The Need for Sanctuary

Posted on July 17, 2015July 27, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

Recently, there was a shooting in California by a man who had been deported five times and should’ve been deported a sixth time. Upon news of this, it did not take long for conversations on immigration to resurface, especially in regards to how bad undocumented immigrants are for the the United States. One prominent figure who was quite vocal in the midst of this event is Mr. Donald Trump. When it comes to immigration, I would consider him to be an extreme on the side of opposition to undocumented immigration. My reasoning stems from comments he makes on the issues such as how Mexican immigrants are rapists. There are many, many ways that this statement is wrong, and Mr. Trump has received a great deal of fallout as a result. For him, the fallout probably only did so much damage because he spoke out about how the shooting in California reinforced his point.

On July 6th, he released a statement his explaining and defending his position saying,

“What can be simpler or more accurately stated? The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc. This was evident just this week when, as an example, a young woman in San Francisco was viciously killed by a 5 time deported Mexican with a long criminal record, who was forced back into the United States because they didn’t want him in Mexico. This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States. In other words, the worst elements in Mexico are being pushed into the United States by the Mexican government. (Read more)”

While his views are debatable, they, along with the lack of 6th deportation for the shooter, bring up the need for evaluating the establishment of sanctuary cities. Put simply, sanctuary cities are cities where law enforcement does not have to work with ICE or DHS. Essentially, these cities provide a “sanctuary” to immigrants to may find themselves in situations that could, but do not necessarily have to, lead to deportation. It gives the cities the chance to handle the issues on their own without federal interference. In the case of this shooting, some wonder about the role San Francisco being a sanctuary city had to play. It has been argued that if the shooter were deported a sixth time, the victim would still be alive.

Whether or not that might be the case, the repercussions of such haste to reverse sanctuary city polices must be carefully examined. For starters, the shooter in this case is just one of many undocumented immigrants in the United States. Many of these are not criminals and do not deserve to be treated as such because of actions of just a few. This is where Mr. Trump’s comments were problematic. He grouped all undocumented immigrants to a category they do not necessarily belong in. Thus, it is fair that sanctuary cities exist because it gives undocumented immigrants a chance to interact with law enforcement, which they might need at some point despite their status, without worrying about immediately being handed over to the federal government and most likely deported.

Right now, there are several congressmen and congresswomen who are looking to do what they can to get rid of sanctuary cities. While what happened in San Francisco was quite tragic, keeping sanctuary cities is by no means justifying or giving an okay of what happened. There were definitely other larger factors at work, but I believe despite what happened, the need for sanctuary cities remain. Undocumented immigrants might not be citizens, but they are people living in this country who deserve the protection and service of law enforcement to ensure their safety.

4th of July: New Beginnings

Posted on July 4, 2015July 4, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

This Independence Day, there will be many people who are new Americans and celebrating their first 4th of July as a citizen. There are also children and adults who feel as American as can be despite their status. As a citizen of America since birth, I know the value of this day for many. Based on my experiences, I know that this day can hold a completely different meaning for some people in this country. This day symbolizes independence and freedom that the United States gained after being under British control. These days there are many different factors and circumstances that can represent a metaphoric British control. So, as we celebrate America’s 239th birthday, we should celebrate what this birthday means for many others. Because of what happened July 4, 1776, we are able to be what is often called a “nation of immigrants.” While there is a significant amount of debate on whether or not some people belong in this country, it is hard to take away the pride and joy of feeling like an American that many people have. I honestly think that it is at the core of what this day is about.

As I think about that feeling, I think about a citizenship ceremony I saw last summer where several refugees took their oaths and officially became American citizens. While this would be their second Fourth of July, there are many people who are experiencing their first Independence day. We cannot forget them. We cannot ignore them. They are just as much a part of what it means to be American as we are. English might not be their first language. They might have had to take tests to prove themselves. They might not eat the same foods as us. They might not even dress the same as we do. Despite all those things, they are in every way American. I say this because there is not one approach, format, or makeup for being American. It can come in a variety of ways. One of those ways is by feeling American.

Now, legally and constitutionally, feeling American cannot grant someone citizenship. But when America and feeling American is all someone knows, should we really take them away from the only place they have called home? Fourth of July is an important day for them too because it represents a better life. A new beginning.

