During the 2016 Presidential campaigns, immigration was a central issue. On the one hand, those who sought the vote of migrants presented immigration as a strength that continues to drive progress in the US. On the other hand, other candidates such as Donald Trump argued that unchecked immigration posed a serious threat to the country. Trump went as far as labelling immigrants from Mexico as criminals. It is unfortunate that Trump is part of a larger group which regards immigration as a problem and not a strength. As Escobar (2009) and Armenta (2017) observed in their respective texts, the US collectively criminalizes immigration. An examination of the state of immigrants, particularly Latinos, shows that the US has systemic problems that essentially condemn these immigrants to a life of crime and eventual incarceration.
Summaries
As noted above, Escobar (2009) and Armenta (2017) explore how the US has failed its immigrants. Escobar is particularly scathing in her attack on the US. She begins her discussion by presenting data on immigrant criminality and incarceration. According to Escobar (2009), the number of immigrants in American prisons has risen steadily in the last few decades. She particularly identifies Latina women as one of the immigrant populations that have borne the brunt of the tough policies that the US has adopted. Escobar (2009) blames the mass incarceration of Latino immigrants on the border policies that the US enforces. For example, she notes that many immigrants have had encounters with border control agents while crossing into the country without proper documentation. She adds that these immigrants are often subjected to arrests, detention, deportation and imprisonment. In addition to discussing the experiences of Latino immigrants, Escobar also highlights how the US is failing the African American community. She contends that the country has historically adopted laws and pursued policies that deliver adverse outcomes for this community. For example, Escobar (2009) blames the war on drugs and the ruthlessness of the Drug Enforcement Agency for the mass incarceration of African Americans. In summary, Escobar makes it clear that the woes of immigrants and racial minorities in the US have their roots in racist policies and unfair laws.
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Armenta (2017) also addresses immigration and its relationship to crime and incarceration. As is the case with Escobar (2009), Armenta (2017) also draws a direct connection between immigration and structural racism. For instance, according to Armenta (2017), law enforcement agencies racially profile immigrants and subject them to unwarranted searches and traffic stops. Additionally, Armenta (2017) observes that immigrants face harsh treatment for mundane practices for which others are usually forgiven. In her discussion, Armenta (2017) also addresses the issue of colorblindness. She contends that by refusing to acknowledge race, law enforcement agencies compound the racism problem that has ailed the country for decades. Armenta’s text allows readers to recognize that the poor treatment of immigrants is the result of deeply rooted racism and that urgent interventions are required.
Response
The readings by Armenta (2017) and Escobar (2009) have challenged me to recognize the complexities of race relations in the US. Before engaging with the readings, I felt that the criminal justice policies that the US adopted were fair. Additionally, I believed that immigrants and African Americans make up the bulk of the prison population because of high criminal rates. Now, thanks to the two texts, I know that the criminal justice system is skewed against these communities. In particular, the harsh immigration laws combined with the war on drugs make it nearly impossible for minorities to avoid encounters with law enforcement or the criminal justice system. While I found Armenta (2017) and Escobar (2009) to be generally enlightening, there are some specific issues that stood out for me. One of these issues concerns the exploitation of immigrants. Armenta (2017) is particularly detailed in her discussion of this issue. She condemns the US for exploiting Mexican women for labor then treating them unfairly. I agree with Armenta (2017) that the nation’s policies are immoral and unacceptable. It is unfair to welcome the labor that immigrants offer but deport them when we no longer need them. There is no doubt that our country is grappling with a serious structural racism problem.
In closing, the law enforcement and criminal justice practices of the US are rooted in racism. This fact becomes clear when one simply examines how the nation treats immigrants and African Americans. Armenta (2017) and Escobar (2009) reiterate how structural racism has turned the US into a nation that prioritizes incarceration and cruelty over humanity. Whereas I feel that the US needs to relax its policies, I still have concerns over illegal immigration. Is there a humane approach to illegal immigration? I think that the nation needs to have a discussion and reflection on its treatment of immigrants. It should also abandon the racist policies that have led to the incarceration of thousands of African Americans.
References
Armenta. A. (2017). Racializing crimmigration: structural racism, colorblindness, and the institutional production of immigrant criminality. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 3 (1), 82-95.
Escobar, M. (2009). Understanding the roots of Latina migrants’ captivity. Social Justice, 36 (2), 7-20.
