It is high time that the needs of black Americans be reflected in the nation’s immigration policies. I look to support political candidates who will take immediate action to remedy immigration policies that are detrimental to black communities.
- The burden of the border crisis should not fall on black communities. Shelter systems and other resources throughout the United States are being overwhelmed, with many cities putting the burden of the border crisis on communities predominantly made up of descendants of U.S. chattel slaves (Freedmen). Black communities should not be forced to accommodate or pay for a mismanaged border.
- Immigration policy should not economically disadvantage black workers. Black workers are heavily represented in industries that make use of foreign guest worker programs, including retail, leisure, and hospitality. 267,000 (90%) of the 300,000 new unemployment cases this Spring were black workers, as black unemployment remains at higher rates than others.
- Immigration policy should not threaten the space needs of black communities. The destruction of space is primarily driven by Congress’ unsustainable immigration policies that force communities to accommodate more people with more schools, roads, places of business, hospitals, water treatment facilities, farms, parking lots, etc.
The border crisis should be stopped now by ending parole and asylum abuse. For more than 24 months, border patrol agents have made at least 125,000 apprehensions at the Southern border — nearly 4 times the average number of apprehensions during President Obama’s 8 years in office. Parole is meant for use on a case-by-case basis, not by groups of thousands of people at a time. Rather than undermining black American communities, it is the federal government’s responsibility to detain asylum seekers or return them to a safe third country while they await adjudication.
Additional actions to be taken now: Require businesses to use the free E-Verify system to ensure that they are hiring lawful residents, including the Freedmen population, instead of illegal workers. Restore our immigration system to a more honorable tradition by limiting chain migration as recommended by the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform.
Sincerely,
Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA
P.S. Secure our borders. Stop the influx of immigrants and refugees. Evict those here illegally. End chain migration. End birthright citizenship. Make E-Verify mandatory.
