By Pat Miller

A recent editorial criticized those protesting the Trump administration’s immigration policies, asserting that deportees are not “immigrants,” but rather “contract breakers” (overstayed visas) or “scofflaws” (border jumpers). This narrow perspective contradicts the Merriam-Webster definition of an immigrant as “a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence” and implies that the deportees are thereby unworthy of protesters’ support.

For the record, I have never participated in an ICE protest, nor do I condone violence. I think it’s a good thing that the flow of undocumented people across the border has been abated, but I disagree with how it’s been done. I think it’s both necessary and proper to send people back to their home countries who are serious criminals. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to raid apartment complexes housing scores of families in the middle of the night, drag a teacher out of her daycare classroom in front of the kids or show up at asylum hearings, have the magistrate dismiss the case and deport people who’ve been following the rules for asylum seekers, often for years. 

Of the roughly 100,000 individuals detained by the Trump administration this year, more than 70% had no criminal records, and only around 5% had a history of violence. ProPublica has reported that 170 American citizens have been wrongfully detained by ICE. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) counted 674 such detentions; 70 of whom were deported. It is thus clear that the enforcement efforts do not focus on the “worst of the worst.” Instead, they are arresting and deporting our friends, neighbors, and community members. For the most part, these are people who, save for a piece of official paper, have been hard-working, law-abiding citizens, often for decades. And we’re sweeping them up, along with the ones who SHOULD be deported, and essentially throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

The statements from former Presidents Obama and Clinton were neither “inflammatory, xenophobic,” nor “racist.” These remarks likely reflect the sentiments of many Americans regarding immigration. In contrast, President Trump’s rhetoric often embodies the basest trappings of racism and xenophobia, using derogatory language such as “s***hole countries” and dehumanizing comments about immigrants.

This inflammatory language, coupled with the aggressive tactics and the reality that most detainees are decent, hard-working individuals, fuels much of the outrage among protesters. Very few actually desire what critics term “open borders.” 

Our country needs the labor these immigrants provide. The recent incidents involving ICE have produced negative optics both domestically and internationally. Additionally, the ongoing immigration crackdown is immensely costly. Establishing a worker program that allows individuals to work and live lawfully in the U.S. could be a more economical and humane solution, benefiting both the economy and those seeking a better life. This approach would address labor needs while providing a lawful pathway for immigrant workers.

The protests are happening because we are trying to solve a tough problem using just about the worst possible policy. There are better ways. Let’s find one.