THE IMPORTANCE OF
PAPERS
Imagine being so desperate for a way to feed and clothe your
loved ones that you will chance giving your last money to an untrustworthy
coyote to take you across the border from your native land to a hostile place
where you do not speak the language and are in constant fear of being arrested,
imprisoned, and/or deported--a place where you feel homesick and lonely and are
doing work so hard that most Americans do not want it. But first, you must cross a hellishly-hot,
arid stretch of chaparral where you know many before you have succumbed.
The 9/11 terror attacks ushered in much stricter immigration
policies, and a growing number of states adopted laws aimed at making life
harder for immigrants. Since its
inception, this nation has been continually infused with the energy of
newcomers. Yet this assimilation has
never been smooth.
Cincinnati, Ohio has a very good reputation for helping
children with developmental delays, because of the presence of their well-known
Children's Hospital and an excellent county early intervention program and
therefore draws families of children with developmental challenges from all
over the world. One such family
suffered many hardships to bring their tiny daughter with special needs
to the US in the hopes of getting her the treatment and therapies she
needed. She did get wonderful help
through the early-intervention program, but her mother was totally isolated due
to the language barrier and fear, and she never knew whether her husband would
return from his construction job each evening.
Possibly, she would not hear from him again if he were badly injured or
arrested and deported, because he did not have papers.
Often, people escaping dangerous and/or chaotic political
situations have sought safety in our country.
The story of Sumera, who is a naturalized US citizen and her husband of
ten years, Abbas, who is a citizen of Pakistan, exemplifies the fear and
heartache of separation that may result from our deportation policies. Abbas has been in the US since 1991 and has
worked hard, has filed and paid joint taxes, and has no criminal record. He has devotedly supported and cared for
Sumera, who has severe medical problems.
Because of a deportation order, Abbas has had to report to the ICE office
every three months. On his last visit,
he was told to report back on March 13, 2013 with his travel ticket. If Sumera chooses to stay in the US, she will
be forced to live on welfare. She and
her husband perceive Pakistan as a very dangerous place, especially for those
who are not politically connected and are seen as "rich
Americans." Kidnappings of such
people are commonplace. Sumera and Abba
only wish to live out their lives in peace.
But he does not have papers.
In Arizona, many young people who were brought here by their
parents and have never known their country of origin are now loyal,
hard-working Americans aspiring to citizenship but are often unable to take
advantage of the administration's deferred deportation plan because of the
cost($465.00), political uncertainty, or mean-spirited attempts to thwart them,
e.g., depriving them of drivers' licenses or in-state tuition rates.
Do we squelch these young people's enthusiasm at the
outset? Will they become discouraged and
unable to contribute to society in constructive ways? Will they become disaffected and live lives
of poverty and degradation because of being barred from the American dream we
enjoy through no merit of our own, because we simply had the good fortune to be
born here? Do we turn our backs on them
and miss the opportunity to embrace a wonderful source of energy and diversity?
Lisa was brought to the US when she was one month old and
has lived here ever since. But her
parents never "fixed her documentation," so as she grew up, she
realized she was not the same as everyone else.
Her whole life, she has wanted to be a legal citizen. 2011 was
an awful year for her. Her father
was pulled over by an ICE agent, arrested, imprisoned, and ultimately
deported. She has not seen him since and
knows nothing about Mexico. Now that she
is almost finished with high school, she has been looking at colleges, but many
will not consider her because of her status.
She wants to be a doctor for the US armed forces but feels it is going
to be a very hard road for her. If only
she had papers.
As United Methodist followers of Christ, we regard these
tragedies of separated families and young people suspended in limbo, all due to
lack of papers, with consternation and compassion and look to find constructive
paths and leaders to heal all of us touched by this intolerable situation.
