As the November 4 elections inch closer, many issues have been at the forefront of voters’ minds, from the economy to national security to healthcare. Most Texans regard one controversy as the most important facing the state and the third most important for the entire country. The issue? Immigration.
Immigration is a very intimate and complex issue that affects many Americans, including myself and many who may read this. In a state like Texas where over 16 percent of the population is foreign-born, the issue is of incredible importance.
Within the race for lieutenant governor, arguably the most powerful position in the state legislature because of his or her influence in deciding which bills come up for a vote in the Texas Senate, proposed immigration policy has been a polarizing issue for Democrats and Republicans. Currently running for the position are Republican Dan Patrick of Houston, the Tea Party-backed challenger who unseated Texas’ current lieutenant governor David Dewhurst in a contentious primary in March, and Democrat Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio, a Latina who ran unopposed in her party’s primary. While the two have striking differences, none are as clear as their differences on immigration.
Patrick ran on a hardline “secure the border” message to appeal to conservative voters and has been criticized for his harsh discourse, including calling the influx of undocumented immigrants coming into Texas from Latin America an “illegal invasion.” (Even the profile picture on Dan Patrick’s official Facebook page reads “Secure the Border, Vote Dan Patrick.”) Van de Putte authored the law that gives undocumented immigrants in-state tuition to Texas schools and has tried to appear hard on unauthorized immigration while still compassionate to those brought here as children in an attempt to appeal to Latino voters and moderates.
In the race for governor between Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis, immigration has been a quieter issue but one that predictably came up over the course of statewide debates. Abbott opposes providing driving permits for undocumented immigrants, arguing the proposal would break federal law. Davis, however, supports the proposal and says it has been successfully implemented in other states. Abbott believes we must first fix our broken immigration system to solve the root of the issue, and likewise, Davis has called for comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. Davis said she would veto any attempt to remove in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, Abbott said he would not.
The issue of dealing with those who have either overstayed a visa or crossed the United States border without proper documentation is a particularly difficult one. However, the policy discussions that have taken place, whether about driving permits or in-state tuition, misses an incredibly important aspect of the conversation: the voices of undocumented immigrants who oftentimes are forgotten amidst the hateful rhetoric spewed against them, usually through the use of the dehumanizing term “illegal,” a term which is neither kind nor accurate.
Over the summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Jose Antonio Vargas—a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and undocumented immigrant who was born in the Philippines and raised in the United States, but who is unable to gain citizenship because of our broken immigration system. I met him just weeks after his arrest in McAllen, a city in the Rio Grande Valley hit hard by the recent unaccompanied minors refugee crisis. His documentary about his life story, Documented, and his project Define American were eye-opening and presented an emotional look at what it really means to be an undocumented immigrant.
Driven by his own experience of being separated from his mother for the past twenty years and counting, as well as a mutual connection to those facing discrimination for their lack of documentation, Vargas has been a vocal advocate of comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Even though he was detained in McAllen for a brief time over the summer, his high profile and lack of criminal record allowed him to be released. After his release, one that made national headlines, Vargas stated, “Our daily lives are filled with fear in simple acts such as getting on an airplane to go home to our family. With Congress failing to act on immigration reform, and President Obama weighing his options on executive action, the critical question remains: how do we define American?”
In the past when I’ve spoken about the concept of being American, I’ve always said it was something no single group can define. I still stand by that, because what can we honestly call someone who was brought to the United States as a child and lived in this country for as long as they can remember but simply doesn’t have citizenship? Is it truly fair to say that this person is not an American? Can we decide that to be “American” must include a green card or a navy blue U.S. passport?And despite all of the vile rhetoric and the name calling targeted at those who lack proper documentation, undocumented immigrants just want better lives.
At the heart of the problem is that our broken immigration system is in desperate need of fixing. No pathway or line exists for undocumented immigrants to enter the system. Many prominent immigration activists and incredible numbers of individuals personally impacted by immigration crisis, have expressed frustration that President Obama has delayed an executive order on immigration until after the midterm elections for fear of political ramifications. But in reality, the blame lies with a Congress that refuses to cooperate for the sake of its own constituents.
Partisan differences and a refusal to act are clear examples of how this country is mishandling immigration. When our elected officials refuse to do the right thing—one which would be a great economic benefit for the country as well as the ethical choice—because of political reasons, one can’t help but feel frustrated.
Comprehensive immigration reform would provide a way for people who already live in this country, contribute billions of dollars in taxes, and consider themselves Americans to actually become American citizens. Reform would also address visa backlogs, making the process of applying for a work visa attainable and therefore discouraging undocumented immigration. Most importantly, we would fulfill our moral obligation to end the record amounts of deportations that split up families across borders.
It’s time that we address an issue that so deeply affects so many Americans. With Election Day fast approaching, we must be mindful of immigration as we choose our represented officials. Even more importantly, we must be advocates for change, willing to speak against the injustice of our current, inhumane immigration system and stand in solidarity with our fellow Americans whose entirely livelihoods depend on it.
In the end, if we do not speak up for the interests of those who have been ignored, who will?
