Immigration

“America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations And Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.” -George Washington

The Founders declared in 1776 that “all men are created equal” and that power flows directly from our shared humanity, not from a hierarchy of royalty. We are all equal, we all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness because we are all human beings. If we are truly following our values, then there is no moral standing upon which we can deny the same rights we enjoy to those who, by circumstances beyond anyone’s control, were not born within the United States. Whether they are legally defined as immigrants, refugees, or asylum seekers, they are human beings deserving of love and respect, imbued with the same inalienable rights as all of us.

Immigration, and vilification of everything foreign is of course at the heart of the MAGA movement. From the “build the wall” chants to the “Mexicans are rapists” speech, this topic has been central to far-right extremists. They believe that power should be concentrated in the hands of the few and the wealthy, much as it was under the strict caste system imposed by the British monarchy. So they seek to create differences among us, and imply that because someone is from a different country, or their skin is a different color, or they worship a different way, they are somehow a threat. The media assists in this effort, taking their claims at face value, framing the immigration debate only in terms of “crime” and “safety”, devoid of any evidence or critical discussion.

Republican politicians ardently defend corporations that exploit migrant workers, stealing their hard-earned wages, denying them benefits, and undercutting labor laws that were largely built upon the sacrifice of immigrant workers from Europe over a century ago. And should any among them speak out against their employer’s unfairness and theft, they are threatened with deportation. By international standards, this is the very definition of modern-day slavery, and it hurts all workers.

So, the GOP immigration plan is destructive – it calls for the inhumanity and illegality of child separation policies, violations of international asylum laws, construction of detention camps, and exploitative labor practices, including the use of child labor. But what exactly is the Democratic proposal for immigration reform? There are vague promises of “a pathway to citizenship”. Some believe that you should just copy and paste MAGA Republicans’ “secure our borders” stance that candidates like Josh Riley have adopted. But I believe this is wrong. I think rather than doing something destructive that hurts all of us and spreads injustice, we can do something productive and transformational that leaves all of us happier, healthier, more equal, and more connected. That we can channel the political imagination of policies past that made this country the land of opportunity. What I am proposing is a new framework that once debated, built upon, and effectively implemented, will lead to a permanent solution to immigration, while also working to create affordable housing, desegregate communities, strengthen labor unions, fill vital labor shortages, provide substantial improvements to our communities, and maintain America’s position as an economic powerhouse for decades to come.

There are legitimate concerns about a sudden increase in population in a given area, which is that there is not enough existing housing, schools, infrastructure, transportation, etc., and that communities will become overwhelmed. And I agree. I agree that it’s time to start building!

In the spirit of past programs like the New Deal and the Homestead Act, I am proposing a large-scale construction and jobs act that will positively transform America and bring us that much closer to the ideal of a “more perfect union”:

Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, who are ready to work, will be provided the opportunity to build housing for themselves and their families, for Americans in need of affordable housing, and for those such as the elderly and disabled folks who are unable to themselves.
Multi-family units will be mixed-income, and special care will be taken to include everyone from all walks of life in order to combat the existing system that was built upon segregation
Construction will not just be limited to housing, but also schools, hospitals, fire departments, all the necessities that a modern community requires, based on that specific community’s needs
The program will primarily be for aspiring Americans with the central goal being to solve the resource issue that comes with immigration, but will be open to American citizens as well.
Additionally, the program will provide training and education opportunities for participants who wish to fill critical shortages in jobs such as nursing, medicine, farming, or teaching.
After 5 years in this program, or after a certain number of housing units have been built, individuals and their families will receive the final step toward becoming an American, citizenship
All jobs in this program will be union jobs, to ensure fairness, safety, and democracy. Union meetings shall also provide language classes and civics/history lessons to members.
A care team shall also be in place in the union, made up of individuals such as social workers and therapists to help mediate conflicts both on the job and in the new housing arrangements. They can also be a resource for learning the ins and outs of American society and customs
All new buildings are to be constructed with the highest environmental and health standards to reduce the climate impact as much as possible
Preventing the need for immigration in the first place through increased humanitarian funding for regions suffering from instability such as Haiti and Central America (see foreign policy section as well)
All current migrants who have lived in the U.S. for 5 years prior to the passage of the bill will be eligible for citizenship
Commitment to helping all U.S. allies left behind in Afghanistan following the withdrawal
Working with European nations to relocate refugees crossing the Mediterranean

There was a time in America where these types of national programs were commonplace, where we worked deliberately to solve issues in our society rather than shrugging our shoulders and choosing the easy, punitive approach where the problem remains perpetually unsolved. We can return to the bold, exciting way of doing things, we just need the political imagination and will to make it a reality.

This is certainly not intended to be a final bill, but a framework that moves the conversation forward and finally offers a permanent solution that is in line with our national history and values. One unsolved obstacle I have is the incentive structure that should be used to insure the orderly transition into this program, again the main concern being that we have the infrastructure (housing, schools, etc) to provide for everyone. I would like to avoid using a harsh system such as deportation, so there will certainly be room for everyone to weigh in.

What will this do: