By: Ally Bolour, Law Offices of Ally Bolour, APC
A commonality in all my social media handles is a description of what I do – the fact that I am an immigration attorney. Recently – I was trolled on Twitter – and accused that I supported the Democratic nominee because I make money within the corrupt immigration system by defending the “illegals.” Of course, the statement is furthest from the truth – but it got me to think.
Our immigration system is in fact corrupt. To this day, the private prison industry makes profits by detaining undocumented non-criminal individuals, including women and children – yes, children! Despite the rhetoric, businesses and individuals are exploiting the undocumented population by hiring them at under market rates. The state and federal governments are robbing the undocumented migrants by collecting taxes and not providing adequate services. Both major parties, but acutely so the Republicans, use the immigration issue to exploit their respective voters for ever- larger power grabs!
Lost in all of this noise are the rightful demands of the American public. We desperately want to trust our elected representatives. Sadly though, we see a collective failure on their part resulting in an immigration system, which is dysfunctional at best and morally corrupt at worst.
Immigration laws are meant to regulate the flow of immigrants into our country in a contemporary and realistic world. They are not meant to be abstract and idealistic. In a 2016 digitized world, its moronic to have a political platform based on physical concrete walls. Equally so, it is immoral to instigate discussions on how to “humanely” deport and separate families!
Our government is applying a set of 1950’s laws, amended over 20 years ago, in providing solutions to sets of globalized immigration issues in 2016. That is insanity!
Regardless of who occupies the White House in 2017 – the following facts are self- evident:
- We have over 12 million human beings in this country who need legalization;
- We cant revert back 2000 years and start making physical walls in 2016;
- We have to recognize that our Central American interventionist policies of the 1980’s directly led to the current refugee crisis on our southern border – we must assume responsibility and take in the refugees without the fanfare;
- We need a set of new and reformed immigration laws to enhance and support both our national sovereignty and security.
Anything short of the above is just rhetoric and not worthy.