Speakers at an immigration rights panel last night focused on the human aspect of the illegal immigration issue, encouraging students to support the immigrant community and pro-legalization legislation.
The panel outlined the difficulties of living as an undocumented alien and suggested ways to help address and solve the controversial issue.
According to University Law Lecturer Doug Ford, an immigration attorney with the Legal Aid Justice Center branch in Charlottesville, there are 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and their numbers are growing by more than half a million each year. Ford cited the nation's relatively vibrant economy and prospects of employment as the overwhelming reason for the influx of immigrants into the country.
"They are in pursuit of the iconic American dream," Ford said. "This society has a need for labor, and that's why people are coming."
Drawing from her personal experience as minister of social justice and Hispanics at the Church of Incarnation Roman Catholic Church in Charlottesville and leader of the city's Immigrant Solidarity Group, panelist Rhonda Miska described the difficulties undocumented immigrants face living in America. She explained the mindset of fear most immigrants live in, which keeps them from going to the police and accessing services they need, thus stifling the voices of victims of crimes such as domestic violence.
"By making it harder for them to go to the police," Miska said, "it's actually less safe for the rest of us because there is more violence in the community."
In addition to the legal and social issues they face, such as the inability to obtain a driver's license, Miska noted that they often work several underpaid, labor-intensive jobs at once, while living separated from their families.
The panel emphasized the difficulty of obtaining documentation.
"It's not a matter of getting in line," Miska said. "There is no line."
According to Ford, the legal routes are through family connections, employment and refugee status, and very few illegal immigrants are ultimately able to gain legal status. Of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, only about 670,000 were naturalized in 2006, according to statistics from the Pew Hispanic Center.
To help make legalization an available option for undocumented immigrants, the panel suggested legislation as the primary way to bring about change. They encouraged lobbying and contacting congressmen, senators and state legislators to express support for pro-legalization legislation. They also emphasized the importance of staying informed and supporting the local immigrant community, namely through participating in organizations such as the Immigrant Solidarity Network, the Virginia Immigrant People's Coalition and the International Rescue Committee.
"The reality is that they're here, and it's not feasible to make them disappear overnight," Miska said. "Addressing this in a reasonable, comprehensive way benefits all of us."
Reese Epstein, College Republicans' co-director of communications, disagreed with Miska's sentiment, telling The Cavalier Daily he believes providing aid to undocumented aliens who currently reside in the country will only encourage more illegal immigration to occur.
"It's simply matter of principle that we should not ask taxpayers and law-abiding citizens to aid those who are coming here illegally," Epstein said.
Ford advocated addressing illegal immigration from an economic viewpoint, specifically through creating economic incentives for immigrants to stay in their home country. He suggested foreign aid to boost the economies of Hispanic countries, especially in Central America, as well as to support guest-worker programs.
The panel, held as part of Latino Awareness Week, was hosted by the University's La Alianza Coalition of Hispanic/Latino Leaders.
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