) Rigorous protection of judicial review and due process rights for immigrants, regardless of status;
4) Measures to end unnecessary immigrant detention, provide alternatives to detention, and uphold detention standards;
5) Protection of human rights and dignity for all persons, including enforcement practices that do not lead to racial profiling or discrimination.
6) A legalization plan for the current undocumented population that contains a realistic and inclusive path towards permanent residency and U.S. citizenship;
7) Legal pathways for future immigration flows to avoid the regeneration of undocumented populations;
8) Family reunification measures that bring and keep families together in an expeditious manner.
These are general components, but it gives people a general idea of what we are looking for in the 800-page documents that make up immigration policy reform…
If anyone is looking for all of the details and statistics, etc – because accurate information is SO important right now – please direct them to www.energyofanation.org. There are facts specific to MN, to the U.S., and educational resources, as well.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Comment, Questions & Thoughts on recent Story
A friend of mine after reading my last story on Immigration Concerns during my recent heart attack sent me the following comments and questions. After reflecting on this I asked for some help from my friends to help clarify a couple of many nagging questions. I hope this sheds some light.
COMMENT AND QUESTION!!!!
I went to the blog that you referenced and read your entry. I must admit some questions about these immigration issues, although I am far from informed. Night after night I watch the local news reports of weeping children crying over the loss of their mother who was so mercilessly deported by our supposedly heartless government. I watch picketers and nuns outside of the immigration offices pleading for an exception "in just this one case". Lots of emotional tugging at the heartstrings. And I do feel for the kids and families. But my question is: Shouldn't mom have considered these consequences when she presumably decided to break the law and enter the country illegally? Could she not have forseen that this might be a possible outcome? And where does one draw the line for "just this one exception"? Does the immigrant (illegal) bear any responsibility for the consequences of the decision that they made perhaps years ago when they came here? Or is the argument that we have no right to put any limits on the number of people entering this country because our borders should be porous for anyone in search of (or some would probably say "with a right to" a better life). This seems to me to be far from a clear cut issue of heartless injustice on the part of the US. But immigration reform? Yes it should not be stalled indefinitely. Some sort of bill should be agreed upon and passed. But saying what? I am confused...........
THOUGHTS AND ANSWERS!!!!
The person has a good question and a reasonable perspective. It is NOT simple. I think most undocumented people know that they are vulnerable and that they can be separated if one of them is caught. The raids keep that awareness very keenly in people's eyes. But people live with the hope that it will not happen...at least not now, at least not to them. Some people will not accept rides from friends who they know are undocumented and do not have a valid drivers license--What might happen if the police stop them? They could all be in danger of deportation. Yet the motives that move people to come here and accept that risk are strong. Some come in real desperation, others with a simple human desire to find a better life. They know there are risks. For some, those risks do not make it worthwhile. For others, the risks are accepted. When in fact immigration agents arrive and people are taken, of course that has human consequences. Family suffer when a loved one, a parent or a child, is taken away. Friends want to advocate for them because it seems "unnecessary"--"Why not let them stay? They are not hurting anyone. They are good people living a good, decent life. When enforcement is so random, why not look away one more time?" The difficulty of resolving this is the "grayness" of the issue for many. Yes, people are responsible for the choices they make and for the consequences those carry. Yes, a nation has a right to ask respect for its borders. Yes, the government (and immigration agents) have a right to enforce the law. But how do we do this humanly in the face of so many persons and families who are now here, rooted, contributing, some with citizenship and some not, interwoven into our society now and with no where else to really go? It got this way because we let it happen over 50 years because it served our needs for cheap labor and cheaper goods. The inequity between our country and Latin America will not go away and neither will the draw to share in what we have that others don't. As Congress tried to resolve this, strong views collided. How do we protect American jobs, how do we enforce borders, how do we avoid any semblance of amnesty (by now making the road to citizenship punitive for those who have been here without permission), how do we resolve this without mass deportations that would devastate families and make a real hole in our economy and our communities? Some certainly voted no because it was too lenient, others because it was too harsh. Everybody is trying to protect something here (including votes). The sadness of no resolution is that it merely leaves a lot of confusion in place: people are left vulnerable, companies continue to use and abuse them, people still cannot build stable lives yet few will abandon this for the even greater uncertainty of returning to their former countries. So the poverty continues. The shadow life continues. We can do better than this.
Personally, I think the more human, just, thing to do is to allow most who are here to stay, without unreasonable barriers such as leaving the country or excessive fines. Many have few resources, after all. I think the border becomes more controllable if people see hope of entering legally in 5 years (if we tell them to wait 20 years, that certainly makes one look to other options)--so we need to increase immigration cuotas. I also think that a strong factor is investment in just economic development in Mexico and Central America. If we can facilitate stronger local economies that can provide jobs, fewer will feel drawn to come north, leaving so much behind. There is no quick fix, but there are moves we can make in the right direction...
