annetttamayo1258-blog

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The United States is a land attached to the roots of immigration. The current administration has made xenophobic remarks in attempts to gain support for its anti-immigrant policies. In an effort to remove all forms of immigration, U.S imposed policies like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is being targeted by the Trump administration. Both DACA and TPS are immigration programs that provide deportation relief to thousands of undocumented immigrants, allowing them to pursue the American dream. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an expansive document protecting every human individual from these xenophobic remarks. In permitting the removal of TPS and DACA we are allowing for the human rights violation of Article 15, and Article 17.

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The Anti-Immigrant Narrative:

The 2016 election has influenced the increase in anti-immigrant sentiments in the United States. After Donald Trump continuously alienated immigrants in his campaign, acts of violence began surfacing as an attempt to assert white dominance and superiority. According to A Dry Hate, “The United States has seen the breathtakingly rapid rise of a right-wing anti-immigration movement in just the last two years, some 250 new nativist organizations have sprung up.” In making this comment, the author urges us to analyze the political climate that we live in by recognizing the amount of hate being pushed towards these groups of human beings.

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Campbell, Kristina A Dry Hate: White Supremacy and anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in the Humanitarian Crisis on the U.S.-Mexico Border, West Virginia law review, 2015.

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DACA Is A Human Rights Issue:

DACA approximately protects 800,000 immigrants from deportation. The anti-immigrant narrative in the United States influences the misinformation citizens have on the issue of DACA. The noticeable hate overshadows the overall good impact Dreamers have in our society. In breaking this perception, and acknowledging the overall impact of young immigrants we must analyze the evidence that is provided, and sway away from the administration’s rhetoric.

DACA recipients migrate to the United States from a variety of countries all over the world. The main three countries are Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala with a combining total of 591,600 Dreamers. DACA recipients are major contributors to our country according to the USCIS. In analyzing the evidence, we are able to acknowledge the financial impact of DACA recipients in American society. For example, the three main cities in which DACA recipients reside are Arizona, California, and Colorado. The financial contributions are especially seen in Arizona, leading at $371.91 million dollars. Followed by California with a $4,158 Million dollar contribution.  

Furthermore, California also has the biggest entrepreneur population for DACA recipients. There are 8,905 well-established entrepreneurs ranging from the ages 16-30. These are dreamers who own property and have stable jobs. The guidelines of being a dreamer entail that you arrived as a child to this country. In removing DACA we are depriving these individuals of belonging to a society that they have spent most of their lives in according to Article 15. This article states, “You have the right to belong to a country and nobody can prevent you, without a good reason from belonging to another country if you wish” (UDHR, Article 15).

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“Overcoming The Odds: The Contributions of DACA- Eligible Immigrants and TPS Holders to the U.S Economy” New American Economy. 3 June 2019, research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/overcoming-the-odds-the-contributions-of-daca-eligible-immigrants-and-tps-holders-to-the-u-s-economy/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

“Approximate Active DACA Recipients.” USCIS. 4, September 2017. P. 12. www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/All%20Form%20Types/DACA/daca_population_data.pdf/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

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Temporary Protected Status Is a Human Rights Issue:

Temporary Protected Status also known as TPS is an immigration program implemented to provide deportation relief to individuals whose home country is not stable enough for them to return. This program was implemented after the Immigration Act of 1990, granting the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to designate a country TPS for 6-18 months. However, if the conditions remain the same, TPS can continuously get extended. That is exactly what happened with countries like El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Haiti. According to the Congressional Research Service, there are currently 251,526 migrants from El Salvador being protected by TPS in the United States. Followed by the second largest group, Haiti, with 56,209 individuals covered. Nicaragua, the third-largest group has 80,633 individuals covered by TPS.  When the new administration came into office, threats were immediately made to the Central American community by promoting deportation. As of 2019, migrants protected from deportation from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan have had their TPS status terminated, leaving 408,287 immigrants subject to deportation! In terminating TPS, the U.S is violating the rights provided by Article 17 stating, “You have the right to own things and nobody has the right to take these away from you without a good reason” (UDHR, Article 17). TPS has been extended for almost 20 years to El Salvador. Twenty years is a lifetime of finding stable jobs, buying a house, opening a business, and building a family! Removing TPS is a human rights issue especially when the decision to terminate it is based on anti-immigrant opinion seen through the immediate threats made by the administration.

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Congressional Research Survey. 29 March. 2019, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RS20844.pdf/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

Liberians,” March 28, 2019,  www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-extension-deferred- enforced-departure-liberians/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

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The Uncertain Political Climate’s Effect On Children:

Due to programs like DACA high school graduation rates have increased and more students are enrolling in a community college in hopes of pursuing higher education. The amount of opportunity that is rewarded through these immigration programs is life-changing, and should not be terminated. However, this has been challenged by the administration's push in terminating DACA and TPS. According to UNESCO, experts have found that in the United States, deportations are impacting children and their school attendance. As the uncertain immigration political climate is being continuously increased, children are scared to attend school either for fear of themselves or for fear of family members being deported.

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Nicole Acedevo. “Immigration Policies, deportation threats keeps kids out of school, the report states.” NBC News, 20 November 2018 www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/immigration-policies-deportation-threats-keep-kids-out-school-report-states-n938566

Global Education Monitoring Report. 2019, unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000265866/PDF/265866eng.pdf.multi/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

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Why Is This Important:

To gain perspective on the public’s opinion regarding DACA and TPS I created a survey. The survey revealed that a majority of anonymous survey takers were aware of the political climate and its effect on immigration programs like DACA and TPS. I surveyed eleven individuals, ranging from the ages of sixteen and twenty-two. I asked six online questions to address my generation’s level of awareness regarding immigration policy. The background of these eleven individuals remained anonymous, in order to strictly highlight their views on immigration. For example, the first question I asked was “How aware are you of the current political climate and its effect on DACA and TPS”? Nearly sixty percent of survey takers were aware of the administration's effect on these programs. In contrast to nearly forty percent of survey takers who were not as aware and oblivious to the current conditions. By becoming aware of the current immigration situation in our country we are breaking the anti-immigrant narrative, and protecting the human rights of DACA and TPS recipients.

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“Immigration Assessment” Google Forms Survey, 20 November 2019. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdut5KiJ76sbFWf5aVapEMVtfUAGHzV28SHHTDdBYQ_WSL3_A/viewanalytics

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What You Can Do To Help:

Call your local representatives:  Congress.org

Volunteer at an immigration clinic: immigration help and services

If you are bilingual, Help translate!  immigration help and services

Advocate and protest!