Lost within the chaos that has been created by the Trump Administration’s mass deportation policy is a crucial question that no one seems to be focusing on: WHY? Exactly why is it necessary to evict the very people who have contributed so much to America and whose only crime is entering thec ountry in secret when doing so was their only choice?
The administration, among other bald-faced lies, claims that so-called “illegals” are destroying the country. Despite strong, irrefutable evidence to the contrary, the president claims that migrants are stealing jobs from American citizens, abusing the welfare system, and committing crimes that are exceptionally frequent and heinous. However, the facts are quite the opposite and easy to find on the internet. Immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status, take mostly menial but important jobs that no Americans seem to want to do any more. They do not receive benefits illegally and contribute billions of dollars to our economy. Additionally, crime statistics in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods show significantly lower crime rates than in those that are not.!
But it goes beyond just statistics. My partner Amanda and I live in a modest home in a working-class neighborhood with many immigrants. It’s a safe, friendly neighborhood. People support each other and look out for each other. We’ve never had a single issue.
With that in mind, we can’t understand this irrational fear and loathing of our immigrant communities. Don’t buy their rhetoric! This administration is lying to you. These people are not our enemies; the people making the policies are. Immigrants don’t harm us. They enrich us. So, why would we want them to leave?
Some people may still avoid the comparisons to what is happening in America today to what happened in pre-WWII Germany. But if we ever could, we certainly cannot avoid them now. What is occurring comes right out of the fascist handbook, i.e. find someone who may be different to blame for all of society’s ill. For the Nazis, it was the gypsies, the homosexuals, the intellectuals, the Jews, and, of course, anyone who was not a native-born German, i.e. immigrants. It’s a comparison most Americans are loath to make, but there it is. We can longer deny what is happening before our very eyes.
However, there are a few encouraging signs that people of conscience and courage are starting to fight back. Recently, following the lead of Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, a handful of Democrat Rockland County politicians have formulated a Safety and Dignity for All Act to be put before the county legislature. Among other methods to protect our immigrant neighbors, it calls for limiting the power of ICE agents to operate within the county while still supporting and improving communication and cooperation between all law enforcement agencies. Of course, it was met with immediate opposition from Republicans led by Congressman Mike Lawler and State Senator Bill Weber. After a recent session of the legislature, where there was open comment about the proposed legislation, the overflow crowd of hundreds appeared to be overwhelming in favor of the proposal.
As is often customary in situations of such importance and impact, the legislature decided not to vote directly on the proposal but to schedule another public forum at a later date so that even more people could be heard. However, true to the GOP plan of disinformation, the offices of both Lawler and Weber falsely claimed that the proposal, advanced by Beth Davidson (D-Nyack, Clarkstown), Public Safety Committee Chair Paul Cleary (D-Haverstraw) had failed. This is simply inaccurate but once again typical of what is happening in our country. We have an entire party (the GOP) trying to convince us that things we have seen with our own eyes are not what they appear.
I’m not buying it and never have. And, hopefully, the entire Country is finally waking up to the same charade. Come on, no one wants “bad guys” on our streets. Find them, no matter what color they are or where they come from and get rid of them. But their current tactics fall far short of that goal. Think of it as Seine net fishing — using huge nets anchored to the ocean floor to catch as many fish as possible without real regard to the type. Everything within that net is taken. For obvious reasons, that type of fishing has been banned in many countries worldwide. Except in this case, instead of fish, it’s being employed on human beings. So, Republicans, let’s leave our neighbors alone and do the job you were elected to do — pass responsible, humane immigration reform.
Frank LoBuono is a Nyack resident, photographer, blogger and retired CBS News journalist.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are those of this independent writer and not the Nyack News & Views editorial staff. We welcome submissions from anybody who is interested in publishing their thoughts, ideas and perspectives about issues facing our community, both large and small. Please send submissions to info@nyacknewsandviews.com.
Photo credit: Frank LoBuono