My dad became a U.S. citizen last year, more than four years after he got his green card in April 2021.
But before then, he was undocumented. While I can breathe easier knowing he’s not at risk of deportation, a part of me still panics when I hear about sightings of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the local area.
I remember the fear I felt when, as a 9-year-old, my dad was pulled over by two Santa Clara Police officers – the department is notoriously regarded by many Latinos in the area for being racist – for a crack in his windshield (and as we believe, the fact he’s brown).
But it always confused me. The Statue of Liberty, standing strong in the Upper New York Bay, was once a symbol of the American Dream. At her feet reads the “New Colossus,” a poem by Emma Lazarus, a Jewish American who saw the statue as a sign to those around the world looking for new opportunities and a place to call home.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Lady Liberty would undoubtedly leave her post and throw her beacon into the sea at the sight of current affairs.
It’s never an easy choice to emigrate anywhere.
It doesn’t matter if an immigrant is undocumented, has a green card, residency or has acquired citizenship – coming here is no easy task and all immigrants should be supported and able to live freely without the fear of being separated from their families by ICE.
Dangerous ideologies persist – from lies that undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes to those that they are dangerous criminals who are raping women, stealing American jobs and living off of the government. These contribute to a hateful society devoid of empathy.
It’s disgusting that undocumented students have to fear being deported when they go to school.
U.S.-born children should not have to fear their parents will be arrested and deported from their places of work, like I did daily.
Politicians should not be lauded for their support or encouragement of this unethical, guerilla tactic.
For those concerned undocumented immigrants are scamming the system, taking crucial money from “true” Americans: A simple Google search describes Tax Identification Numbers, which allow any working person (including those who are undocumented) to complete their taxes.
My father submitted his taxes every year using his number. While undocumented immigrants can qualify for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), they don’t qualify for complete Medicaid coverage nor do they qualify for unemployment in California.
Undocumented immigrants are also not “bringing crime,” as President Donald Trump notoriously claimed in a June 2015 speech. In fact, undocumented immigrants have a lower crime offense rate than U.S.-born citizens, according to the National Institute of Justice.
Does that mean all U.S. residents are dangerous criminals? Are we really that dense?
Most come here without the proper documentation because the process is grueling; it’s filled with bureaucracy, expensive and can take more than a decade for many, especially those in Mexico and South American countries.
Unless you’re wealthy there (which would dissuade most from leaving) you have no future in the U.S.
Lady Liberty is no longer our own; we’ve lost sight of her fiery beacon in a sea of misunderstanding and hate.
Christina Casillas is managing editor of the Los Altos Town Crier.
