| These people's only crime is that they are willing to work long hours in nasty conditions in order to provide for their families. They pay taxes; they are quiet and respectful; they form a vital part of the economy; they take wretched jobs that no one else wants. Many of these same people suffered horribly during Guatemala's long civil war. Now the world economy is such that they have no choice but to risk their lives to come here, without authorization only because it is impossible for them to get it. According to the New York Times, "The American Immigration Lawyers Association protested that the workers had been denied meetings with immigration lawyers and that their claims under immigration law had been swept aside in unusual and speedy plea agreements."
These are good, hard-working people committed to peace and family. They are not criminals. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, just as every human being does. I am so outraged at the shameful way these good people have been treated. I am heartbroken for them and their families, for their children who have been traumatized by this experience and who now have no one to provide for them.
According to the New York Times, Claude Arnold, a special agent in charge of investigations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said that the raid and the swift judgment against the workers showed that federal officials are "committed to enforcing the nation's immigration laws in the workplace to maintain the integrity of the immigration system." But our immigration system is broken, and enforcing broken immigration laws can only lead to a travesty of justice. Are we going to arrest and imprison all 12 million of them?
I am asking you to act in two ways: (1) Please investigate the unusually swift criminal proceedings leveled against the 297 workers imprisoned in Iowa and the methods used for executing the raid. Please do whatever you can to procure justice and compassion for the workers and their families. (2) Please do everything in your power to provide our country with fair immigration reform.
Our country has a long, inglorious history of abusing each new wave of immigrants. I long to see the day when we learn that we need them as much as they need us, that they will only enrich our culture and our economy, that we are all descended from immigrants and that the plight of the immigrant affects us all. Perhaps it is not popular to defend the rights of those who have come here without authorization, but it's so important that we not allow ourselves to be bullied into perpetuating human rights abuses because some of us are bigoted and resistant to change. Please use the power you have been given on our behalf to work for justice for these workers and their families, for all workers who are immigrants to the United States.
I am so proud of you for being a persistent and articulate force for justice in our nation. I'm counting on you to be courageous and strong again, on behalf of those who have no power and no voice in this fearsome situation they are in. I'm placing my hope and confidence in you, Senator Feingold. Please don't let me down.
Sincerely yours, |
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