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The New Immigration Reform Bill: "How Will It Impact Undocumented Residents with or without Disabilities"
by Joe Rivas, Denton, TX |
As a Latino Rehabilitation Counselor with a severe disability, I am always interested in learning how new congressional bills might influence the roles of Latinos within the United States and the workforce community. Within the past few months, President George Bush has raised the topic of immigration reform within the borders of Texas, New Mexico, and California. This new demand on immigration control has resulted in the creation of a new reform bill that proposes changes in the way the United States allows immigrants to work and live within this country. Within the current situation, many Latinos come to the United States to find better jobs and housing for themselves and their families. As a whole, the pool of Latino immigrants make up most of the United States' underpaid workforce within the areas of hotel/motel housekeeping, schools/colleges custodial and cafeteria personnel, road maintenance, community/housing development, restaurant cooks, and many other manual labor jobs. These jobs provide financial opportunities for illegal immigrants that wish to support their families within the United States or Mexico. The opportunity to work within the US also allows immigrants to receive better health care for their families than would be attainable in Mexico. The subject of immigration reform has sparked massive protests within Texas and other states. These protests have forced the federal government to reexamine current policies. The new proposed immigration reform bill introduces additional border security, creates a temporary worker program, and holds employers to account for the workers they hire. These new approaches have created fear among many Latinos in Texas and other states because they may cause numerous undocumented workers to be deported back to Mexico. The new bill may also make it unlawful for social service programs to provide community assistance to undocumented citizens. Pastor Marcos Rico, state coordinator of Esperanza de Texas evangelical churches, said that, "Christian ministers affiliated with that group made a similar call to their congregations." Pastor Rico said in the Dallas Morning News, "We believe that an immigration agreement is necessary, as well as a stop to laws that incriminate those of us who help undocumented people." Rico adds, "We want children and youth to attend…" The demonstrations marked the birth of a new civil rights movement for many undocumented citizens. This, I believe, will increase the power of many minority groups because demonstrations and/or boycotts often show how different groups influence the workforce and economy. I also believe that the new immigration reform bill should include a path to citizenship for immigrants that are already in the United States. Many republicans and some democrats believe this is similar to an amnesty clause within the reform bill that would give undocumented citizens a free pass to become US citizens. Some see it as a reward card for those that break the law. In my opinion, the path to citizenship should be a gift for the tremendous amount of effort Latinos undergo to cross the border for better wages and living conditions. I am reminded of my former story about the single mother that is raising two teenagers and the little girl with Spina Bifida. If the mother and two teenagers are deported back to Mexico, who will care for the third child with specific needs? Many politicians do not evaluate circumstances from which immigrants feel the need to leave their country. In the case of the single mother, the need to leave Mexico was sparked by her desire to provide her children with better living conditions. The three girls could receive better education and medical care while living in the United States. It would, in my opinion, be wrong to force the mother and her two children to return back to Mexico, instead of granting the family a path to citizenship and support for unity within the family system. I am in strong support of greater border security in order to prevent drug-dealers and terrorists from entering our country. I understand the need to control the flow of immigration, but there are alternatives to the process. For example, the US federal government could increase the number of immigration staff so that the employees can speed up the process of citizenship. The government could also shorten the length of time that an immigrant must wait to gain citizenship. Local communities could also provide resources for illegal immigrants to help them engage in the path to citizenship. These resources could include: courses in reading, writing, and speaking the English language, finding the funding resources to pay for application fees, preparing needed documents, contacting proper authorities, maintaining updated information, continuing job support, and assisting in family communication with relatives within the US and other countries. These resources could increase immigration citizenship while decreasing deportation and the need to cross the border illegally. I also agree in encouraging immigrants in learning to read, write, and speak the English language. Immigrants that learn English gain access to a wider range of opportunities in the United States. References |
