The Interconnectedness of our Critical Concerns: Through the Lens of Immigration

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Coleen McCarthy
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1 Slide 1 The Interconnectedness of our Critical Concerns: Through the Lens of Immigration Ryan Murphy Social Justice Organizer Institute Justice Team 1

2 Slide 2 The Symbols of Mercy: Critical Concerns Immigration Earth Racism Non Violence Women 2

3 Slide 3 Immigration As of 2013, 11.3 million undocumented immigrants were living in the United States. (Pew Hispanic Center, 2013) About 62 percent of undocumented immigrants lived in the United States for 10 or more years. (Pew Hispanic Center, 2013) There are an estimated 5.5 million children with at least one undocumented parent, 4.5 million of whom are U.S. citizens. (American Psychological Association, 2014) The Obama Administration has deported more than 2 million people, more than any other administration in U.S. history. (New York Times, 2014) From 2008 to 2013, funding for 287(g) has increased by more than 26 million. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2013) In FY 2009, Secure Communities resulted in 14,364 deportations. By FY 2013, the number increased to 79,072 deportations. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2013). 3

4 Slide 4 Wall of History U.S. Immigration 4

5 Slide 5 Immigration Women 5

6 Slide 6 Women In the United States, women comprise of 47 percent of the undocumented immigrant population. (Department of Homeland Security, Jan. 2013) Women now constitute half the international migrant population, and in some countries, as much as 70 or 80 percent. (United Nations, 2010) Six in ten women that migrate to the United States from Mexico or Central America experience sexual violence on their journey. (Amnesty International, Oct. 2013) In the United States, there are 500,000 female migrant farmworkers. Roughly half of them will face sexual abuse in the fields. (Rape in the Fields, Frontline, 2013) Amnesty International movie: The Invisibles 6

7 Slide 7 Earth Immigration Women 7

8 Slide 8 Earth In 2010, environmental change caused an estimated 25 to 50 million people to migrate. (Climate Change, Environment and Migration Alliance, 2009) By the end of the century, hundreds of millions of people will be affected by coastal flooding and displaced due to land loss. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014) For the rest of the century, climate change is projected to reduce crop yields by 2 percent each decade, while food demand will increase by 14 percent each decade. By 2050, climate change will be responsible for percent increase in undernourished children. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014) Due to climate and environmental changes, by 2050, the world will have an additional 200 million migrants. (International Organization for Migration, 2014) 8

9 Slide 9 Earth Racism Immigration Women 9

10 Slide 10 Racism The skewed distribution of wealth in Latin America is a lasting legacy of colonization. The small classes of elites that retain most of the economic and political power, often have a lighter complexion and have direct lineage to the Spanish colonizers. In Arizona, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio operates a migrant hotline. When they receive a tip of illegals, including reports of too many people speaking Spanish, deputies have conducted an immigration raid. (Taking Local Control: Immigration Policy Activism in the U.S. Cities and States, 2010) When speaking about Dreamers, Congressman Steven King (IA 4) told the media, For every one who s a valedictorian, there s another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds, and they ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert (Steven King, 2013) The three largest anti immigration organizations in the United States are the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and Numbers USA. All three were created by John Tanton, a man who has strong ties to the white nationalist movement. (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2009) 10

11 Slide 11 Earth Anti Racism Immigration Women Non Violence 11

12 Slide 12 Non Violence The perpetrators of the 2009 coup d'etat in Honduras were trained by the School of the Americas, also known as WHINSEC. (SOA Watch, 2014) The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 90,000 unaccompanied minors have entered the US during the fiscal year Although these youth came for a number of reasons, one overriding factor has played a decisive and forceful role in recent years: generalized violence at the state and local levels and a corresponding breakdown of the rule of law have threatened citizen security and created a culture of fear and hopelessness (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2013) According to Mexico s National Center for Human Rights (CNDH), an estimated 22,000 migrants are kidnapped each year, often by organized crime groups who demand ransom payments from relatives. (In Sight Crime, 2013) Since 1998, 6,000 men, women and children have lost their lives crossing the border into the United States. (No More Deaths, 2014) Amnesty International movie: The Invisibles 12

13 Slide 13 Earth Racism Immigration Women Non Violence 13

14 Slide 14 14

15 Slide 15 We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something. Mother Teresa 15

Part I: Where are we today?

20th Century Shen Immigration 2012 Part I: Where are we today? FYI: According to the U.S. Census Bureau the overall immigrant population (legal as well as illegal) in the United States reached the 40 million