The Quote Below—More Misinformation form the Media
“To gain a window into the everyday life of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in Washington State, we . . . interviewed Sebastian, a high-school-age peer who is actively fighting for immigrant rights. . . . As Tacoma-area high school students born and raised in the U.S, we learned from Sebastian’s experiences how little we knew about the challenges of being undocumented.
“Sebastian, who faces daily anxiety, asked us to withhold his real name for fear of repercussions by immigration officials. He is perpetually haunted by the specter of deportation . . ., Undocumented people in the U.S. are virtually unable to make any mistakes. A crime committed by an undocumented person consistently provokes far greater repercussions than one committed by a citizen. . . . Sebastian’s uncles and close family have been deported. . . .
“Sebastian told us believes that “human rights should be the number one priority.” He noted the “very dangerous logic” behind the US government disregarding human rights. Washington State has tried to do the right thing: . .
“Sebastian believes Washington State is one of the best places in America to be undocumented. ‘US federal policy should take notes from Washington law.’ Our state does not allow law enforcement to cooperate with ICE and offers access to driver’s licenses, but there is more to do. He advocates for voting rights for undocumented people and believes in less distinction between legal and undocumented status, a change that is long overdue.
“If we are a nation that celebrates our commitment to fair laws and human rights, we should act like one — to all people living and working here, regardless of immigration status.”—We’ve Seen the Harm Caused by U.S. Immigration Policy, Paige Brink and others, Idaho Statesman, 8/23/23 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: The authors of this piece want readers to feel sympathy for “Sebastian,” an illegal alien. This sympathy on a personal level, they hope, will make illegal immigration more acceptable to Americans. In this instance, however, discerning readers will not find Sebastian particularly sympathetic. His arrogance is the reason. He and the authors believe he has “human rights” which entitle him to ignore the immigration laws of this country. Not only that, lawbreakers like him should have the right to vote. And the need is “long overdue,” he informs us, to erase most distinctions between citizens and illegal noncitizens.
Do citizens have “human rights” which would allow them to have their laws enforced and the sovereignty of their country respected? Illegal alien advocates really don’t seem to think so. Could the reason be that these advocates, often of our elite classes, don’t regard “deplorable” citizens as being human enough to have any rights? Illegal aliens like Sebastian seem to have picked up this attitude.
Sebastian interestingly claims that he is in great fear of deportation, and cities the deportation of “close family.” Maybe this is true, or maybe it isn’t . It is hard to believe unless those relatives were dangerous criminals posing a great threat to society. These are about the only aliens that the Biden Administration bothers to deport anymore, though not too many of them. The administration has specifically stated that it will not deport aliens simply for breaking immigration law.
Consequently, Sebastian can shed his anxiety about deportation. As long as he doesn’t murder anyone or rob a bank, he’s pretty much free to do as he pleases in the U.S.A. Citizens, of course, can’t ignore laws. They would be punished if they did.
It would be interesting if the media did human interest portrayals of Americans who have suffered as a consequence of illegal immigration. Alas, that will rarely happen because the media have little sympathy for them.