Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
Following a raid on a meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa that's been condemned as "inhumane" and "a Kafkaesque travesty of justice," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is trying a new approach -- asking undocumented immigrants to deport themselves. Until August 22, immigrants in five cities who "got caught and ignored a judge's order to leave but avoided other trouble with the law" can take part in ICE's new "Operation Scheduled Departure." An ICE official said the program "allows them to leave on their own terms." ICE may also help cover immigrants' transportation costs. Many immigrant rights and reform advocates are skeptical. ICE calls "Scheduled Departure" a "compassionately conceived enforcement initiative." But the director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says the program was designed "to put a happy face on what have been really brutal actions." He adds that those targeted by the program "are desperately trying to stay in the United States, because they have U.S.-born children ... they have spouses, they have jobs, many of them have homes."
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Anonymous replied on Permalink
Operation Scheduled Departure
Law makers, and others who claim that operation scheduled departure as inhumane because these illegal immigrants 'Have children here, have jobs, or have homes here' are out of line. These people are NOT SUPPOSED to have jobs here, employers that hire them are criminals, they aren't supposed to buy homes here since they aren't legally entitled to be here in the first place. NOTHING stops them from renting out their properties and hiring people legally entitled to employment in this country to look after their real investments.
As for their children, I feel there needs to be redress in what constitutes an American citizen, birth on US soil is NOT enough. Citizenship should be commensurate with the ability to vote, age 18 presently, or as part of a term of service in the US military for children born on US soil or of at least one parent who is an existing citizen. Our minor age children should enjoy all the protections of citizenship, but not all of the rights. Most municipalities already recognize this fact in the form of curfews for minors, restricting access to certain merchants and vendors who distribute adult oriented materials, movie ratings, etc.
By adjusting the age of citizenship we can in all clear conscious, keep families together even in the deportation process.
Presently, local law enforcement agencies, such as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept, have instituted practices whereby they overlook or disregard a persons immigration status when dealing with suspects. This is done under the guise of protecting illegals from exploitation, due to the fear of reporting crimes against illegals. The truth is, if they weren't here to begin with, they couldn't be exploited here. Suspects arrested should have their status verified and illegals need to be deported, the costs for such transportation can come out of any aid/relief packages that have been negotiated between the US and whatever country the illegal is from. This would create an incentive for these countries to tighten their OWN boarders in regards to how many of their citizens leave their soil.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Operation Scheduled Departure
"Law makers, and others who claim that operation scheduled departure as inhumane because these illegal immigrants 'Have children here, have jobs, or have homes here' are out of line."
You mistated the argument. The argument is that Operation Scheduled Departure will not work because many of these people are so heavily invested in the community in which they live - they attend their local church service, have kids in the local school, work, pay taxes etc. The idea that people will deport themselves is quite honestly ludicrous. As the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights director pointed out this is simply a publicity stunt by ICE to cover up the brutal workplace raids.
"As for their children, I feel there needs to be redress in what constitutes an American citizen, birth on US soil is NOT enough."
Your suggestion of abandoning birthright citizenship a practice throughout the entirety of United States is extreme. Despite the moral and nationalistic arguments against this there are quite rational arguments against this. What do you suggest that we do with these children? Do we wait until they are 18 and send them off to whatever country we think they are from? Do we preform blood tests to determine this? What if the parents are from different countries? What if one of the parents was born in Korea and lived in China then immigranted threw Canada? Then what country do we ship off the child to? Quickly, rationally thinking threw your argument shows just how flawed it is.
"if they weren't here to begin with, they couldn't be exploited here. Suspects arrested should have their status verified and illegals need to be deported, the costs for such transportation can come out of any aid/relief packages that have been negotiated between the US and whatever country the illegal is from."
I think that there are many families from numerous refugee families that fled from their country of origin in search of the American dream that would strongly disagree with this statement. The idea that we should force countries to trap in their citizens by bullying them with aid/relief money is one of the most blatenly nativist arguments that I have heard. Completely disregarding the development of a global society.
Please lets put aside these nativist arguments and fluff policies like Operation Scheduled Departure and look for real solutions to the immigration issue.