Congress and the Obama administration are wrestling with how to deal with the surge of Central American children fleeing escalating gang violence in their native countries and crossing the US-Mexico border into the United States to escape. While it is true that violence has skyrocketed in recent months in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama, it has been an ongoing and pervasive problem in those troubled developing nations. But what is really driving the influx of children, in particular, are lawless human traffickers purposefully spreading misinformation about the United States’ deferred deportation policy for children of undocumented immigrants currently in the US who were brought here by their parents.
In June 2012, frustrated about a contentious Congress’ inability to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package created by the Democrats, President Obama issued an executive order that instructed the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency not to deport certain immigrant children here unlawfully. Those children who qualified under the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” policy and came forward were given a temporary status and a work visa. However, the status only benefited those who have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007 and was present in the US on June 15, 2012. New border crossers do not qualify.
Facts don’t matter to opportunistic smugglers who used some of the language in the policy to convince parents that the US was accepting children to immigrate there. Their misinformation campaign persuaded parents to willingly pay the smugglers to shepherd their kids into the US. Since October 1, an estimated 57,000 children have crossed into the US.
Immigration is that contentious issue that no one wants to touch and it has also incensed many African Americans who say they are frustrated that on the same week there was record gun violence deaths in Chicago, the nation shifted to focus on children of “outsiders.” Consider that the White House requested an estimated $3.7 billion funding package to staff more agents, judges, and workers to process the children and return them to their homes. The money would be to supplement depleting resources and funds of an agency going broke, and to expedite the return of the kids.
To have them stay too long during processing, Nancy Pelosi and other politicians have said, would send the dangerous message that all they need to do is cross the border and they’d get to stay for a couple of years and possibly slip away into the shadows. That outcome would open the flood gates to more unaccompanied minors in the future. A senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official told The Washington Post the goal is to process the immigrants and have them deported within 10 to 15 days to send a message back to their home countries that there are consequences for illegal immigration
The passions that enflame over immigration is perhaps why African and Caribbean undocumented immigrants in the United States have stayed quiet on the issue. You don’t see their communities joining with the Latino and Hispanic advocates demanding immigration reform.
“There is reluctance on the part of the Caribbean community to become too vocal on the topic out of being too associated with the challenges and misconceptions of ‘undocumented’ Latino – particularly Central American – immigrants in the West,” said veteran political strategist and commentator Charles Ellison. “They don’t view themselves that way and they don’t want the society viewing them that way either.” Africans do rally immigration reform issues outwardly, at times, Ellison added. And in recent weeks, we have seen some African-American leaders such as Al Sharpton call on African Americans to join the Latino American fight for a fair immigration policy.
Right now, as civil rights icon Angela Davis put it in recent years, there is somewhat of a disconnect between the Black struggle for equality and that of Latinos where a lot of Black people feel like: “That’s not my fight.”
A recent public policy poll indicated that a majority of blacks, 58%, support the controversial Arizona immigration law that would have permitted the police to request verification of the legal residence or citizenship status of motorists stopped for routine traffic violations. But leaders like Sharpton are urging African Americans to consider Black migrants from Africa and the Caribbean who account for 15% of the immigrant population. Around 400,000 black immigrants in the United States are here without legal status. Sharpton has also said on his radio and television show that the black immigrants would likely become allies to the plight and cause that African Americans face.
Ellison agrees with Sharpton’s perspective.
“There are natural connections between the Diaspora migrant communities and the African-American community,” Ellison added. “Plus, he [Sharpton] sees an opening here to increase African American or Black voting numbers – right now, census counts are potentially low-balled since there are a lot of African and Caribbean migrants that are not lumped together with Black Americans – some have said that the total Black population may be on par or even slightly greater than the Latino population if you count African and Caribbean migrants. “
But, tension is still there.
“African Americans highly respect Caribbeans and Africans, but you can sense envy because there is the perception that Caribbean/African migrants come to the U.S. and are so successful so fast,” added Ellison who writes forseveral websites including The Root and The Philly Tribune. “Part of that is you have modern Diaspora and island societies that are, for the most part, all-Black and run by Black people—for better or for worse—and that has an impact on thinking, confidence levels, motivations.”
Meanwhile, Ellison notes that African Americans have had to deal directly and consistently on a personal, psychological, emotional, economic, cultural and political level with Whites for centuries.
