In general, the question of immigration is the most misunderstood social issue in the Western world. Ironically, the 1% and powerful elite are the only section of society that has a clear understanding of this social phenomenon.
Historically the wealthy 1% of “advanced” countries want both legal and undocumented immigrants in their countries. They look at immigrants not as human beings but as a cheap money making machine. This is not new and it is not unique to any particular country.
Like all powerful countries, the 1% in the U.S. gladly permits an engineer or a skilled medical doctor from any country to work in the U.S. legally and at the same time would allow- to a certain degree- migrant or undocumented workers to work hard in the shadow, for pennies. This creates a work force that has no rights or identity and is forced to endure a harsh working environment for long hours in the industrial or agricultural field. For peace and justice activists this understanding is crucial.
All U.S. Presidents have propagated the campaign against immigrants to a different degree. President Trump and his administration with their “zero tolerance” policy have only exposed the decades of cruelty and inhumane treatment that immigrants have had to endure in the custody of the U.S. government. A fascistic minded President and his shameless racist Attorney General, Mr. Sessions, want to intimidate not only immigrants and asylum seekers’ families but also those conscious people who are outraged and standing up to this barbaric and undemocratic behavior.
Unfortunately, despite mountains of evidence and images of how immigrant children were placed in cages during Mr. Obama presidency, a considerable number of activists are still unconsciously distracted by the cunning Democratic Party leadership.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties are blaming each other for the tragedy of the isolated immigrants. It is repulsive to see that the well known representatives of the Democratic Party after 8 years of Mr. Obama’s anti-immigrant policies now acting like they are surprised of what is going on with ICE or other privately run detention centers. Republicans, in return, have made a mockery of being “compassioned” and toss another bizarre distraction into the mix by sending the First Lady to the South carrying a bold message from the White House that reads: “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” to visit the detained immigrant “children”!
It is needless to say that this obvious message became a feeding frenzy for the clueless political pundits from all sides on the gossip commercial media. However, a minority of conscious and democratic minded people are organizing demonstrations in different cities and chanting “Set the Children Free” and “We Are Not Giving Up”.
The hysteria over border security and building a wall is just an exaggerated and baseless notion that is propagated by politicians to keep the American population in a constant state of fear and confusion. Despite the 1% unfounded claims that the Immigration issues are very complicated and unsolvable, there are many practical solutions to the immigration question. Mr. Trump says: “The US will not be a migrant camp” meanwhile the U.S. Navy has developed a plan to construct internment camps to hold tens of thousands of immigration detainees on remote bases in California, Alabama and Arizona. Certainty these camps are also built for dissents who dare to question and expose the authorities. Mr. Sessions is already warning activista and immigrant rights advocates that “Free speech … will be protected, but obstructing law enforcement …will not be tolerated “. Of course the vague word like “obstruction” is only defined by law enforcement! The Associated Press points out that
“President Donald Trump has repeatedly cited gang activity as justification for his crackdown on illegal immigration.”
The Independent reports that:
“Teenage immigrants detained in a Virginia juvenile detention centre allege that they were beaten and subjected to long periods of confinement, including some instances where teens were left nude in a cold concrete cell.”
Source: Massoud Nayeri
What needs to be done? Is there any solution to the question of Immigration? The answer is YES. But first we have to understand the root causes of the recent migration. Those families who are seeking asylum mainly are from the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras which today are facing unparalleled levels of violent crime. One of the best informative sources is the WOLA a leading research and advocacy organization advancing human rights in the Americas. Maureen Meyer and Elyssa Pachico in their Commentary: “Fact Sheet: U.S. Immigration and Central American Asylum Seekers”, layout the root cause of migration in details.
Second we have to act independent of influential politicians and ignore their friendly or provocative distractions. Congress has already shown it is incompetent. What we need is transparency – a task that only independent democratic minded people are able to carry on. In time of emergency, one must act swiftly. An Independent Fact Finding Commission by working people is in order. A People’s Commission that consists of conscious Religious Leaders, Professional Medical Caretakers, Civil Rights Lawyers, Working Mothers and Fathers, Teachers and Progressive Journalists as a group should have access to all detention Centers and immigrants’ official records with full authority to publish their uncensored findings and their recommendations for immediate implementation.
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Massoud Nayeri is a graphic designer and an independent peace activist based in the United States. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
