The Politics of Immigration (2nd Edition) - David Wilson

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society.”

      This is not an easy task. The problems with our immigration system grow out of the history and legacy of slavery and colonialism, and are closely linked to the systems of labor exploitation and imprisonment that remain in effect today.

      Following the gains of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, overtly racist rhetoric grew less acceptable within our legal framework, so policymakers claimed to be “colorblind” as they developed new systems to maintain the old racist structures. Politicians and the media shifted from openly slurring specific ethnicities and nationalities to branding groups of people as “criminals,” “welfare queens,” “gangsters,” “illegals,” “invaders,” and “terrorists.” These and many other labels are used to keep people “in their places” as racial others: behind walls, in cages, and stripped of power on the job in fields, forests, homes, and restaurants.

      This book challenges such labels. We start with a demographic overview in chapter 1: what does the data say about who comes to the United States, from where, and how many? In chapter 2, we explore why people come here: what are the circumstances that impel them to leave their countries? Chapter 3 takes a look at how our country has treated refugees, now and in the past. Chapters 4 and 5 address questions about “illegality”: what does it mean, why do so many people end up without legal status, and what challenges do they face? We then discuss the impact of immigration on the economy (chapter 6), and on health, environment, and culture (chapter 7). Chapter 8 challenges the myths that paint immigrants as criminals or terrorists. In chapter 9 we consider various approaches to immigration enforcement, both at the border and in the country’s interior: how do these systems work, what do they accomplish, and at what cost? Because harsher enforcement often comes packaged with “softer” measures like amnesty and guest worker programs, we move in chapter 10 to the impact of such programs. In chapter 11, we return to enforcement, focusing on detention and deportation practices. We finish the book by considering the meanings of “open borders” and imagining what a more open immigration policy might look like in practice.

      We hope this book contributes to deep, critical dialogues about the ways in which racism, exclusion, and exploitation are embedded within the politics of immigration in the United States. We believe such dialogue can help to strengthen movements that resist oppression, build solidarity, and develop strategies toward a more just political system.

      Authors’ Notes

       What’s new in the second edition?

      THIS SECOND EDITION IS MORE than a simple update of the 2007 version. Many illuminating articles, books, reports, and academic papers on the topic of immigration have appeared over the past ten years, and these have enabled us to expand and improve the content. We’ve also revised, edited, and reorganized the text in an effort to make it clearer; in doing this we’ve benefited greatly from our experience facilitating dialogues on immigration, and from suggestions, critiques, and other feedback from many people.

      Several chapters, notably chapter 3 (on refugees) and chapter 11 (on detention and deportation), have been substantially expanded and almost completely rewritten. Entirely new sections have been added to chapter 2 (“Why are children coming here from Central America?”); chapter 9 (about “Operation Streamline” and the post-2008 slowdown in unauthorized immigration); and chapter 10 (about “Deferred Action”).

      We have added brief introductions to the start of each chapter, summarizing the main points that follow. There is a greater emphasis on how the social construction of race has shaped immigration policy. The immigration law chronology that was left out of the first edition (but was posted on the website for the book) has been included here, and expanded.

      The entire book is more rigorously researched and cited. Sources are provided for virtually every piece of information in the book. There are more than twice as many endnotes in this edition as there were in the original book, and a number of the endnotes include additional details or data as well as sources.

       Where did these questions come from?

      People who complain about immigrants often rely on arguments that are mostly based on myths. These myths are powerful because they tap into fears about jobs, wages, and changing communities. Well-funded anti-immigrant organizations and politicians try to exploit such fears to gain political advantage.

      Even if we reject the anti-immigrant myths, we sometimes lack the tools we need to respond effectively when they emerge from the mouths of co-workers, family members, neighbors, or friends.

      The idea of this book is to address people’s fears with facts and honest arguments, to encourage everyone to take a deeper and broader look at immigration and its root causes, and to suggest some possible courses of action. We hope this book will reach people with genuine concerns about immigration, and be a useful source for immigrants and their supporters seeking to foster public dialogue around the issue.

       Who are we talking to?

      We hope this book is read by all kinds of people: immigrants and U.S.-born citizens, people with and without legal immigration status. We have alternated between referring to these different groups of readers as “you,” “we,” or “they” at various times over the course of the book. This is not meant to offend or exclude anyone, or to distance ourselves from anyone, but rather to acknowledge the diversity of our readers and encourage them to occasionally step into someone else’s shoes and see things from a different perspective.

       Disclaimer

      This book is not designed to explain to immigrants how they can legalize their status in the United States. That would require a whole book about immigration law, and it would undoubtedly be out of date before it reached the publisher. As readers will likely notice, at the date of publication there are very few avenues open to people trying to legalize their status. Anyone who wants to know if they qualify should consult a reliable lawyer or legal service agency for advice. Try to get referrals from trusted friends or community-based organizations; there are unfortunately a lot of people out there who will be happy to charge a fee and promise to get you legal documents. If you’re not careful, you may lose your money and end up in deportation proceedings.

       Terminology

      We use several terms in this book to describe people who are living in the United States without permission from the federal government. “Out of status” is the most accurate term and reflects the transitory nature of immigration status, but it is sometimes awkward, especially when used repeatedly. “Unauthorized” is less clumsy but still accurate and neutral, and is often used by researchers and policy analysts. “Undocumented” is more popularly used in the United States by those who reject the term “illegal.” “Without papers” is especially common in Europe. (Occasionally we use “illegal,” in quotes, just to make sure everyone understands that what so many people call “illegal” is what we are referring to as out of status or undocumented.)

      As of April 1, 1997, to conform with

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