“That has an impact whether we admit to it or not,” he added while noting that African and Caribbean immigrants would quickly criticize Black Americans for not taking full advantage of the opportunities here in the states or certain of ‘their ways.’”
Still, he doesn’t think it’s significant enough to be destructive.
And the likelihood of this group becoming allies with and empathizing with struggles of African Americans can be seen in the fact that Black immigrants, being the most educated of all immigrant groups, still face high levels of unemployment and struggle, possibly because they encounter discrimination and racism that African Americans have been dealing with all their lives here in the US.
The synergies and natural connections are there. Now if only the two communities can find their way to support one another and jump aboard the immigration reform fight bandwagon there could be mutually beneficial progress.
Blacks are the very first to lose their jobs to illegal aliens. Black unemployment is in direct inverse proportion to the level of suspected illegal alien levels. Thus, while nationally the unemployment rate is around 27%, we have seen some pockets of teenage unemployment in inner cites at around 60%!
This presents an intolerable situation for the future of the Black Community and America itslef.
Furthermore, we see Black education suffering as a result of illegal aliens. Since illegal aliens live in the same cities as blacks, their presence makes a greater impact on education spending than in “white” suburbs. Thus, the education dollar is spread more thinly in those areas.
We find it disturbing that Black iconic leadership is still touting illegal immigration. In light of the devastating impact of illegal immigration on the Black Community, we wonder whether they have been compromised somehow.
That’s why we have since we started this organization supported Black leaders who would tell the truth. And that’s why we supported Leah Durant last year in her quest along with other Black leaders, to tell the nation the truth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAJXN_FK1Jo
The White tea party folks are the very first to divide and rule when it comes to minorities. Black unemployment is high because of white racism and black people get killed because we don’t turn out to vote. Thus, while nationally the unemployment rate is around 27%, we have seen some pockets of teenage unemployment in inner cites at around 60% because of white people’s racism.
This presents an intolerable situation for the future of the Black Community and America itself and tea party and many white racists are part of the problem and not part of the soulution.
Furthermore, we see Black education suffering as a result of gerrymandering and segregation in places such as Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Baton Rouge Louisiana. Since white people hog all the resources and try to hoard it for themselves, it makes a greater impact on education spending in the black areas than in “white” suburbs. Thus, the education dollar is spread more thinly in those areas.
We find it disturbing that white tea party leadership led by the racist Jeff Sessions suddenly discovers the American worker and black community only when discussing immigration but they have consistently supported outsourcing, moving headquarters abroad and most importantly, fought increasing the minimum wage….so much for the support of the American worker. In light of the devastating impact of racism on the Black Community, particularly in areas such as Ferguson we wonder whether they have been compromised somehow.
That’s why the tea party have since started this organization to support Aunt Jemimas like Leah Durant who would tell lies and desperately try to keep America white majority. True there was a famous Aunt Jemima before…her name was Barbara Jordan. Had her immigration proposals to cut legal immigration by half passed congress in 1996 at the minimum Sarah Palin will be the leading candidate for the President of the United States…as there will be 8 million fewer minorities…and we can be very sure that a black man would not have been elected the President of the United States in 2008.
I believe in the death penalty. A man who commits murder forfeits his life. Similarly when the first black person was brought to this country as a slave, this country forfeited its right to exist as a majority white country..an equivalent of the death penalty. Just like the death row inmates, the whites dont want to accept their just punishment…the minority status and have stalled it through further racist legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and Plessy and Ferguson. But now they fear that the day of reckoning is nigh…if I had done the crimes that the ancestors of the white people did…burning down the Balck Wall Street, Rosewood, etc…I would be afraid too and I will be looking for an Aunt Jemima such as Barbara Jordan to save me from my predicament!
First of all, we are not the “white” tea party. The reason you hate that fact is that it doesn’t fit with your warped notions. And yes we hope to divide negativist hate mongers like you from the mainstream of black and white Americans who are looking for Martin Luther King’s Dream. This writer was there and a member later that year in the NAACP.
For it was Blacks and Whites together that took part in furthering that dream into whatever reality we have today.
Hate mongers like you, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would have received their comeuppance (if not a slap down) from Dr King. He would have seen through your hate=filled facade and seen you for what you are: an egocentric dedicated to the aggrandizement of power,prestige and money. We do what we did when we marched with King: we do it because it’s the right thing to do.
