Dear America,
Undocumented immigration has been a hot topic during the 2016 presidential election. For some, the statements made by politicians—which more often than not echo common misconceptions about immigration—refer to personal realities. I come from immigrant parents that came to the U.S. over twenty years ago, looking for that American Dream and a better education than our home country of Ecuador could provide. My parents have always told me, your education will free you from this life and lead you onto bigger and better things. I always told myself I’m going to do great things in this world—I just need an opportunity. Entering high school I never knew about the college process or the things I should be doing to prepare myself for college. For years I was banging my head though walls figuring things out. Luckily I met the right people in high school who cared for me. But at home I was dealing with family and money problems as my father hadn’t had a stable job since 2009. My mother couldn’t work because she was undocumented, creating huge obstacles in our life. Money was always tight, which made it hard to pay bills. I couldn’t afford a nice phone like the rest of my classmates in school. Frustrated by all these problems, I found myself cutting class and adventuring off into the city, keeping my mind off of things at home, gambling in card games and playing handball to make money. Eventually, my grades started to drop because of my lack of attendance, but somehow I always managed to pass because I taught myself everything. The following year I was accepted into an AP physics class, which I enjoyed. I was doing well the first few marking periods when bam. My best friend, my life, the person that was always there when I had nobody to talk to and always understood me—my grandmother—passed away. For two weeks I was paralyzed, feeling worthless, starting to cut class again. I was angry; I really wanted to attend my grandmother’s funeral, but my dad couldn’t afford to fly me. My mother couldn’t go either because she didn’t have papers. The saddest thing of all was my mother unable to go to her own mother’s funeral. How could you make a mother choose between her children or her own mother? This anger lasted months, but soon I was slowly getting back on my feet. Later that year, a prestigious program at Columbia accepted me take college seminar classes with a Columbia professor during the summer. That summer changed everything for me. I told myself that I’m definitely going to college to benefit my family and give my parents what they truly deserve for all their sacrifices for me. My senior year started out pretty well, but soon I found myself bombarded with responsibilities. My mother had finally found work in the city, cleaning houses and apartments. It wasn’t much, but it was something to get by and pay the bills. Some days I would have to go straight home to clean, cook, and take care of my sister. We were superintendents at the building we lived in, so our living was paid, but we had to take out the trash from the building twice a week and mop and sweep once a week. Besides this I was also doing things inside the house. I felt physically and mentally exhausted and again started to slack at school. Making these personal realities more difficult have been the many myths floating around about undocumented immigration, repeated by our current presidential candidates. For example, Donald Trump promoted the myth that undocumented immigrants bring crime to the United States when he made the notorious statement, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best...They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” But immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born American citizens. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, “18-40 year old male immigrants have lower institutionalization rates than the native born each year...and by 2000, immigrants have institutionalization rates that are one-fifth those of the native born.” In fact, most immigrants are extra cautious about avoiding crime as it runs the risk of deportation. There’s also the myth that undocumented immigrants steal jobs from American citizens. This myth has to do with the misconception that the economy can only harbor a fixed number of jobs. But the number of jobs in the economy is not static; more workers mean more people buying goods and services, which is better for the overall economy. Studies actually show that native-born workers’ wages rise with the number of undocumented workers in their county or with their employer. Yet politicians like Donald Trump still claim that undocumented immigration is “hurting us economically.” Being a first generation American with an undocumented parent is a hard struggle for anyone to bear. Being worried that they might take your parent away is a lot to keep on your mind at all times. Simple things like taking a trip or going on vacation are risks, as is working to make an extra buck for the family because people see an undocumented person as someone to take advantage of or as a threat to their own economic stability. I hope that this year our candidates for this next presidential term see the struggles and obstacles that undocumented people go through. At the end of the day we are all striving for that American Dream, and the values of our founding fathers—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—should hold true for all men and women. I hope that new immigration policy is on the minds and political platforms of these candidates, and that they stop buying into the common myths about undocumented immigration. Sincerely, Edgar Researcher: Corina Rodriguez
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What are candidates saying about the issues surrounding immigration and citizenship? Find out here!
