Immigration and the 2018 midterm elections

Two days more to go and the US electorate will go to the polling booths to pick their candidates for local, state, and national positions. On Tuesday, November 6, the Republicans’ majority hold on both chambers of Congress appears to be loosening as there seems to be a looming potential victory for the Democrats especially in the House of Representatives. The possibility of defeat in the House has driven President Trump to campaign feverishly during these days as his agenda could be very well derailed by Nancy Pelosi holding the speaker’s gavel.

Thus, in an effort to fire up his base to vote for Republicans, Trump has trained his sights on the issue of immigration. He has accused the Democrats of being weak on border security and favoring open borders while claiming that his policies on immigration are working.

In what is to be a voter’s daily reminder is the constant news of a caravan of immigrants from South American countries marching through Guatemala and Mexico heading towards the intended goal of seeking asylum in the US. These people walked their way through the long road to the south border of the US as they run away from poverty and violence in their home countries. In response to this impending international humanitarian crisis, Trump has committed 15,000 active duty military personnel to complement the US border patrol agents in ensuring that the caravan does not breach into US soil. He has also threatened to close the southern border which not only affects movement of people but also potential business losses in the billions of dollars. The administration has also threatened to cut aid to countries where these migrants are originally from and has warned Mexico of some economic repercussions if it cannot prevent these people from reaching the US-Mexico border. Raising his rhetoric to the point of stoking fear, he alleges that members of this caravan are mostly criminals, gang members, and even terrorists. The Democrats on the other hand try to downplay this caravan as nothing but poor and destitute asylum seekers whose only intention is to find a better life in the US.

Just a few days ago, Trump also offered a controversial proposal to end “birthright citizenship” through an executive order. His statement has earned mixed reactions from both sides of the aisle ranging from support and downright condemnation. Whether he would push through or not, this idea as divisive as it is, does not seem to be a good one especially when an election so consequential as this Tuesday.

A sad reality but both parties are guilty of using the issue of immigration as a fulcrum to determine the balance of political power in the coming election. Doing this does not only undermines the merits of immigration reform but also dehumanizes the true, actual, daily experiences of the lives of ordinary immigrants.

This column is not a substitute for professional legal advice obtained from a US-licensed immigration attorney. The information contained herein does not constitute a warranty or guarantee or legal advice regarding a reader’s specific immigration case. No attorney-client relationship is and shall be established with any reader.

For any questions, comments and observations, please contact Atty. Marco Tomakin at [email protected]