Criminals or Victims?

As the early as the 1950s, immigration officials have been strictly involved in decreasing the amount of Mexicans crossing the border in the United States. This U. S. Border Patrol placed action in “Operation Wetback”. This campaign would decrease the amount of illegal crossings in the United States. About eight hundred Border Patrol officers went into the Southwestern part of the United States and operated raids, deportations, road blocks, and many deportations (Hernandez 421). About six decades later, there has not been a change. Many immigrants are getting deported for having the proper documentation and they are being deported for the lack of not having these documents. Many of them are getting deported for small misdemeanors, which should not result in deportations.  Individuals who are “brown” are required to show proof that they are a citizen, which is unfair because “brown” people are not the only immigrants going into the Unites States. The Latino community is one of the largest growing minorities. Many individuals have targeted only this group as being a threat to the United States. Should individuals having the “American Dream” be a crime?

The immigration reform has been a controversial debate. Are illegal immigrants criminals? The desire of wanting the “American Dream” has cost many illegal immigrants their jobs and the separation of their families.  With new immigration laws such as in the state of Arizona that make not having the proper documentation a misdemeanor and allows police officers to verify a an individual’s immigration status if they believe that someone is an undocumented immigrant . National Security and the anti-immigrant have been linked to justify the immigration policies because of attacks after September 11, 2001. National Security is not the only factor, but the threat of societal security (Doty 3). Anti-immigrant movements show illegal immigrants as enemies in which are a threat to social order. This conclusion comes from signs showed at rallies promoting policies such as slogans such as ‘Take and illegal down’, ‘ Just say no to Wetback Breeders’,  and ‘If It’s Brown Flush it Down’(Doty 5). These are only a few examples that can be found in the media as illegal immigrants as enemies. There have been conflicts in regards to the DREAM Act, which would grant citizenship to undocumented immigrants with completing two years college or military service. There has been an increase of hate crimes against migrants which may be linked to the increase of harsh immigration policies. These policies are militarization of the United States border in which results in deaths due to border crossing. The increase anti immigrant legislation had led to racial profiling because of this; there has been an increase of detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. A new law in Arizona, SB1070 legalizes racial profiling in Arizona (Doty 6). It is difficult to determine the factors that determine such laws. Race and class obviously play an important role. The “other” can be identified as a threat to the United States’ population.

References:

Kelly Lytle Hernadez, “The Crimes and Consequences of Illegal Immigration: A Cross-Border Examination of Operation Wetback”,The Western Historical Quarterly,Vol. 37, No. 4 (Winter, 2006), pp. 421-444 Published by: Western Historical Quarterly, Utah State University on behalf of the The Western History Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25443415.

Roxanne Lynn Doty, “The Anti-Immigrant Movement and the Politics of Exceptionalisn”,Immigration Policy Center:American Immigration Council, The Law Into Their Own Hands-Immigration and the Politics of Excaptionalism, Published by: University of Arizona Press,2010.