Undocumented workers are a great asset to our pluralistic society; they make significant contributions to our economy and our culture.
Migrants from Mexico and other points South are not an alien presence — their work ethic, strong sense of family and burning desire to assimilate are traits that are treasured by all Americans.
Republican presidential candidate, Rudolph Giuliani, recently made headlines by declaring that “illegal” immigrants are not criminals. It’s a sad indictment of our xenophobic society that this comment caused so much controversy. It should be obvious to one and all that undocumented workers are not criminals, every major city and small town is richer for their presence.
Let me digress by pointing out that there is no such thing as an “illegal” human being. Migrant workers from Mexico are simply returning to their ancestral homes; you don’t have to be a history major to know that the United States stole a lot of territory from Mexico.
“Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Friday that illegal immigration is not a crime, prompting immediate criticism from his presidential rivals on an incendiary issue for Republican voters.
Giuliani made the comments during a CNN interview with host Glenn Beck on Headline News, saying that violations of the nation’s immigration laws are civil violations, not criminal infractions.
‘I know that’s very hard for people to understand, but it’s not a federal crime,’ Giuliani said, adding later that ‘I was U.S. attorney in the Southern district of New York. So believe me, I know this. In fact, when you throw an immigrant out of the country, it’s not a criminal proceeding. It’s a civil proceeding.’”
Rudy Giuliani - On Immigration
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Quote from The WashingtonPost.Com
The Republican presidential candidates are using immigration as a wedge issue, they troll for votes by warning of an invasion of Mexican criminals.
Crossing the border is a minor infraction like getting a parking ticket. I can see why Republicans are so worried; if these dastardly migrants commit a civil violation by illegally crossing the border they might also jaywalk, litter or spit on the sidewalk.
You would think that Rudolph Giuliani declared that we should return New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico; his Republican rivals for the White House jumped all over him.
Mitt Romney had this to say in a quote from the Associated Press:
“‘Mayor Giuliani has the wrong approach on the issue of illegal immigration,’ Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said. ‘His advocacy for sanctuary city policies and his troubling lack of interest in making enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws a priority puts him at odds with those who want to secure our borders and end illegal immigration.’”
America’s Mayor has the right approach on migration; we shouldn’t be up in arms over folks who are committing misdemeanors. Shouldn’t we be more concerned with putting an end to an immoral, illegal and senseless war?
Let me close this essay by stressing that Immigration is an important issue, but it’s racists who focus only on policing the border. We need a comprehensive immigration policy, but unfortunately Congress was too cowardly to pass such sorely needed legislation.
Reference: No One Is Illegal: Immigration Control and Asylum
Technorati Tags:  Illegal Immigration |  Rudy Giuliani |  Migrants From Mexico |  Comprehensive Immigration Reform |  Immigration Xenophobia |  Republican Racism |  Glenn Beck
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 EDITORIAL REVIEW:
“A rare combination of an author, [Mike Davis is] Rachel Carson and Upton Sinclair all in one.” - Susan Faludi “[Davis' writing is] perceptive and rigorous.” - David Montgomery, The Nation “[Davis' work is] brilliant, provocative, and exhaustively researched.” - The Village Voice “[Davis' work is] eloquent and passionate.” - Tariq Ali No One Is Illegal debunks the leading ideas behind the often violent right-wing backlash against immigrants. Countering the chorus of anti-immigrant voices, Mike Davis and Justin Akers Chacon expose the racism of anti-immigration vigilantes and put a human face on the immigrants who risk their lives to cross the border to work in the United States. Davis and Akers Chacon challenge the racist politics of vigilante groups like the Minutemen, and argue for a pro-immigrant and pro-worker agenda that recognizes the urgent need for international solidarity and cross-border alliances in building a renewed labor movement. Writer, historian, and activist Mike Davis is the author of many books, including City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles, The Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster, The Monster at Our Door: The Global Threat of Avian Flu, and Planet of Slums. Davis teaches in the Department of History at the University of California at Irvine, and lives in San Diego. Davis is the recipient of the 2001 Carey McWilliams Award and the World History Association Book Award. Justin Akers Chacon is professor of U.S. History and Chicano Studies in San Diego, California. He has contributed to the International Socialist Review and the book Illegal Immigration (Opposing Viewpoints) (Greenhaven Press). |
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