Accountability on the Treatment of Latino Immigrants at the Border Must Continue
Monique Peters, Online Staff Writer
November 25, 2020
The Obama administration, in its untouchable campaign rhetoric, and palpable public appeasement, created Obama into the ideal political celebrity of the 21st century. For years, his campaign pushed the narrative of “Todos somos Americanos”, which is “We are all Americans.” It’s this — Obama’s ability to convey affirmed passion on social issues — that garnered him 63% retrospective approval ratings. However, the Obama administration’s 2009 promise for comprehensive and reformative change in immigration, was neither comprehensive nor reformative. It is not enough that it was merely “better than Trump.” When millions of lives are at stake, better than the “zero” tolerance policy of the “Mexicans are rapists” president, is still not good enough. Thus, one is brought to the overarching issue—Trump’s presidency merely agitated an issue that was left unaccounted for decades. Trump’s eventual concession should not mean that immigration policy is once again forgotten.
From the 1970s, the topic of immigration, particularly at the border, has vexed voters on both sides. Immigrants who come to the US often come from broadly spanning areas, bringing with them a complex combination of origin, race, and political ideology. Contemporary immigration discussions of the U.S.generally contemplate the influx of Latin American immigrants, particularly from Mexico. These discussions often escalate to the topic of “to deport or not to deport.” However, that is far from the most pressing question. The more prevalent concern is really the rights of immigrants, their treatment, both at the border and of the twelve million who live and dwell in the US. Whether one is discussing healthcare reform, economic stimulus packages, immigrants’ place in federal support is often averted. Jennifer Ng’andu of the National Council of La Raza states “In every policy debate, as long as immigration remains unresolved, there is going to be a question of what happens to immigrants in this country”.
For many during his campaign, Obama appeared as the JFK that they had been waiting for— a pioneer of social change. Throughout his campaign he often stated, “I am going to be fighting for comprehensive immigration reform”. However, when he became president, his focus shifted— the economy and healthcare became his primary goals, immigration was sidelined. While Obama was able to push immigration to the foreground of his policy, the millions seeking asylum at the border and the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the US could not.
The rise of Obama’s incumbent Donald Trump, and his much worse “zero-tolerance policy,” continued the U.S’s disregard for Latino immigrants, but this time with more rigour. Thus, one is brought to the image of children in cages— and the current 545 children separated from their parents under the Trump presidency. The images, if nothing else, embodied severe dehumanization of people, for no other reason than unfortunate birthplace. Yet what many fail to recognize, is that the cages Trump’s administration is infamous for were built under Obama Thus, while Trump’s zero-tolerance policy has ruined the lives of millions of immigrants in the US, the general lack of accountability of his predecessor meant that it has continued.
The solution has nothing to do with identifying who is responsible. It’s an acknowledgment that egregious acts of immortality are wrong, regardless of who commits them;that accountability should take precedence, not politics. It’s an acknowledgement that despite Trump’s clearanti-Latino bias, the disregard preceded him, and will continue without him. AsTrump throws tantrums, averts concession, and embraces the pillars of the Oval Office one last time, Biden too must face accountability for his immigration policy. It matters not who built the cages, and more that Americans let them.