Problem(s): So immigration is big, complicated, and messy as hell, but here are some of the problems as I see them.
A good chunk of our economy (especially agriculture) is built on abusing immigrants who don't have the same protections as citizens OR don't know what protections they may have.
- People in DACA are left in limbo as to their future in the US.
- We have an entire government agency (ICE) whose whole job is to internally profile and deport people. That's dollars that could be spent on much better things.
- Deportations are expensive, cruel, and ineffective.
- Border patrol and security are largely a waste of money. Most immigrants do not cross the border in this way (most fly and overstay their visa). Only the poorest and most desperate (and yes, some of the criminal elements as well) cross the border by land.
- The US has a history of foreign policy (from coups to the Drug War) that have directly fueled the poverty and violence in Central and South America that people are fleeing from, yet we do not seem willing to take responsibility for our role in propping up these systems.
- The visa system in the US seems intentionally designed to screw over both US citizens and legal immigrants in favor of corporate interests (cheap labor you can threaten with visa action).
- Provide protections for workers and whistleblowers regardless of their immigration status and make sure this information is spread as far as possible.
- Make all DACA recipients citizens.
- Disband ICE. Use this budget for like... anything else. We shouldn't be spending billions of dollars chasing down and deporting immigrants who are just living their lives. Immigrants who are criminals should be dealt with by normal law enforcement agencies based on the crimes. Undocumented residency is a civil offense - it shouldn't be treated like a damn felony.
- Stop deportations. Like honestly. It's expensive and it sucks for everyone. We need to find a better way to deal with non-violent undocumented residents.
- Refer to my Foreign Policy section for my stance on interventionism and the Monroe Doctrine by extension.
- The visa system... I honestly don't know. It's such a convoluted mess, I think this will require a much more thorough and nuanced solution than I can provide here.
Original source can be found here.
