Immigration as a Political Tool
There are many paramount issues that dictate today’s elections: abortion, healthcare, the environment, education, criminal justice -- the list goes on. Recently, immigration has escalated to one of these major issues. As the immigrant population continues to grow, presidents have begun incorporating immigration legislation as part of their campaigns. Nearly every presidential administration in recent history has attempted to introduce “reforms”, whether legitimate or not, to the immigration system. However, with reforms, often comes equally harmful legislation; for every step forward, there are two steps backward.
Ronald Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 granted amnesty to nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants. However, it was conditional, and the process was slow and tedious. In the same legislation, it was deemed illegal for businesses to hire undocumented immigrants, and funding for border patrol, among other vigorous anti-immigration measures, became representative of American hospitality to foreigners. Four years later, George H.W. Bush’s immigration reform bill, the Immigration Act of 1990 would raise the U.S.’s annual cap on immigration, remove barriers for citizenship, and increase the number of visas that could be distributed. However, these provisions would be largely nullified by Bill Clinton’s immigration bill called IIRIRA in 1996, which “eroded the rule of law by eliminating due process from the overwhelming majority of removal cases”. Additionally, it increased funding for anti-immigration agencies, increased penalties, and allowed for discrimination against both documented and undocumented immigrants.
As this bill loomed over all immigrants throughout the early 2000s, Clinton’s successors would do them little favors. In 2010, the DREAM Act was passed under the guidance of the Obama administration. This bill would give certain undocumented immigrants a temporary legal residence within the U.S., with an opportunity to work and gain permanent legal residence. However, the Obama administration operated in a Machiavellian sense, quietly deporting over 3 million immigrants, setting records in the process. The Trump administration fared no better, as their extremist policies such as the “Zero-Tolerance” policy resulted in legal immigration levels being reduced by 51%, and families being ruthlessly separated.
The path for immigration reform is not linear, and both sides of the aisle have traded blows over the years. However, one thing held in common by progressive and conservative politicians is the use of immigration as a tool to garner necessary votes for political office - then proceeding to either abandon their promises or actively worsen the situation.
Conservative politicians like Donald Trump and George H.W. Bush ran on a platform of exploiting the 46% of Americans who view immigration as a “critical threat” and encouraging the 51% of Americans who thought immigration levels should be decreased. These politicians used the irrational fear of Americans to make the country a hostile living environment for all immigrants. Although their actions were actively dismantling the lives of immigrants, it did not matter to them, as both of these presidents won their campaigns on this platform. And despite progressive politicians running on a platform opposite to that of their conservative peers, they often fail to make any meaningful reform. As previously mentioned, the Obama Administration did little to help the immigrant community. Additionally, the Biden administration has detained tens of thousands of migrant children in horrific conditions -- even after drawing heavy criticism toward the Trump administration for similar actions.
Lasting and ethical immigration policy is rare. However, despite the many shortcomings, progress has been made through the Biden administration’s freezing of the Trump-Era policy on restricting green cards and placing limitations on the usage of Title 42. We must urge our President to continue this progress, and take the steps needed to reform our immigration system.