These new beginnings continuously redefine what it means to be an American and what America is. Many would say that they create the “melting pot” that is the United States. I hesitate to use that term because it is essentially an illusion making this country feel like it has made a significant achievement when some who claim to be American are constantly degraded. As such, I urge you all to refrain from celebrating the “melting pot” and celebrate new beginnings instead. 239 years our nation got its new beginning, and we should be accepting of all the new beginnings that this day represents in 2015.

flag — Photo source: http://www.article-3.com/celebrating-diversity-and-consumerism-in-americas-mid-town-melting-pot-912176

Film Suggestion: God Grew Tired of Us

Posted on July 2, 2015July 7, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

Before participating in an Alternative Spring Break a couple years ago, we watched a film called “God Grew Tired of Us” in order to get a better idea of what the lives of refugees are like when they come to America. This film focuses particularly on a few members of the The Lost Boys of Sudan. It truly does a good job of only showing the process that these men had to go through but also showing their paths to self-sufficiency. This film and that alternative spring break sparked my interest in resettlement. This is a must-watch because it helps provide a better understanding of what resettlement can do for refugees.

God Grew Tired of Us Trailer – YouTube

What’s going on, Dominican Republic?

Posted on July 2, 2015July 2, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

Historically speaking, the Dominican Republic and Haiti have not had the best relationships. Despite this, due to the proximity of the two countries, there has been a great deal of overlap. An area where that overlap is prominent is with Dominican-Haitians. In this context, Dominican-Haitians are those who were born in the Dominican Republic but are of Haitian descent. Compared to the average Dominican, Dominican-Haitians are darker skinned thus easier to identify and distinguish. Unfortunately, this distinction is playing a role for the worse as the Dominican government revoked citizenship for thousands of Dominican-Haitians. As a result, there are plans for the deportations of many of these people. Upon learning the news, I could not help but wonder why all of a sudden Dominican-Haitians were being deported. Then, I realized that the issues at stake are much bigger than just those dealing with deportations and citizenship. We are seeing a form of social and ethnic cleansing taking place in modern times. It is often said how history repeats itself, but with all that has happened in world history, why is the situation in the Dominican Republic being ignored? These issues are dealing with livelihood and statehood, and there should be widespread concern. While there is not much that can be done in terms of changing the legal structures in place in the Dominican Republic, steps can and should be taken to assist and support Dominican-Haitians.

One of the main reasons why Dominican-Haitians should be supported is because it is likely they are going to be deported to a country that has never been home for them. Such action could result in a number of problems for them but also a number of problems for Haiti. As many know, Haiti is still recovering and developing after the earthquake of 2010. The country is making great strides but would most likely not be able to support such an influx of people. Thus, at this time, Dominican-Haitians are in a bind. Resources are limited. They cannot afford to be deported. The silence on the matter in the international community is not helping.

For an international community that is often quite responsive on matters of stateless persons, internally displaced persons, and potential refugees and asylees, there needs to be a larger conversation on what can be done to aide Dominican-Haitians. For the most part, most attention to the issue is focused on what can be done to get the Dominican government to stop, but at this rate, there is not enough time to go through those channels. If attention is going to be paid to the Dominican government, there should honestly be an investigation of the crisis.

As previously mentioned, Dominican-Haitians are darker skinned, and the government is using this phenotypical feature as basis deportation. This is where the concept of ethnic cleansing comes into the picture. Despite what laws and regulations the Dominican government has, this targeting should not be tolerated. These policies are in fact discriminatory and matched with the Dominican Republic’s history with wanting to “get rid” Dominican-Haitians, there should be consequences. On that note, this is why the international community, especially countries like the United States, should get involved. Unfortunately, it is hard for a country to fight for injustice in another country when it has its own issues at home. Maybe that is why there is a painful silence, but hopefully, action starts to be taken to ensure that the lives of Dominican-Haitians are valued and respected. No one should have to prove their a citizen of the country that they have been born and raised in just because his or her skin color is different.

Europe’s migrant crisis hits a new record, as 137,000 people cross the Mediterranean

Posted on July 2, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

#WorldRefugeeDay

Posted on June 20, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

This time last year, I was in Atlanta, and I was able to attend a few Georgia World Refugee Day to celebrate refugees everywhere. Today, while I’m not able to attend any world refugee day celebration events, I am able to participate in the conversation. World Refugee is such a special day. We not only recognize the strength of the refugees for handling the tough situations they come from but also honor their resilience in how they resettle, learn a new language, acquire jobs, and much more. Refugees are a special groups of people that are unfortunately overlooked quite often. Here in the United States, the systems in place for refugee affairs have not changed much since their creation. Refugees are not considered part of discussions on immigration reform. Refugees get detained and face a host of other legal issues. At the end of the day, we have to show refugees that they matter and their lives have meaning.