The DREAM Act/DACA: Hillary Clinton believes passage of the DREAM Act is long overdue. In 2014 she stated, “As a Senator I was proud to cosponsor the national DREAM Act and to vote for it. I’m a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and I believe that we have to fix our broken immigration system.” She has promised to defend President Obama's actions on immigration. Bernie Sanders is also a strong supporter of the DREAM Act and cosponsored its reintroduction in 2011. He has called it a way to recognize "American kids who deserve the right to legally be in the country they know as home." He has promised to use executive powers to support DREAMers if elected. Donald Trump opposes the DREAM Act and has said he will rescind President Obama's executive orders if elected. Jeb Bush supports the DREAM Act but not via executive action. He has said he would undo DACA, but wants to pass legislation to protect DREAMers. Ben Carson has equated President Obama's executive actions with treason. He has not commented on what his proposed Guest-Worker Program will do to DREAMers. Marco Rubio has also called for an end to DACA and considers the DREAM Act too broad. Chris Christie initially opposed New Jersey's state DREAM Act, but changed his position and signed it into law calling DREAMers "an inspiration to us because in you we see all that the future of our country can be." Carly Fiorina supports the DREAM Act and has declared that it's unfair to "punish children who through no fault of their own are here trying to live the American dream." The Border: Hillary Clinton has called for us to "deploy more technology and personnel" instead of a physical fence along our border with Mexico. Bernie Sanders has criticized open borders and repeatedly voted against building a fence. He supports increased border patrol operations. Donald Trump wants a triple-layered fence and Predator drones on the Mexican border. He believes Mexico should pay for this wall. According to him, a wall is necessary because "a nation without borders is not a nation." Jeb Bush has explained that his wife is Mexican and she wants a wall on the Mexican border; however, he believes Trump's plan is unrealistic. Ben Carson claimed in August that "56 percent of (the U.S.-Mexico) border is not under our control." He thinks drones could be used for security surveillance along the border and to take out caves used by smugglers and cartels. Marco Rubio says that the border should be controlled with a wall and an entry/exit tracking system. Chris Christie has criticized Trump's plan to have Mexico pay for a wall, instead advocating for some fences, more border patrol agents, and drones. Rand Paul wants immigration reform in Congress to be conditional on border security and thinks a fence should be completed in five years. Ted Cruz wants to strengthen border security and is concerned about having adequate manpower along the border, in spite of the current number of border patrol agents being at one of the highest points in history. Deportation: Hillary Clinton believes deporting all undocumented immigrants is unrealistic and has stated that she won't break up families. She has criticized President Obama's previous deportation strategy for being too aggressive. Bernie Sanders has called for a broader end to deportations, believing that both children brought to the US at a young age and their parents should be protected. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that undocumented immigrants "have to go." As President, he would deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants and their US citizen children within 18 months to 2 years. Jeb Bush says that mass deportation "isn't feasible, isn't practical." He wants a path to legal status. Ben Carson has called for a guest worker program instead of deportation, and believes mass deportation would be expensive, impartial, and crippling to the hotel and agricultural industries. Marco Rubio, whose grandfather was deported, favors paths to citizenship and opposes amnesty to undocumented immigrants, but hasn't specifically addressed deportation. Chris Christie sees mass deportation as impractical. Rand Paul believes the 11 million undocumented immigrants are "here to stay" and wouldn't deport them. Ted Cruz has evaded the issue of mass deportation, saying that the border has to be secured first before we have a conversation about deportation. Refugees: Hillary Clinton strongly believes the US and all other countries should take in Syrian refugees, terming it a "global crisis" and calling for the US to accept 65,000 refugees instead of the 10,000 Obama proposed. She, however, believed child migrants coming from Central America in 2014, many of whom qualified for humanitarian relief, should have been deported to discourage their families from sending them on the dangerous journey. Bernie Sanders said it's "impossible" to know how many Syrian refugees the US should accept. His stance on this issue has been described as vague. Donald Trump, although initially calling for the US to accept more Syrian refugees, has since stated that he'll send back Syrian refugees taken in by the US if elected. "They could be ISIS, I don't know," he said. Jeb Bush has criticized Trump's plans and commented, "We have a global tradition of taking care of refugees...we've done it since the beginning of time." Ben Carson has recommended US financial aid to Syrian refugees settling in the Middle East, but does not want to open America's doors. He stated that refugees from war-torn Syria are "infiltrated with jihadists." Marco Rubio is open but cautious toward allowing