A Thought About Immigration

Deportation has come to my city

Unlike many of my friends, I am not an anti-immigration hawk. I believe that on the whole our nation greatly benefits from immigration.

My father’s side of the family came from England to this country in 1890, and till this day not very many of us have gotten very far from the land on which they settled. My mother’s side came from Germany following the First World War. I would argue that we have made important contributions to our communities ever since.

Photo by Laurenz Heymann on Unsplash

But, I would also argue that immigration needs to be orderly, lawful, and that we need to reject those seeking to come here who are not good people with good intentions.

As someone who travels out of the country from time to time, these past few years I was struck with the contrast of standing in seemingly never ending lines at SeaTac Airport in order to re-enter my own country, when those without a legal right to be in the United States simply wandered across our borders unchallenged.

The border has always been porous, but to allow military aged men, from nations that hate us to enter the country without adequate process is absurd. Frankly, it is suicidal. Maybe it will come to an end now.

Yesterday, ICE came to my little City.¹ They detained a man, and apparently are in the process of sending him back to his country of origin.

And that is a very good thing.

Because he is a criminal. Apparently a violent criminal.

A homeless man who came to this country unlawfully, and who in his time here built up “a lengthy and diverse arrest record to include assaults”. Good riddance.

Why he wasn’t removed from this country after his first arrest is I think the fundamental question, and indeed points to why so many people are anti-immigration hawks today. Honestly, I understand why they feel as they do.

I believe that the United States greatly benefits from immigration. Indeed that we need immigrants to thrive.

But it isn’t an either/or issue.

We shouldn’t just open up our borders and let in everyone who wants to wander on in.

Just as we shouldn’t close our borders and keep everyone who wants to come here out.

The rational choice is to vet those who want to immigrate here. Accepting those who will make positive contributions to our society and strengthen our nation. Rejecting those who will not.

I’m glad that ICE came to my little City yesterday. Their visit improved the quality of life for everyone here by removing a violent man from our midst.

1. https://chronline.com/stories/federal-ice-agents-make-arrest-in-centralia,374546