Dr King would have distanced himself from you and Jesse Jackson and anyone who was in it for themselves.
As any true patriot, he would have admitted that America has a complicated history; it is a story of greatness and vision and, at the same time, fallibiltiy. Neither Washington nor Jefferson were comfortable in being slave owners. Yet they kept slaves none the less.
The costliest war in American history was the Civil War in which white lives were lost giving Blacks freedom. As Christ said, ” No greater love has a man that he give his life for another.” The Civil War was thus America’s greatest act of love toward Blacks.
We are trying to continue that notion in attempting to help Blacks by getting their jobs back. We are up against the most powerful people in the world: Wall Street and the Chamber of Commerce.
We would have asked you to join us, but you hate too much. We will pray for you.
Tea Party Immigration Coalition.. http://www.facebook.com/tpimmigrationcoalition
More ranting from a racist group quoting christ…suggest you preach your crap from anti-abortion and Christian values to so-called Christians in your group such as Scott De Jarlais…so dont Jesus Christ me…and try to tell me you are on the side of black people…..no white minority in America, no progress…end of story…you guys are worried about white people becoming minority in this country…..
http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/08/mistress-and-abortion-loving-rep-scott-desjarlais-is-up-by-33-primary-votes/375785/
And preach your stuff to Aunt Jemimas and Uncle Tons…one is sitting in the Supreme Court and other tried to do what you are tyring to do.
Blacks and whites together indeed…Ferguson and Jennings, MO.
When it comes to immigration TeaPartyImmigrationCoalition and their kind will use the blacks against the other minorities and when it comes to Affirmative Action, they will use the Asians against blacks and other minorities…that is how white people try to stay in power…
http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2014/08/against-culture-success-asian-americans-affirmative-action-and-immigration
Is Ms.Ghatt and those who peddle lawlessness in the name of compassion going to reach out to the millions upon millions of out of work African Americans who have lost their jobs, opportunities and middle class lifestyle due to the invasion of 40 million illegal aliens, which is the source of the hispanic church growth.
In so-called “sanctuary cities” across the nation, legal black citizens are out of work while illegals and their children, with the help of Catholics and unethical politicians, are working at patronage jobs that Americans should hold.
A recent study by the Chicago NAACP indicated that there is a 92% unemployment rate among black male teens and early twenties in Cook County. There are almost 4 million illegal hispanics in the Chicagoland area, and an estimated 300,000 hispanic gang members, who are running guns to black thugs and gang members, who are terrorizing Chicago African American communities. The Hispanic agenda is to drive blacks out of the city in order to accommodate the ever grown illegal hispanic growth.
Are these so-called Christians addressing the illegal presence of Hispanics in the US, as a pernicious form of lawlessness that is undermining the American way of life? Do they tell illegals that they are breaking the law and are hurting Americans?
The parasitic nature of illegal alien foreigners on our health care systems is catastrophic. Illegals using emergency rooms, have caused the closing of countless emergency care centers and hospitals. Illegals are receiving education for millions and millions of their non-citizen children, who are bankrupting the quality of education across the nation.
In Chicago the mayor closed 52 schools in primarily black neighborhoods allegedly due to lack of funds; but right after closing them he announced the building of huge schools in primarily illegal alien neighborhoods. Americans are being forced to finance the education of tens of millions of “anchor babies.” Anybody from south of our border who can force their way onto our sovereign soil, can manipulate politics and make us educate their children.
Illegal aliens are siphoning social services, social security, welfare, and a long string of other resources that should be going to Americans. Despite all of this self-serving behavior by organized foreigners, hispanics who call themselves evangelical Christian ministers, brazenly demand that Americans assist in this foreign take-over by handing over not only our tax monies and resources to them; they are now attempting to foist the demands of huge congregations of illegals upon the Protestant church leadership in the US. Illegal foreigners want to make US Christians feel guilty for not giving them citizenship, education, jobs, college tuition credits, and a fast track to the American middle class. They call us “racist” if we, both black and white don’t comply.
Their “dream” is to set up a new Latino Nation in the midst of American society, with the guilt-ridden help of national Christian organizations and at the behest of ill-advised, naive Protestant Christians leaders, both black and white. Misguided US church leaders, who are neglecting their obligations to American citizens, and are putting the unreasonable demands of what constitutes a nation of foreigners, are encouraging lawlessness, that is undermining the fabric of Christian American society.