THE CAGED

CHILDREN
English 101 Word Count: 695

WHEN MEXICO SENDS ITS PEOPLE,

THEY’RE NOT SENDING THEIR BEST.
THEY’RE BRINGING DRUGS, THEY’RE
BRINGING CRIME. THEY’RE RAPISTS. AND
SOME, I ASSUME, ARE GOOD PEOPLE.
DONALD TRUMP
One of the biggest controversial topics in American
politics today is the current immigration system. America
faces many parallels beginning with how to withstand and
handle immigrants/refugees who currently live in the
United States or soon to be. There is a clear divide in
American citizens who either believe in closing all borders
to immigrants or creating a better system that benefits all
parties. Partaking in creating a better system to protect
citizens and immigrants/refugees may substantially seem
more reasonable and less extreme compared to closing all
borders for outsiders. But this is when the narrative “fear
of the unknown” takes place in modern day politics, a
THE CAGED CHILDREN
Politics Today
response to his stance regarding Mexicans migrating into
America. In one of Trump’s most infamous speeches, he
mentions Mexican immigrants bringing in huge rates of
crime into the United States, labeling them as rapists and
drug dealers and adding that maybe some Mexicans may
be good people but it is unlikely. This is not only an
extremely racist and damaging tactic against Mexican
immigrants, but his statement has been debunked several
times by different reliable sources. As evident as that may
seem, it is not very obvious to those who may not be as
educated or opened minded on the subject. Currently,
Trump has created many racist ploys against not only
Mexican immigrants but against all immigrants in
America.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

As any American should know, voting is one of our strongest and most peaceful ways of protest. Calling
and/or emailing a senator, sending a letter to the district representative, and voting in primaries and
midterms are all ways to bring this issue to become one of the biggest priorities in politics. Citizens of the
United States have the ability to change the government that suits the needs of the people and that can be
done through voting.
 Trump has agreed on the repeal of DACA,
encouraged more raids on undocumented homes and
regions with high demographics of immigrants and is
currently pushing an executive order to take away
birthrights from children who have immigrant parents.
And his justification for all of these racist tactics is just as
terrible. They were illegals aliens, they committed a high
crime, they allowed this damage into their lives, all of
which should not only be wrong in the eyes of the law but
should not represent American values and morals. This is
not just about policy anymore; this is about human rights.
As a child growing up, I was always taught to
help those in need. This moral was also especially valued
in my educational environment, being highlighted in many
lessons I had in elementary school. These are values that
are taught within American academics, so why isn’t the
same narrative being applied to our politics? Although our
country was founded upon years of genocide and
ethnocide, this country was also built to be a safe haven
for immigrants to confide in and seek help. Our
government was specialized to bring out those values such
as a government being run by the people, freedom of
speech, and freedom of religion. Those laws were in place
so immigrants can live a happier life in the United States
and through many efforts, it did. These people who are
OPINION COLUMN ABOUT AMERICA’S TAKE ON MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS
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risking to be deported or potentially separated by
immediate family to seek solace in this country speaks
louder than any documentation of residency. Mexican
immigrants are not aliens nor illegals, they are people who
sought a country for a new life. There is no justification
for taking away the security of a home, family members,
property, or protection from local law enforcement.
As a child of a Mexican immigrant who was
undocumented for some time, I understand the fear of
having everything at stake. We weren’t breaking any laws;
we were just afraid that someone would catch my mother
before we received any documentation of residency. It
was the anticipation that caused my home to feel
unprotected and shattered. This is not an uncommon
feeling in many households of undocumented immigrants,
it has become a trend in our lifestyles. In fear of
deportation, immigrants do everything they can to avoid
the government. This puts their safety at risk, financially
stability in government facilitated banks, income, and the
list could go on. Socially and financially, immigrants
suffer from the fear of jeopardizing their new life. As
unsettling as that may sound, it is a risk of the livelihood
many immigrants are willing to take for the chance of a
better life.