I am simultaneously disheartened and outraged by the ongoing and still growing actions of the Trump administration to target immigrants. What are we as a nation attempting to do? The economic spectrum in this country is wide, Mississippi River wide, Grand Canyon wide. Everyone contained in this human ecosystem plays a role to maintain the whole. But the ability to see each other is blurred, there are not lenses strong enough for those on one end of the class spectrum to see the other. This obfuscation is intentional for those seeking to ruthlessly elevate themselves and to intentionally not see those they prey upon for fear if they do they might find themselves triggered with a moment of empathy or a spec of humanity.
Why is it that those with so much, want those with so little to have even less? In this time of punitive action against immigrants it becomes even more obvious that we refuse to understand the truth about those who must leave their homes. There has been a great effort to create a narrative that anyone who is forced out of their native country or leaves the home they created to come “to the U.S.” is seeking trouble. The need for scapegoating or demonizing populations of immigrants has become so irrational. Even those who do not object to immigrants often still demean them with condescending tone and language indicating they are not equals. The inference is that as long as you work hard and cheaply as possible and I get the services and attention I want and need with a smile you are welcome or more like tolerated, just don’t live too close by.
New immigrants to this country are often coming with few resources. The disadvantages add up. Language barriers, financial insecurity which can turn into food insecurity, no health care and unsafe housing. Why, why must we target such vulnerability? Why do we ignore the problem of excess wealth and its profound negative impact on society? The answer sadly is clear but how fear spreads and generosity dies is not.
A May 30 New York Times article is entitled “Trump Squeezes Immigrants By Cutting Them off From Jobs, Healthcare and Housing.” A title that says it all. It stated that an El Salvadorian immigrant woman who was working legally under “Temporary Protected Status” cleaning airplanes for $19.25 lost her job last summer because her supervisor said effective immediately she no longer had security clearance citing safety concerns. She was 65 and worked hard at her job for years. This punitive act is brought to you by none other than the Trump administration and more specifically Steven Miller, a man dedicated to harming immigrants. This tactic, being expanded upon, uses bureaucratic responses to fulfill harmful intentions against immigrant workers. The fact that he can get so much support for these actions demonstrates the devaluing of so many and an apathy to cruelty.
The soullessness of this administration and its need to degrade the lives of defenseless people on top of dismantling our democracy creates the fear that we are moving into a dystopia. These are just words but history reveals the facts that dastardly actions of the inhumane actually have forever consequences. So now more families struggling to make ends meet are getting stripped from jobs and will be left with nothing. The stress of this would be unimaginable. We need to create awareness to educate and illuminate the truth and consequences of these deliberate and horrible actions. We need to activate people’s empathy and humanity before it permanently dissolves. If you’re a fortunate family, living in peace not fear, remember it’s all any family wants.
Michael Marvin lives in Northampton.