Pages
12-13
Applied
Research Center – Spring 2002
“We’ve gone from a place
of promise
and
strength to great vulnerability.”
Since September 11, progress on issues of critical importance to the lives of immigrant children and families has slowed, stopped, or reversed. According to our survey, the top issue for immigrant groups is immigration status, and the greatest barrier to success for immigrant families is access to jobs at livable wages. By the fall of 2001, immigrant rights groups had made tremendous strides toward gaining economic and legal rights for immigrants at state and national levels. Such progress included campaigns to make undocumented immigrants eligible for driver’s licenses so they can open bank accounts, be insured, and pursue better employment, and to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants. Much of this work has been undone.
Cathy Tactaquin, director of the National Network for Immigrant
and Refugee Rights, discussed the setback in amnesty efforts. “In the last four
years, due to improvements in the economy, the growth and maturation of
immigrant communities, greater levels of organization and feelings of
empowerment, and the resurgence of organizing in the labor movement that
emphasized immigrant workers, legalization has been on the table as a credible
political issue. It is now off the table entirely.” While regaining ground on
the issue of amnesty will be an uphill battle, immigrant organizations now must
struggle for the basic civil rights and liberties granted to U.S. citizens.
“It’s distressing to watch the anti-immigrant back-lash,” says Taryn Higashi of
the Ford Foundation. “We’ve gone from a place of promise and strength to great
vulnerability.”
While immigrant-friendly policies have been set back by the
tragedy has also brought new dangers. Both the rise in anti-immigrant violence
and policy changes in reaction to the terrorist attacks have dramatically
affected the lives of immigrant families. One of the policy changes with the
most serious implications for immigrant residents and U.S.-born citizens alike
is the USA PATRIOT Act. As a result of this legislation, the federal
government has:
• Indefinitely detained without charge
over 1,200 people (mostly men of Arab descent),
refused to release their names, and denied them access to their
families or to attorneys;
• Approved the Justice Department’s
eaves-dropping on conversations between lawyers
and detainees when “national security” is at stake;
• Reactivated domestic surveillance
procedures for the FBI and CIA;
• Promised to extend the stay of
noncitizens who “reliably report” on other immigrants.
These measures have made immigrant organizing efforts,
especially around federal policy issues, seem risky and dangerous.
Immigrant rights organizations note that the USA PATRIOT Act is
only one part of a new set of barriers facing immigrants. Tactaquin observes
“These are restrictions and policies that will be with us for decades to come,”
warns Tactaquin, “and they
are going to be very difficult to change.” Tse Haye Teferra,
director of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, agrees. His
organization assists with the resettlement of African refugees, and after
September 11, President Bush reduced the ceiling for refugee admissions by more
than 10%. He states, “no matter what happens, some sector is going to accuse
foreigners and newcomers of being responsible. We’re going to start seeing more
legislation that has a negative impact on immigrant communities.”
The targeting of immigrants, particularly those of Middle
Eastern descent, through federal policy is concomitant with a sharp increase in
hate crimes against residents perceived to be Middle Eastern and/or Muslim. The
Washington, D.C.-based Council on American Islamic Relations reported that by
October 22, there had been a total of 959 documented hate crimes against
Muslims. The fear in immigrant communities has had a deep impact on the capacity
of immigrant organizations, as many immigrants feel compelled to maintain a low
profile. “People are afraid to be involved in their community, especially at
the advocacy level,” says Xuan Nguyen-Sutter, of the Refugee Women’s Network.
“It’s like immigrants and refugees don’t want to be visible anymore. This makes
our work doubly difficult.”
ADVOCATING BENEFICIAL POLICIES FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
Despite the challenges of advocating for immigrants in the
post-September 11 context, many immigrant rights organizations are working
proactively to influence state and national policies including:
• The Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund’s (MALDEF) efforts in Texas
to defend the rights of immigrant families to
receive health care in county hospitals.
MALDEF’s struggle started in the courts,
but represents the broadening of an immigrant
rights campaign to the legislative
level.
• The National Immigration Law Center
initiative
to reinstate public benefits for immigrant
families that were revoked in the 1996
“welfare reform” bill. By developing and
maintaining a strong constituent base and a
broad coalition of organizations, NILC has
been able to keep some momentum, despite
post-September 11 setbacks.
• The Hate Free Zone Campaign, a
coalition in
Washington State that emerged after
September 11. The campaign was able
to pass groundbreaking legislation in
defense of immigrants during the
height of anti-immigrant violence
across the nation.
• The efforts of Desis Rising Up and
Moving (DRUM) to secure human
and civil rights for 1,000-plus post-September
11 detainees held in New
York and New Jersey.
These examples of the policy advocacy role of immigrant rights
organizations demonstrate the importance of this critical component of the
immigrant infrastructure. Immigrant rights organizations tend to be strong in
policy analysis. This strength, particularly when connected to grassroots
constituents, gives the infrastructure the capacity to understand and react to
state and federal policies that affect their communities.
Go to www.arc.org for the full
executive summary.