Bob Kell--Welcome Center
COMMENT AND QUESTION!!!!
I went to the blog that you referenced and read your entry. I must admit some questions about these immigration issues, although I am far from informed. Night after night I watch the local news reports of weeping children crying over the loss of their mother who was so mercilessly deported by our supposedly heartless government. I watch picketers and nuns outside of the immigration offices pleading for an exception "in just this one case". Lots of emotional tugging at the heartstrings. And I do feel for the kids and families. But my question is: Shouldn't mom have considered these consequences when she presumably decided to break the law and enter the country illegally? Could she not have forseen that this might be a possible outcome? And where does one draw the line for "just this one exception"? Does the immigrant (illegal) bear any responsibility for the consequences of the decision that they made perhaps years ago when they came here? Or is the argument that we have no right to put any limits on the number of people entering this country because our borders should be porous for anyone in search of (or some would probably say "with a right to" a better life). This seems to me to be far from a clear cut issue of heartless injustice on the part of the US. But immigration reform? Yes it should not be stalled indefinitely. Some sort of bill should be agreed upon and passed. But saying what? I am confused...........
THOUGHTS AND ANSWERS!!!!
The person has a good question and a reasonable perspective. It is NOT simple. I think most undocumented people know that they are vulnerable and that they can be separated if one of them is caught. The raids keep that awareness very keenly in people's eyes. But people live with the hope that it will not happen...at least not now, at least not to them. Some people will not accept rides from friends who they know are undocumented and do not have a valid drivers license--What might happen if the police stop them? They could all be in danger of deportation. Yet the motives that move people to come here and accept that risk are strong. Some come in real desperation, others with a simple human desire to find a better life. They know there are risks. For some, those risks do not make it worthwhile. For others, the risks are accepted. When in fact immigration agents arrive and people are taken, of course that has human consequences. Family suffer when a loved one, a parent or a child, is taken away. Friends want to advocate for them because it seems "unnecessary"--"Why not let them stay? They are not hurting anyone. They are good people living a good, decent life. When enforcement is so random, why not look away one more time?" The difficulty of resolving this is the "grayness" of the issue for many. Yes, people are responsible for the choices they make and for the consequences those carry. Yes, a nation has a right to ask respect for its borders. Yes, the government (and immigration agents) have a right to enforce the law. But how do we do this humanly in the face of so many persons and families who are now here, rooted, contributing, some with citizenship and some not, interwoven into our society now and with no where else to really go? It got this way because we let it happen over 50 years because it served our needs for cheap labor and cheaper goods. The inequity between our country and Latin America will not go away and neither will the draw to share in what we have that others don't. As Congress tried to resolve this, strong views collided. How do we protect American jobs, how do we enforce borders, how do we avoid any semblance of amnesty (by now making the road to citizenship punitive for those who have been here without permission), how do we resolve this without mass deportations that would devastate families and make a real hole in our economy and our communities? Some certainly voted no because it was too lenient, others because it was too harsh. Everybody is trying to protect something here (including votes). The sadness of no resolution is that it merely leaves a lot of confusion in place: people are left vulnerable, companies continue to use and abuse them, people still cannot build stable lives yet few will abandon this for the even greater uncertainty of returning to their former countries. So the poverty continues. The shadow life continues. We can do better than this.
Personally, I think the more human, just, thing to do is to allow most who are here to stay, without unreasonable barriers such as leaving the country or excessive fines. Many have few resources, after all. I think the border becomes more controllable if people see hope of entering legally in 5 years (if we tell them to wait 20 years, that certainly makes one look to other options)--so we need to increase immigration cuotas. I also think that a strong factor is investment in just economic development in Mexico and Central America. If we can facilitate stronger local economies that can provide jobs, fewer will feel drawn to come north, leaving so much behind. There is no quick fix, but there are moves we can make in the right direction...
Bob Kell--Welcome Center
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Community Garden Yielding a Harvest
Submitted by Bob Kell
People, from wherever they are, feel close ties to the earth. There is joy in working the earth, sowing seeds, and watching a garden grow. It is that natural tie to the soil that brought together a very international group in response to the Faribault Diversity Coalition’s invitation to share in a Community Garden project this summer in Faribault. On Saturday, July 7, the group gathered to socialize over ice cream and to celebrate their accomplishments so far.
The garden has almost as much diversity among its gardeners as it has in its vegetables. Twenty families from Guatemala, Somalia, Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and the local mainstream garden together on a plot provided by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Each family planted and tends its own section. Donations from local garden centers and funds from the Blue Cross and Foldcraft Foundations helped to get the garden established.