I believe that World Refugee Day this year is looking to do just that. The “theme” that has been presented by UNHCR and several other refugee-related organizations have is knowing their stories. Putting names and faces to the term refugee. It is easy to just use the broad term all the time and forget what it actually attached to it. That is a problem that needs to be fixed with the international community as a whole. Refugees are people too, and we should not forget that. Additionally, there is so much power in knowing their stories.

Over the last few years, I have had the chance to work with a few different organizations. These experiences have been nothing short of amazing, and I have heard some inspiring stories. In honor of World Refugee Day this year, I’d like to briefly share a story.

While working in a tutoring program, I had the chance to work with an older man from Afghanistan. He shared with me details about why he was a refugee and came to the U.S., but I was touched more about the details about him. In Afghanistan, he was a doctor, and when he came to the US, he was told he needed to get a GED then go to community college then go to university. All that for someone who had already reached the “top” in his home country. Despite this, he was determined to achieve his goals to have a better life here in the U.S. He was eager to learn and passionate about learning. I remember helping him with an essay for a history class, and he would tell me how soon this would be his history too. Though my time working with him was short, I realized that refugees have SO much to offer. In knowing their stories, we can often see how much they could add to our society. For me, that is extremely important, and I hope on this World Refugee Day and other days, you can take the time to learn of just one story.

Check this compilation of stories put together by UNHCR http://www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/us/

Town Hall on “Strengthening the Refugee Resettlement Act”

Posted on June 18, 2015June 23, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

Through Twitter, I found out about a teleconference town hall that was being hosted with Representative Keith Ellison. He represents the 5th district of Minnesota in the House. This town hall was being hosted because world refugee was quickly approaching, and a bill titled “Strengthening the Refugee Resettlement Act” was going to be reintroduced to Congress. The bill was authored by Rep. Ellison and has 18 other co-sponsors. During this town hall, we had the chance to learn about the bill and what it would do if pass as welcome receiving tools for advocacy about the bill. As Rep. Ellison said, we needed to “Stand up for people who really don’t have a voice.” Part of the importance of us speaking out about the bill was so that it could receive more co-sponsors. Rep. Ellison mentioned how bills do not typically go very far without a significant amount of sponsorship. It was interesting to hear how Congress operates and what it takes. What was most interesting for me was how there already was not an abundance of support for the bill. Personally, since my interest in refugee affairs has developed, I have not thought much about the role I could have in affecting policy change. The legislature is key to improving the systems in place for refugees. As such, I was inspired to reach out to my congressman after the call in order to encourage him to support the bill. Briefly summarized below are a few aspects of bill I noted during the conference call:

Would improve the resettlement process
Would Increase financial support through matching grants and financial assistance
- Would expand eligibility for Match Grant. In the past, there haven’t been enough slots for everyone wanting to participate. Would expand the program by 80%. Would allow them to better achieve economic stability and self-reliance.
Would allow refugees to come in as permanent residents rather than applying after they arrive
Improves case management…up to three years

As I close this post, I just want to encourage you all to take a look at this bill and decide how you feel about it. Should you want to see it eventually become a law, you should definitely reach out to your congressman or woman! Here is a link to the full text of the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/651/text

Leadership on the act is commendable. No matter how good an idea is…it can’t happen without a strong group of people

Check this out! Undocumented lawyer in New York!

Posted on June 15, 2015June 16, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

“We find that the undocumented status of an individual applicant does not, alone, suggest that the applicant is not possessed of the qualities that enable attorneys to vigorously defend their client’s interests within the bounds of the law, nor does it suggest that the applicant cannot protect, as an officer of the court, the rule of law and the administration of justice”

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/06/new-york-just-got-its-first-undocumented-lawyer.html?mid=twitter-share-di

What are your thoughts on this?

Happy Anniversary to DACA! But what about DAPA?

