Those who have participated in the anti-deportation protests and marches around the United States are there to fight for the rights of immigrants. Many have participated in hopes to get the mass deportations that have been ordered by president Donald Trump, to stop.
History of immigration enforcement
Uriel J. Garcia and Alejandro Serran, reporters for the Texas Tribune, have stated that in 1986, President Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which allowed many undocumented immigrants to gain legal status and stay in the country, while also making it illegal for employees to hire employees without permission to work in the U.S. This would allow federal agents to raid worksites and ask employers to prove their immigration status.
CNN has reported that president George W. Bush, in 2003, created a new federal agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (known as ICE) as an extra boost to national security. What started off as a way to keep our nation protected has led to fear and a roar of protests for people seeking to protect these immigrants rights.
Current situation
President Donald Trump took advantage of the idea of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He has used it to try to revoke the rights of illegal and legal immigrants.
He has signed new executive orders (an order made by the president that tells agencies and officers of the federal government what they must do) that expanded the powers of ICE. ICE is now able to enter any location in search of people for deportation. Before they weren’t able to enter schools, churches and hospitals but now they are. This order was supposedly made to protect American citizens from invasion.
Sara Dorn and Molly Bohannon, staff for Forbes, stated that on February 20 Trump signed another executive order which banned access to taxpayer-funded benefits from undocumented immigrants. Those benefits were to permit illegal “aliens” to obtain cash or non-cash public benefits, but it is yet to be discovered which programs would be impacted.
Derek Seidmen, a writer for truthout.org, has reported that Donald Trump has signed executive orders to end birthright citizenship, enlisting the military against “invasion of immigrants,” and declaring a national emergency at the southern border. However, for these orders to get passed they would need to go through a judicial review. A judicial review is when a court checks whether the order does or does not go against the laws or constitution. This means that if the federal court finds the order to be unlawful then it could be overturned.
Voices from protests around the country
Protests have begun in response to these executive orders, such as the Granite City March in Missouri. The Granite City March is one of the protests that captures the voices from people actual saying what they are fighting for.
Brian Munoz, a visual editor for St. Louis Public Radio, has reported that for the March organized in Granite City, people were protesting against deportations. What many people were trying to say in this march was that immigrants have contributed to the country and that most immigrants aren’t even a danger and yet they are being targeted and accused of crimes.
Even with all the fear around protestor Miguel Marquez stated, “A lot of people are very scared right now. I am scared too,” he said in Spanish. “But I have to go out despite the fear because we have to defend our rights.”
People are participating in these protests to fight for the rights of immigrants, and many who have joined in on them are either immigrants themselves or have relatives that are.
Gloria Cruz, a mother with her daughter, also joined in on the Granite City March. “I work in a Mexican restaurant,” she said. “I have family members that are illegal, unfortunately, because it’s hard to get their status.”
Protests in our community
Even students began to walk out of their own schools to participate in protests to ensure that immigrants rights are secured. Most of the students who participated in the walkouts have parents that are immigrants and hope their parents can continue to have the freedom to live in the United States. Students of Animo Jefferson and Animo Ralph Bunche High School stated there opinions and experiences:
Sherlyn Melendez, an eighth grader, said, “I agree with what they were trying to protest for because I also disagree with the new policies Donald Trump added.”
Gabriela Hernandez, an ARB student and participant of the school walkouts, said, “Many other students were there holding up whatever they could to get people’s attention. Some were holding up pans and banners.” She stated that many people were there to stand up for the rights of immigrants by grabbing the attention of many.
Others’ views
Of course not everyone agrees that this is wrong. Nathaniel Rakich, a senior editor of ABC News, stated that some people believe that deporting immigrants will reduce our population and will increase the number of available jobs, meaning the risk of finding a job will not be as high for legal residents. As well, fewer immigrants could mean, in some cities, that classrooms will not be as crowded.
Some people think that it is right to send immigrants back to their home countries for violating immigration laws. Plus some people feel that it is only fair to deport an immigrant if they have committed a crime, even if they are in the country legally. Still others are opposed to immigration entirely, although some oppose the idea of deporting immigrants when they have children who are citizens and when they are in schools, churches, or in hospitals.
Goals of the Protesters
Protestors hope to put a stop to the mass deportations so that people who are immigrants can continue to live and stay in the U.S. They contribute to our nation. They are the ones who have to work in farms, on construction sites, in mines, or factories because that is where most immigrants are able to make a living. They want these people to be able to stay together with their families. People who are contributing in these protests want to change peoples’ views on immigrants and let the public know that they contribute just as much as any other American citizen.
