The American Dream – a phrase that is casually tossed around when talking about living in the United States and our immigration system, but what is the American Dream? The Smithsonian Magazine says, “The original “American Dream” was not a dream of individual wealth; it was a dream of equality, justice and democracy for the nation” (1). In 2022, more than 2 million people tried to cross the United States border, in search of this dream, in search of a better life (2). But what often happens when they arrive here, is an experience so drastically different from what they expected.
Erica Bryant, from Vera Institute of Justice, writes about the story of Ana and Raina*, two women that fled their home country of Mexico, due to domestic violence and death threats (3). They arrived to the United States seeking asylum, but instead were incarcerated and treated with indignity. All documents that the prison provided them were in English and they were not given the opportunity for translation, before being forced to sign orders that they didn’t understand. The papers that they signed would ultimately lead to their removal orders. I couldn’t imagine being in their shoes – thinking that they were going to be safe in their new country, and instead finding themselves in a space where they were mistreated, misunderstood, and were told that they would have to go back to the country that they escaped. They felt hopeless until Halinka Zolcik, a representative of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York (a participant in the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project) came to represent them. Once Zolcik came into the picture, they started to receive translated documents, were provided with a clearer representation of what the next steps in their process would look like, and were able to reverse their orders of removal. With Zolcik’s support, Ana and Raina were able to secure asylum status and start living their lives in the U.S., outside of jail. Ana and Raina show two inspiring immigrant stories, but unfortunately, not all immigrants are as fortunate as they were.
For those wanting to learn more about what is going on today in the U.S. immigration system, I can’t recommend enough the Netflix documentary series, Immigration Nation. “Episode 4: The New Normal”, focuses on the ICE raids that happened throughout North Carolina, after Sherriff McFadden ended the 287(g) program in 2018 (4). The 287(g) program was a ‘voluntary federal program that has allowed ICE to operate within the Mecklenburg county jail since 2006’ (5). While many undocumented immigrants felt relieved that the program ended and were hopeful that they were no longer going to be targeted, others felt that it placed a larger target on their backs. Unfortunately, ICE ramped up its efforts to make arrests, even going as far as to say that “residents should expect a more visible ICE presence in Charlotte, as ICE will now have no choice but to conduct more at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests” (5). Throughout the episode you see how Comunidad Colectiva, now Carolina Migrant Network, supported the undocumented population in Mecklenburg county. Through social media, Stefanía Arteaga and other organizers warned the community during ICE raids and showed up at raids to ensure that those detained knew their rights. Even with the organizer’s efforts, ICE Field Office Director, Sean Gallagher, mentions that they were able to detain 200 undocumented immigrants across NC in 1 week, 150 of which had no criminal convictions (4). As a North Carolina native and advocate for the immigrant community, this episode hit home.
Reading and watching these stories, I find it hard to believe that the ‘original American Dream’, is attainable for all people, or at least attainable with the ease that is so often assumed by many Americans. The language barriers, cultural barriers, and U.S. systems are intentionally put in place to act as obstacles to immigrant communities. But, I do believe that there are ways that we can extend a hand to support these communities, as immigrants make the incredibly difficult decision to leave their home country and strive towards this ‘American Dream.’ Organizations like the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, Carolina Migrant Network, and InStepp provide immigrant families with the tools they need to navigate the legal system, and remind them that they have rights, even if they are undocumented. I am grateful and optimistic that resources like these exist, and hope that they continue to grow and gain momentum, so that more and more immigrants can move forward toward their dreams.
* Names have been changed to protect identity.
References:
(3) https://www.vera.org/news/seeking-help-instead-imprisoned-until-they-found-representation
(4) https://www.netflix.com/watch/81001618?trackId=255824129
(5) https://www.wbtv.com/2018/12/07/ice-responds-mecklenburg-co-sheriffs-removal-g/