Posted on June 15, 2015June 16, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

One of the aspects of President Obama’s approaches to handling immigration reform is that he is doing what he can, without Congress, to make actual changes. President Obama promised a lot of things in relation to immigration, but gridlock in Congress has many it extremely hard for those promises to be fulfilled. Three years ago today, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) came to be! So many people worked so hard for this to happen, and their efforts should definitely be honored! Meanwhile, as we celebrate DACA’s third anniversary, DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans) cannot move forward because of a hold that has been put on it by a district court in Texas. The lawsuit that was filed against the President and his administration is mainly based on the President’s executive action to create DAPA is unconstitutional.

Before I go on, I want to say that this isn’t a post for me to push my support for DAPA or a post for telling you how great DACA has been and will continue to be. It’s about us understanding why exactly DAPA is not active right now. That being said, it is simply because the President used executive action to make it happen. Executive action is different from an executive order in that the proposed items by the President do not become law per se. Executive actions are simply proposals, but unlike executive orders, they can be challenged by the courts.

Since many congresspeople felt that the executive action that issued DAPA is unconstitutional, they took it to the courts, and so far, they have seen success. The Obama administration has said that it will not make any appeals to the district court ruling, and things have essentially been at a standstill for the last couple of months. This situation cannot be forgotten about though. DACA has helped so many children, and without DAPA, many could be separated from their parents. On the most basic level, that begs the questions of what good can possibly be done by breaking up families. One might argue that the children should not be allowed to stay in the first place, and that would definitely cause more problems. With DAPA hanging in the air, the fate of SO many families are stake. They are all at stake because of an approach-based difference between congresspeople and the President.

While there was backlash to DACA, it was still able to come into existence. Now, DAPA is on hold, and apparently the only way that can change is if the President’s action is deemed constitutional. At the moment, it seems like the lawsuit has more support than the administration. I am by no means a legal expert, so I am not too sure about the legality of this case, but I do know what the job of the President of the United States is and when one has crossed the line. President Obama has not crossed the line with DAPA. He issued an executive action, like DACA, that should hold. Will it change things drastically in the US? Yes. Has it violated the constitution? I don’t think so.

I believe the President still remembers all the promises he made in terms of immigration reform. I am sure he wants to check them all of a list, but he knows, without Congress, he cannot implement laws that would reform our immigration system completely. Our system honestly needs an overhaul, and his executive actions in this respect are not seeking to serve that purpose. In the case of DAPA, one of the main goals is keeping families together. Additionally, it is giving undocumented adults a chance to get a new beginning in the United States. With the lack of Congress’ support, it should be obvious why this executive action was issued. More importantly, the importance of DAPA, especially in light of DACA’s success (read more here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release/2015/06/15/115155/release-implementation-of-deferred-action-programs-yields-undeniable-gains-in-states-gdp-income-and-jobs-finds-new-cap-analysis/) should be recognized. Unfortunately, this all depends on the case against the Obama administration.

The United States’ Detention Dilemma

Posted on June 15, 2015July 27, 2015 by florenceotaigbe

For years now, in addition to border patrol officers across the United States’ southwest border, there are many family residential centers. These centers typically house undocumented immigrants while they await their court proceedings. The majority of those at these centers are women and children. Upon hearing the phrase family residential centers, what comes to mind? Maybe it is the idea of a hotel-like structure or even a daycare for families. Unfortunately, the picture likely to be painted in our minds does not match the reality of these centers. In fact, they more so resemble detention facilities. In the last few months, there has been increase in press on these facilities as the harsh living conditions are being exposed. Despite this exposure, there still is not enough conversation being had around the issue. Activists and some Democratic congresspeople have spoken out in support of ending detention, but sometimes the push for change starts with more awareness. Prior to a New York Times article published in April called “The Shame of America’s Family Detention Camps,” I was not aware that such camps existed. It was disheartening to read the article and learn of what detainees go through on a daily basis.

While detainees are provided necessities, there are deeper issues that run their course that contribute to negative effects on their well-being. This is where the problem with the United States having so many detention centers comes in. More importantly, the high numbers of detainees is quite alarming. From a human rights perspective, these detained families do not deserve to be in these conditions. They also do not deserve to be denied of any chances they might have at seeking asylum or refuge here in the United States. Placing hundreds of women and children in these conditions is not a better alternative to letting them integrate. While the situations and circumstances they come from are not generic, there is one factor that broadly applies. This is the fact that they deserve a fair shot and suffering in a detention center is not the path to that shot.

Migration Station