(The Beacon)
By Jorge Gonzalez, Guest Commentary -- gonzalez13@up.edu
Imagine your parents on trial, in shackles, and without the liberty to defend themself. Their crime is trespassing. This is not a scene out of a foreign land. It is a brief glimpse of Operation Streamline here in the United States. This system prosecutes immigrants who have no previous criminal history in a hearing where as many as 100 immigrants are prosecuted in two hours. The immigrants on trial are downtrodden and disoriented. Pleads of health concerns are heard on deaf ears. Their charges are extreme and their treatment is heartless. This is what we witnessed as Border Plunge participants who dedicated our spring break to educate ourselves on the issue of immigration.
You may already have a stance for strict immigration policies, but try to remember that these are people and they deserve to be treated with human dignity. Every immigrant has a unique story behind their motives to immigrate to the U.S.
Our first trip in Arizona was to a day labor center led by a Presbyterian congregation. Migrant labor is often taken advantage of by employers, so these centers are designed to provide work with dignity. Our conversations with the workers revealed that many were escaping poverty and in search of a better living in the U.S. We participated in a Spanish Mass, served food, painted a house and revived a garden. We met two teenage brothers who spent 49 days in the desert in an attempt to reunite with their mother. Two UP students humbly gave up their own shoes to these brothers when they found out they were without. In the desert, we found remnants of tattered backpacks, shoes and clothes. These reflected the journeys of immigrant families in search of a better life. A walk in the desert mirrors the path immigrants take daily, searching for refuge and a freedom from exhaustion.
We spoke with one of the founding members of the Minute Men, a group that advocates for increased security along the U.S.-Mexico border. This man was a strong critic of current immigration policy and was against immigrant amnesty. We tried to remember that his unique life experiences led him to these conclusions. Similarly, we met with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who focused on crime surrounding the border, especially drug smuggling. We were saddened that they neglected to see it is a humanitarian issue at hand. Keep in mind that the high demand for drugs in the U.S. is what drives the influx of drugs across the border. Also, U.S. foreign policies, such as NAFTA, have a heavy hand dictating the situations in many Latin American countries which fuels immigration here to the US.
After a week of insightful dialogue, heart-wrenching observations and relationship building, we learned that there is no perfect solution to the immigration issue. The path of progression and empowerment will be continued in our community by remaining educated and informed, serving the immigrant population, advocating for just laws and by sharing our stories with the world. We must empower our community to see, think and act on resolving these issues when our government fails us. We encourage every UP student to apply to Border P lunge next year. It is life changing.
Jorge Gonzalez is a sophomore biology major. He can be contacted at gonzalez13@up.edu.
