The U.S and Mexico border has been the imaginary line of dispute for centuries, and the progress regarding adequate regulations and proper repercussions seems to create an intangible border within our minds. We have created a war that is quite often silenced - a war on migrants.
The U.S - Mexico border is the core for Central Americans to seek asylum in the United States while risking the capture of law enforcement, cruel punishments, and the potential of being stripped away and banned from public benefits and resources. It seems to be a cumulative force aimed at the migrants to prevent them from entering a country in fears rooted in their disparities and societal assumption. We have failed time and time again to implement a policy both fair on either side, pushing to one perspective of the spectrum compared to the other. After the Great Depression, California began to disallow migrants to cross the border and the Los Angeles Police Department set up “burn blockades” to refuse them the ability to enter the U.S.
Confused on why families are illegally crossing the US-Mexico border and by what means? People use the US-Mexico border to flee the poverty and violence they face in Central America. American media coverage has emphasized how migrants are escaping brutality and factors such as economic reasons, not strictly due to fear for their safety. America has been the face of “American dreams” for centuries, and migrants believe the U.S in the key to a search for a better life not strictly for themselves, but along with their families and their future. Immigrants face many risks when trying to cross such as hunger, trafficking, exhaustion, and sometimes even death.
I’d like to point out a common misconception regarding illegal immigrants in the U.S. Many people fight for the wall to be built because they believe immigrants are taking all of the American jobs, leaving none for the low class, middle class, or even the wealthy - but that is simply not true. Immigrant workers often take jobs that boost other parts of the economy. Think about it - with no prior work industry in the U.S or practically at all, how can they take over jobs that are deemed an easy card for AMERICAN CITIZENS? It is a brainwashed conception that has been rooted in the selfishness of those thriving off of taxpayers’ dollars.
Trump has spoken often about his position regarding the border. The Trump administration began to separate thousands of migrant children and parents at the border due to the “zero tolerance” policy. The policy dictated that migrants who crossed the border illegally were prosecuted or imprisoned while children were handed to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, shipping them miles away from family members. Although, on June 20, 2018, Trump signed an executive order directing DHS to stop separating families. Even with this being revoked, families are still not able to be reunited with their families and ICE continues to detain immigrants and separate them from their families.
#AbolishICE, am I right? The concept of what this agency does is immoral; its sole purpose is to criminalize migrants, deny their humanity, and create profits off the sufferings of immigrants. ICE has progressed to increased use of excessive force and illegal methods of violence and arrest protocols. ICE managed detention facilities are expanding at a rapid pace and abolish activists will take all actions to ensure their concerns be heard. It is about shutting down detention centers, ending deportations, defunding and dismantling the organization, and preventing further families from being separated.
The number of illegal passings has decreased due to the beginning of the pandemic, but they are beginning to rise again, this time, a majority of single adults. Trump claims that the US would be “inundated” with the coronavirus were it not for the border wall. What even is going on with the border wall?
Nearly 216 miles have been built since Trump became president, out of a total of the 1,954-mile border. Remember when he said that he would make Mexico pay for the wall? The Trump administration has spent $15 billion on the project and Mexico has not contributed a cent. He boasted that it was “pretty much un-climbable” and claimed that illegal border crossings have dropped 84% over the last year, but we know those numbers are made up or due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
What can we do to help abolish ICE as well as support families who are feeling the effects of the wall and its border? I have linked resources in which you can find lists of information you may utilize to become an advocate for those who have been victimized and punished for actions deemed critical for their survival. Again, I encourage you to learn, read, and use your privileges and resources to make a difference within yourself and those around you. Be the voice for those who cannot take action themselves.
Resources:
Sources:
https://aulablog.net/tag/u-s-mexico-border/
Written by Kelly N, Massachusetts
Instagram: @kellyngx
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