By Susan Martin
Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration
For the forty-plus years I have been an immigration policy wonk, and well before then, immigration has been a controversial issue. No less a figure than Benjamin Franklin railed against German immigrants in Pennsylvania for retaining their native language and exhibiting “boorish” behavior. He warned that Pennsylvania would become a German-speaking colony if immigration persisted. The Know-Nothing party in the 1850s saw noticeable support for their plans to restrict Irish and Mexican immigration. The restrictionist movement of the late nineteenth – early 20th centuries was based on the proposition that Italian, Jewish, Greek, Russian and other immigrants were overwhelmingly criminals, took jobs from Americans, refused to learn English, were dependent on public aid, showed no loyalty to the United States, and would never integrate into American society.
This perception was false then, as we see by the successes of those immigrants, and it is false today. Analyses of crime rates repeatedly find that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans. Immigrants are more likely to be entrepreneurs, creating jobs for other immigrants and the native-born. They do so as small business owners and titans of the economy (think Google, Slack, Peloton and Space X, to name only a few). Immigrants hold about a quarter of all patents in the United States, considerably higher than their share of the population. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the recent surge in immigration will add $1.2 trillion in federal revenue during the next decade.
This is not to say there is no need for immigration reform. The backlogs faced by people seeking legal permanent residency (aka, a green card) or asylum are beyond reason. For example, highly educated people from certain countries who otherwise qualify for permanent immigration status face as much as a 190-year wait for a green card, according to the Congressional Research Service. Enforcement of immigration laws is also problematical, whether one prefers more or less of it, with the immigration courts similarly backlogged.
We know much about what the new administration will do on Jan. 20 and beyond. Trump will likely try to reinstate a ban on migration from Muslim countries, decimate the refugee resettlement program, strip Haitians and others of protection under Temporary Protected Status and reinstate regulations to make it harder for family members to enter with green cards. He has promised mass deportations, which will be very expensive, inhumane (remember the family separations he oversaw) and extremely disruptive to the American economy.
So, what can we do to cushion the effects of Trump’s policies.
1) Focus on protecting vulnerable immigrants in our own county and state. Distribute “Know Your Rights” information or organize Know Your Rights workshops. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center has cards that help people assert their rights if they encounter immigration enforcement officers. These can be ordered or printed from https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards.
2) Washington state and San Juan County have affirmed that they will not cooperate with immigration enforcement agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection unless they present judicial arrest warrants rather than administrative ones. Let our elected officials know you support this position.
3) Support legal challenges to the plan for mass deportation and other harmful policy changes. The American Civil Liberties Union is already planning to intervene but needs financial resources to mount litigation. Consider donating to this cause. The Washington Attorney General led or joined dozens of legal cases against the first Trump administration, winning all but three, and has already indicated that Washington will do the same when he is governor. Applaud that action.
4) Help individual immigrants and their families who are at risk of deportation. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and other immigrant rights groups represent many immigrants and asylum seekers in court but they have to turn away others because of a lack of funding. Research shows that almost half of asylum seekers with legal representation win in court while only 15% without representation succeed. Support these organizations and others that provide legal representation. Also encourage public funding for such representation, as currently is available in Seattle and King County (https://www.seattle.gov/council/issues/past-issues/legal-defense-for-immigrants-and-refugees).
5) Contact members of Congress and tell them that you oppose legislation that will harm immigrants and their families. Be as specific as possible. For example, if the kids who received [the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] are at risk of deportation, tailor your statement to this population — ditto with asylum seekers; people with TPS; Ukrainians, Afghans, Haitians and others granted humanitarian parole; or the undocumented neighbor who has lived next to you for the past 20 years.
We are not without power to stop bad things from happening. Although it will be difficult, it is well worth trying.