refugees into the US, and has stressed the importance of making sure they are not members of a terrorist organization. Chris Christie originally supported opening the US to Syrian refugees, but changed course recently, claiming "It's a real danger to take in any of these folks." Rand Paul has skirted the issue of the US getting involved with taking in current refugees, and stated, “We should have a warm and welcoming heart, but we also just can’t accept the whole world to come here.” He too warned that in past refugee crises, the US has let in people who wished to harm us. Ted Cruz thinks the ultimate goal of the current crisis is to return the refugees to their homes eventually, so moving them to far-off countries like the US doesn't make sense. He also believes, like other Republicans, that many Muslim refugees are terrorists capitalizing on the crisis, and therefore the US should only accept Christian refugees. Paths to Citizenship: Hillary Clinton wants to introduce a "path to full and equal citizenship" for undocumented immigrants. This path would be included in a full-scale immigration reform that she would implement through executive action if necessary. "We cannot settle for proposals that provide hard-working people with merely a second-class status," her campaign has stated. Bernie Sanders also calls for paths to full citizenship. Like Clinton, he supports waiving deportation for DREAMers and their parents. "It is time to bring our neighbors out of the shadows. It is time to give them legal status. It is time to create a reasonable path to citizenship," he declared. Donald Trump wants to restrict new immigration and get rid of birthright citizenship, and he is firmly opposed to any sort of path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Among his comments on these issues: "Citizenship for illegal immigrants is a GOP suicide mission” and "We’re the only country dumb enough for birthright citizenship." Jeb Bush currently support paths to citizenship, but has flip-flopped on the issue a number of times in the past. Ben Carson previously implied that he supported paths to citizenship by saying that without them, using cheap labor is a moral low road. As a candidate, however, he has avoided the issue. Marco Rubio would grant visas to those going to college or joining the military and would give legal status, but not citizenship, to the children of undocumented immigrants. He does not support amnesty. Chris Christie has previously expressed support for a path to citizenship, but has since sidestepped the issue. Rand Paul also doesn't support amnesty but does think the 11 million undocumented immigrants should eventually be given work visas and pay taxes. He has challenged birthright citizenship, saying it hasn't been fully adjudicated by the Supreme Court. Ted Cruz has never supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. National Language: Hillary Clinton says there should be a common language to unite the people, but English is not the official language of the US. Bernie Sanders is against making English the official language of the US, saying that "English-Only" laws hurt legal immigrants. Donald Trump has stated, "This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish." Jeb Bush speaks Spanish at home and on the campaign trail, saying "When students ask questions in Spanish, I answer in Spanish." Marco Rubio believes English should be the official language of the United States, and wanted to bolster English requirements for permanent residency in the US. Rand Paul has been commended by "US English" for his support of English as the official language of the US. Sources: ontheissues.org http://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-the-2016-candidates-stand-on-the-syrian-refugee-crisis/ http://www.cfr.org/elections/presidential-candidates-their-own-words/p36633 http://ballotpedia.org/2016_presidential_candidates_on_immigration http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/christie_says_trumps_border_wall_plan_makes_no_sense.html http://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-immigration/#border-security https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform http://time.com/3928948/bernie-sanders-immigration/ http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/donald-trump-undocumented-immigrants-have-go-n410501 http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2015/08/18/jeb-bush-in-atlanta-deporting-illegal-immigrants-isnt-feasible-isnt-practical/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/04/20/chris-christie-stance-on-immigration/26103865/ http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/14/bernie-sanders-under-pressure-to-define-stance-on-us-response-to-refugee-crisis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-syrian-refugees_560cdf1be4b076812700d2d9) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/in-nh-jeb-bush-talks-syrian-refugees-polls-trump/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/05/05/clinton-urges-full-and-equal-path-to-citizenship-for-undocumented-immigrants/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/19/politics/bernie-sanders-immigration/ http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/mar/08/debbie-wasserman-schultz/jeb-bush-flip-flop-immigration-pathway-citizenship/ http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/may/07/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-says-not-one-gop-presidential-cont/ http://americasvoice.org/blog/trump-wants-to-deport-daca-recipients-like-ricardo-do-other-gop-candidates-agree/ |
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