Sumblog 8

               In class discussion on the case of immigration reform we talked about the recent changes in numbers coming into and out of the United States and some of the factors that could be influencing the fluctuations. Various opinions were suggested ranging from the U.S.’s economic recession and stricter boarder security that are likely to be behind the lower Mexico to United States immigration numbers. But there has also been a large change in the amount of people moving in the opposite direction, going from the United States to Mexico. Are the influences of the push and pull factors keeping this ratio in balance or is there a shift swaying it to one side or another?

                Our class reading The Treacherous Triangle: Justice, Immigration Enforcement, and Child Welfare claims that the system we have in place does not equally favor all. This reading begins with the story of Roberta who was an undocumented immigrant who was traveling home from a family party with 3 of her children when she was pulled over and had admitted to have been drinking that night, the officer administered a Breathalyzer and was found out she was over the legal limit. She was put under arrest and when her immigration status was revealed she was moved to an immigration detention center, lost contact with her children and after seven months detained she was deported back to Mexico without her children. The system in place that separated Roberta from her children is unforgivingly structured to remove anyone regardless of the circumstances if they are an illegal immigrant to the United States. In the book it mentioned that over one fourth of deportees who come through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program have no prior criminal conviction (such as Roberta) and another 30 percent only involve minor charges.  This system evacuates plenty of suitably fit parents and families simply because they are in violation of the correct documentation and not because of more serious and harmful offenses. This system is so structured in deporting illegal immigrants that the methods offered to the detainees in order to simply be reunited with their children are often impossible because of the restrictions placed on them by the system itself. It seems cruel to wave the possibilities to be with their children again in their face when there is no way of actually achieving it. This is definitely a flawed system that needs to be re-prioritized.

                This media piece is a bit of a pick me up from the reading, it’s a song by Bob Dylan who sings about “coming to America” and in doing so finding out that if you have no privileges or status that you’re going to have a rough time. It’s one of my favorites and has some funny things to think about.  The link to the song http://vimeo.com/35540786 and to the lyrics http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/bobdylans115thdream.html