President Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportation. Many supported it and still do, but there are others coming to grips of what it really entails as deportation footage are cycling through social media and news reports.
What we’re seeing are children crying before the camera because one or both parents have been arrested and deported. “Where will I go? How will I eat?” some of them no older than 10 years-old ask, confused and traumatized. Their lives uprooted in a day.
We see a young man 17 years-old whose mother illegally came to the country and brought him to the U.S. at the age of four. His three brothers were born in the U.S. He was recently deported and separated from his family. His life and by no fault of his own entering illegally at four, is forever changed in a day.
We see a restaurant owner who came into the country illegally 20 years ago with nothing. He worked hard to build a business, paid taxes, hired employees, and contributed to the economic flow of his community. He has been detained and about to get deported.
We see farms, dairies, meatpacking plants have many of their employees not showing up for work because they’re afraid of being deported. Some of these business owners say they have spoiled food not harvested and might be forced to close because they don’t have American workers who are willing to do that kind of high-intensive and low-paying work. Eventually should many of these businesses close, it could raise the price of groceries that Americans are already reeling over, experts say.
Mass deportation vs case-by-case review for possible deportation
The slogan mass deportation sounds like something many voters are on board with, that there should be punitive measures to deport illegal entrants. But the problem is — and many are starting to realize after seeing mass deportations happen – illegal immigrants should not be brush stroked categorically as one monolithic group.
Certainly, there are illegal aliens with criminal records and pose a danger to communities who should be deported. This group is a small minority. Then there are others undocumented who are fine contributors to society and provide invaluable work like those working at various stages of our food-supply chain who should be offered either a pathway to citizenship or given working visas or both.
To treat this massive group of 11 million people as a one-size fit all and to administer one legal recourse to deport – this is not only harmful to them and their families, but a disservice to Americans who rely on their contributions for the betterment of society.
Mass deportation, while it sounds just, is not a solution to our immigration problem that admittedly needs fixing. There must be a better review process, one that leans on the side of a case-by-case review of the undocumented to determine who should and shouldn’t be deported. No criminal record besides illegal entry, number of years living in the U.S., positive contributions to society, impact of children under 18-years old – these are just a few considerations that should be weighed to determine an outcome besides immediate deportation.
And it’s just logistically impossible to implement a process closer to a case-by-case review with mass deportation when millions are being targeted in a very short period.
Strong support for pathway to citizenship
In an extensive survey fielded between Sept. 23-Oct 1, 2024 with 4,640 adults by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, including approximately 600 in each state of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and 1,216 nationally — majorities in every swing state prefer the path to citizenship over mass deportation (65%-55%).
Humane and religious considerations
While there should be separation of Church and State, there are a few issues in public policy where religious considerations cannot be removed from public policy debates. Abortion and wars are known issues. Migration is another. The religious aspect is a consideration in this debate because many in our Filipino community are Christians.
The bible is full of examples of migration from both the Old Testament (Abraham, Sarah, Moses) and New Testament. In Exodus, the Israelites fled Egypt from persecution. In the Book of Matthew, the Christ child, Joseph and Mary were migrants who fled Bethlehem into Egypt shortly after Jesus’ birth to escape King Herod’s wrath. To spread the gospels, the apostles and early church fathers spanning hundreds of years after Christ’s death migrated throughout the Middle East, Europe and even as far as India (St. Thomas). Welcoming and helping strangers is a biblical principle that reflects compassion, the true ethos of what it means to be a Good Samaritan.
In Leviticus 19:34, it says, “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” In Hebrews 13:2, it says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Jesus identified with migrants in need. In Matthew 25:35, Jesus said “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in.”
The Roman Catholic Church historically and at this moment is supportive of the humane, compassionate and welcoming treatment of migrants.
It’s encouraging that Americans on both sides of the political spectrum are starting to rethink mass deportation as they realize the horrific consequence of it in breaking apart families. We’re better than this, Americans. Let’s stand together and reject mass deportation.
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