A road sign near LA: Could
Washington's global economic policies
have anything to
do with the continuing incapacity to address the
issue of mass immigration?
'Not Since Slavery' Has U.S. Treated People Worse than Undocumented (La Jornada, Mexico)
"The unacceptable policy of persecution launched over a
decade ago by the U.S. government confirms its role as the main violator of individual
rights both in and out of its territory. At the same time, this demonstrates its
stubborn ignorance of a phenomenon inherent to human societies, which is now
accentuated by the very global economy that Washington promotes: one that
generates great economic imbalances which encourage the mobility of capital and employment. The inevitable consequence is a flow of people from one country
to another, in search of conditions of minimal decency denied in their own
hometowns"
A sign held by a member of the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles, March 26. The event was held to hold President Obama accountable for the record number of deportations during his time in office.
According
to Princeton University Professor Douglas Massey, the millions of undocumented
migrants living in the United States with no respect for their civil, social or
political liberties, constitute the largest population living under such conditions
since the formal end of slavery in the neighboring country, in 1863.
The
comparison is a painful one, but an accurate way to characterize the abuse and mistreatment our brothers are subjected to every
day in the neighboring country, and in general, foreign nationals who reside there
without the corresponding immigration
documents.
Indeed,
migration is a phenomenon as old as our species and inherent to human societies,
but in the 21st century, the phenomenon is driven by poverty, lack of
employment, and an absence of social mobility or positive horizons in
countries like ours, where one can throw in police brutality, which is not at all
ameliorated by guarantees of individual or human rights, and is dedicated to
criminalizing and persecuting people who are overwhelmingly innocents.
Thus,
the unacceptable policy of persecution launched over a decade ago by the U.S.
government, that self-styled global advocate of human rights and justice, confirms
its role as the main violator of individual rights both in and out of its
territory. At the same time, this demonstrates its stubborn ignorance of a phenomenon
inherent to human societies, which is now accentuated by the very global
economy that Washington promotes: one that generates great economic imbalances
which encourage the mobility of capital and employment. The inevitable
consequence is a flow of people from one country to another, in search of
conditions of minimal decency denied in their own hometowns.
Posted By
Worldmeets.US
At
this stage, the Barack Obama Administration's attempt to blame the country's
lawmakers for the plight of the undocumented, after the failure of Congress to
pass immigration reform, is unseemly. Even if passed on the terms of the White
House, it would be merely a palliative measure. It is significant in this
respect that, under the same immigration laws that held sway under previous
administrations, Obama’s government has imposed more deportations than any of
its predecessors. During Obama's tenure, more families have been separated as a
result of these practices than ever before. Another element to consider is
that, within the context of current law, the U.S. government could grant
permanent residency to about two million immigrants without requiring any
action from Congress.
Finally,
Obama’s supposed commitment opposing discrimination and the criminalization of
migrants has been discredited by decisions like the one taken by his government
May 31, in essence halting litigation against racist law SB1070 in Arizona.
It
is clear that to correct the unwillingness of Washington to straighten out the
situation for migrants living in the United States, the pressure must come
largely from organizations of civil society both in and out of the United
States.
In
the case of Mexico, an absolute necessity is an end to the unacceptable abuses suffered
at the hands of national police when Central American immigrants arrive in our
country. Ultimately, when it comes to humane treatment, respect for individual
rights, and state recognition of contemporary global reality, it is best to
lead by example.