The project’s purpose has been two-fold: to provide additional food resources for the families involved and to foster cross-cultural exchange among the community’s members. The yield of fresh vegetables will be considerable, when all is said and done. Tomatoes, corn, zucchini, radishes, onions, beans, potatoes, watermelons, peppers, and more are well on their way. The connection between the participants is also bearing fruit of its own. People who began as strangers now exchange broad smiles and friendly waves, finding a way to communicate even where a common language does not exist. Those fruits, it is hoped, will last even after the tomatoes are gone.
This project will continue. We learned much this first year. We are looking for a permanent garden location for the next few years. We will start our own seeds earlier next spring so that we have starter plants ready to go. Some would like to get more involved with the farmer’s market. We can only expect a more productive harvest next year.
Our thanks to all who have helped. For more information, contact Bob at 507-333-5036 or welcome@hickorytech.net.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
More Questions after my Heart Attack
Isn't it a shame, said one of my nurses at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester tending to me after my heart attack this last weekend, that when Hispanics are admitted no one comes to visit.
This brought to mind how lucky we are when tragedy strikes we aren't left alone in a strange place among strangers. We have family and friends to console us, to help make decisions on our care, or medications, our well being.
The nurse says when many Hispanics are admitted they are brought to the room or intensive care unit and are left alone. Their families are afraid to visit for fear of being questioned or detained by authorities. Even though they may be legal they may have family members or friends who are waiting to become legal.
There is distrust among our Latino friends because of stories of raids throughout the country where everybody is guilty until they are proven otherwise. The story of the mother that was taken away from her Autistic child and the rest of her family last week is heartbreaking. There are stories everyday like this. No one is safe no matter how long they've been living in this country.
Year after year everyone gripes about our immigration problem, but once again the Immigration Reform to support fair, workable immigration reform that provides pathways to residency for immigrants and future workers, supports family unity, upholds human rights and due process, and protects workers is dead. No one can agree on what to do, meanwhile families like these suffer, good loving people. Imagine what it would be like when you were little to have your mother taken away and be sent away without seeing her, telling her you love her or her telling you.
I've been raised to believe there is no complete black and white issues. There are circumstances to every issue. Why are the genuine, loving families of all immigrants being treated this way? Why don't we concentrate our energies on getting rid of the criminals and drug dealers?
As I reflect on this Fourth of July I wonder what our founding fathers would have thought. I wonder how proud they would be when we can't decide on what to do with the Immigration Reform? How it is easier just to send back helpless people back home and leave families all over the country without parents to let the children grow up with distrust, hatred, and without a guiding hand of a mother or father.
By the way I'm doing fine after my heart attack, angiogram and medication, just a little healing process again and ready to pick up the fight once again. I only wish I could explain why these things are happening to the nurse that questioned me, and my wish for this Fourth of July is that once again we can become a country of peace and understanding.
Have a gentle day, Milo
This brought to mind how lucky we are when tragedy strikes we aren't left alone in a strange place among strangers. We have family and friends to console us, to help make decisions on our care, or medications, our well being.
The nurse says when many Hispanics are admitted they are brought to the room or intensive care unit and are left alone. Their families are afraid to visit for fear of being questioned or detained by authorities. Even though they may be legal they may have family members or friends who are waiting to become legal.
There is distrust among our Latino friends because of stories of raids throughout the country where everybody is guilty until they are proven otherwise. The story of the mother that was taken away from her Autistic child and the rest of her family last week is heartbreaking. There are stories everyday like this. No one is safe no matter how long they've been living in this country.
Year after year everyone gripes about our immigration problem, but once again the Immigration Reform to support fair, workable immigration reform that provides pathways to residency for immigrants and future workers, supports family unity, upholds human rights and due process, and protects workers is dead. No one can agree on what to do, meanwhile families like these suffer, good loving people. Imagine what it would be like when you were little to have your mother taken away and be sent away without seeing her, telling her you love her or her telling you.
I've been raised to believe there is no complete black and white issues. There are circumstances to every issue. Why are the genuine, loving families of all immigrants being treated this way? Why don't we concentrate our energies on getting rid of the criminals and drug dealers?
As I reflect on this Fourth of July I wonder what our founding fathers would have thought. I wonder how proud they would be when we can't decide on what to do with the Immigration Reform? How it is easier just to send back helpless people back home and leave families all over the country without parents to let the children grow up with distrust, hatred, and without a guiding hand of a mother or father.
By the way I'm doing fine after my heart attack, angiogram and medication, just a little healing process again and ready to pick up the fight once again. I only wish I could explain why these things are happening to the nurse that questioned me, and my wish for this Fourth of July is that once again we can become a country of peace and understanding.
Have a gentle day, Milo
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