Editor-In-Chief
HARLINGEN, Texas - When I wrote for The Boston Globe in the late 1980s, Republican Ronald Reagan's Amnesty Law was being unfurled in an effort to assimilate millions of undocumented immigrants into the national citizen and tax rolls. One story to do with the topic took me to the old mill town of Lawrence, Massachusetts, where a sizable population of Puerto Ricans had come to settle.
The so-called Sanctuary Bill being entertained in the Republican-led Texas Legislature seeks to enlist the help of local law enforcement - police and sheriff's department - in an effort to find and arrest anyone in the the country illegally. It is meeting some opposition from Democrats and law enforcement. The Democrats say immigration is a charge of the federal government, while some in law enforcement say the new law would create adminsitrative and jail nightmares for cash-strapped localities.
Of course, there was a time in this country when such shelter from the law was commonplace, only back then it was people helping the Irish, the Italians, the Poles and every other wave of immigrants that arrived at our shores. Churches led the effort to assist, as did some within the ethnic groups.
According to Wikipedia, cities in the United States began designating themselves as sanctuary cities during the 1980s, ahead of the amnesty law of 1987. Notes the online encyclopedia: The policy was first initiated in 1979 in Los Angeles, to prevent police from inquiring about the immigration status of arrestees. The internal policy, "Special Order 40," states: "Officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person. Officers shall not arrest nor book persons for violation of title 8, section 1325 of the United States Immigration code (Illegal Entry). " Some of the 31 American sanctuary cities are Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Ana, San Diego, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Detroit, Jersey City, Minneapolois, Miami, Denver, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, New Haven, Somerville, Cambridge and Portland, Maine.
Helping anyone enter the country is illegal. That is known and established.
But immigrants keep coming. Not everyone who came back when the country was unfolding itself arrived via Ellis Island, as American History books like to teach. That is a myth. Many in the earlier ethnic groups merely took a boat or an airplane in the ensuing years, overstayed temporary visas and left it at that. It still happens. In a free society, it is possible to hide for years, especially if you do not break any laws.
It doesn't make it right; it's just part of the country's history.
Immigration is - and always has been - a touchy, hot-button topic. Yet, most of the noise you hear goes to the political bent of things. The Republicans currently own the anti-immigrant line; Democrats continue to posture themselves as protectors. What else is new?
People from poorer, oppressive countries will keep coming, for jobs, for peace and for freedom. And the world economy being what it is tells us that won't change anytime soon. Today, around here, it is the Hispanic immigrant in the crosshairs of some short-sighted Americans. Once, it was the Irish and the Italians and the Poles and Germans and the Asians and the others.
No law will stop immigration.
Well, unless these insular Republicans somehow pass one that calls for shooting every brown-skinned person they see walking across our harsh southwestern geography on their way to meat packing plants and restaurants and construction sites and custodial jobs up north...
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18 comments:
exellent, execelleny story. again, the Trib does it. Thanks.
It use to be that college students and high School students, worked in Hotels and Restaurants. I did it when I was in College in San Antonio.
Now high School students and College students can't get Summer jobs anymore.
Illegal immigrants have taken over those jobs.
1. They work cheap.
In the Valley, they have illegals selling insurance, sensitive information. And legal Americans don't even know that.
I am for legal immigration 100%. I am against people who cross the border and then want to change the laws in America.
Mexico is a rich country, they have oil, gold, copper and silver mines, tourism. People shouldn't have to leave their country.
My question is why do we have to support people from other countries when we can't even support our own.
The whole valley is a sanctuary city here. It's historical. Who cares?
Veterans getting another freeby? Wow! they get a lot already. lottery money? Nooooooo
How come American people and specially here in the Rio Grande Valley , They are so afraid to speak - up AGAINST their very own Government. !!!
Jerry Deal prostitutes himself. Once again deal contorts the facts and takes the White Wings side over the City of Harlingen and purports it to be news. Fact of the matter is, Deal is being paid to tout the White Wings. Do not expect objective and truthful articles about the White Wings to come out of Deal’s corner.
One more thing, John wayne never served in the military. he made freakin' war movies.
Hinojosa knows who butters his bread. Good political move on his part. let's see if it works.
Sanctuary may become law or whatever, bt it won't chage things in Texas. those guys are just acting as if hey own the damned state. people don't live that way.
Perry is an idiot. used to be a democrat and then he went dumb. Puro pendejo.
Add BROWNSVILLE to the list!!!!!!!!!
We like to think of america as a good country as the best in the world, but it's just another racist outfit.
ALL:...America is a good country when push comes to shove. It is, however, the very freedoms it grants that also breeds hatred and discord. For every good-fearing Christian we count as citizens there are almost as many who would wish to destroy it from within. And I speak of domestic terrorists, not the foreigners. It is a peculiarly American thing the country that grew out of revolution and civil war has never been able to shake... - Editor
We as a country are in a serious mess; Brankrupcy, Violent, Communist/ Socialists Welfare Oppresive " Programs ", High- Unemployment, Low - Paying / minimum wage discarded jobs, Liberal bias news to Brainwash all the Ignorant. etc.!!!
I can't believe, the city of Harlingen, (pinche city) is allowing a minor league team to use the baseball field owing the city money.
Hey, I hear they are on the whole over a quarter of a million dollars. That is why management is so upset.
I hope, the commission, in particular Jerry Prepejchal and Robert Leftwich open their eyes. The team is no more than a team full of rejects, following a pipe dream that is not going to happen. And the carnival barker himself Jerry Deal is promoting those losers.
Juan Hinojosa is against any kind of law enforcement, because in Driscoll Texas. He was profiled and stop by some keystone cop.
If you are Hispanic, drive a black vehicle with shinnie mags and profile tires, with tinted glasses, or drive a sport car.
The DPS or the wannabe cops in Reveira or Driscoll Tx. will iniate a traffic stop.
Make up some crazy story and then ask if they can search your car. Someone needs to file a lawsuit against these pricks.
Official opression, sounds good to me.
Mildred P. Baena, Arnold's movida looks like a girlie bar dancer. She has some pretty large big unns, if you know what I mean.
Arnold you little nasty boy.
Nice try Gabe, you were actually watching out for the citizens of Harlingen by trying to keep the White Wings out? Our so-called city commissioners obviously don't think that the White Wings owing over $50K (and what I hear more than that) voted to let them play? I will play that fiddle again! We give over $50 Million dollars to Bass Pro and three quarters of a million dollars to Wagner for a private venture and financial gain, its okay to throw away $50K just so they can look good at the games!
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