Now who doesn't love a good political cartoon?! For me they are a great introduction to a political ideal where I can see a cause, effect and political argument all in a colorful square. With this cartoon (shown above) there is a lot that needs to be discussed. In the following research discussion I will have with myself I am going to identify surface causes of a painstaking immigration process, the effects, and then I will dive into the real reason why "immigration reform" is such a problem in America.
It is clear to see that this family is looking to be considered citizens of the United States of America and they are looking for a helping hand from the federal government because the only way to become a citizen is to have it be "ok'd" by the feds. To obtain citizenship, an immigrant needs to first obtain a green card and then wait either 3 or 5 years before applying for citizenship, said Madeleine Sumption of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. The length of the "pathway to citizenship" is the sum of the waiting time for whatever type of green card the person is eligible for, plus 3 to 5 years.
The current immigration process is first-come, first-served and limits the total number of people admitted each year on family or employment visas granting permanent residency. There are also per-country quotas in place that limit the yearly amount of immigrants accepted from certain countries such as Mexico, China and India. This red tape has resulted in a waiting list of roughly 4.4 million people tying to become US citizens. 1.3 million of these applicants on the waiting list are from Mexico and with a waiting list that long a lot of Mexican natives resort to illegal immigration in an attempt to better support their families. An easier way for Mexican immigrants to be granted access inside US borders is by applying for an employment-related visa as a low-skilled worker. The US only hands out 140,000 of these a year and that number pales in comparison to the number of Mexicans trying to work here in the states.
So what do we do with illegal immigrants?
First off, let's define what it means to be an illegal alien. According to Title 8 of the United States Code, "Improper entry of alien", provides for a fine, imprisonment, or both for any noncitizen who:
- enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration agents, or
- eludes examination or inspection by immigration agents, or
- attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact
With these rules in place there is no wiggle room for any immigrant trying to enter the US. Contrary to common belief an immigrant is not just "kicked out" when they are guilty of crossing the border illegally. First, they (both men, women and children) are detained for a minimum of 6 months for the first offense...... in detention centers (or prisons)....... that are........ PRIVATELY OWNED! Ok, now we know that private prison corporations have a stake in immigration reform so let's see why this matters.
As I have mentioned multiple times in this blog, private prisons heavily profit off of people behind bars in their facilities. In 2009, of the 32,606 illegal immigrants that were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 15,942 (49%) were held in privately-owned detention centers. While public opinion across the nation has shifted towards wanting to legally integrate migrants into the communities where they live and work, private prison companies such as the CCA thrive off of laws that criminalize immigrants and provide mandatory detention statutes. The most supported act by privately run prisons is called Operation Streamline. Beginning in 2005 under the Bush Administration, this imprisons men, women and children for immigration violations, sometimes up to 10 months or more, and it channels more than $1 billion a year in federal funds to private-run detention centers.
Obama in his time in office has harped on immigration reform as something high on his agenda. In June 2009 he was quoted as saying "America has nothing to fear from today’s immigrants." Obama has called on a group of 8 senators, called the Gang of 8, to work on legislation that makes it easier for illegal immigrants who are already in the US and immigrants wanting to cross the border to become US citizens. Except for the DREAM Act which allows for children raised illegally in the US to get an education not much has been reformed in any capacity. BUT WHY?
As I discussed in class, CCA and other private prison firms throws money at lawmakers to make sure tough criminal laws are in place to keep a solid flow of inmates coming into their prisons. This means that any attempt to reform Operation Streamline is a threat to their economic livelihood. Out of the 8 senators working on Immigration Reform, only Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and John McCain have not received money from lobbying firms employed by private prisons corporations. These senators are conservatives that support the idea of privatization so the CCA doesn't haven't to worry about their votes. Of the other 5, here is the breakdown of the money they have received from private prison companies. Mehlman Vogel, Akin Gump, FMR, etc. are all lobbying agencies contracted by private prison companies to allocate money to these lawmakers in an attempt to sway their opinions (Big thanks to Open Secrets for these numbers)
-Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): In 2012, Schumer received at least $64,000 from lobbyists Akin Gump et al, and $2,500 from Mehlman Vogel. He also received $34,500 from FMR (Fidelity), which owns 5.09 percent of CCA and 8.67 percent of GEO.*
-Marco Rubio (R-Fla.): Received $29,300 from the GEO Group. Wells Fargo (also heavily invested in private prisons) gave Rubio $16,150.
-Bob Menendez (D-N.J): Received more than $39,000 in documented money from private prison lobbyists, with $34,916 coming from Akin Gump, $6,300 from Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc. and $1,000 from McBee Strategic Consulting.
-Michael Bennet (D-Colo.): Received at least $30,794 from Akin Gump.
-Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.): Received money from: Akin, Gump et al ($19,600); and contributions from Mehlman Vogel associates totaling $2,500.
As you can see, private prisons will stop at nothing to ensure tough criminal policy when it comes to immigration. An easier path to citizenship for immigrants already residing here illegally is the last thing the CCA wants so lets focus back on the political cartoon. This undocumented family cannot reach their goal of becoming citizens because the path has figuratively ended. The divide between this family and immigration reform is private prisons looking out for their interests when it comes to detaining people who want to live here legally but have no way of doing that with the current system. As long as private prisons profit off of people behind bars, whether they are legal or illegal citizens, US immigration policy will continue to penalize innocent Mexican immigrants and with the deep pockets that a private corporation like the CCA has..... you can throw reform out the window.
http://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/privateprisons
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-carlsen/immigration-reform-privation-prisons-lobby_b_2665199.html