Intervention
Did you know that according to a statistic from the Congressional Budget Office more than 45 million immigrants have been reported to have entered the United States illegally in 2021. This is 15 million more since the last report from the year 2000, averaging about 30.2 million immigrants. This signifies the growth of immigration, and that it will only keep on growing throughout the years. As of right now one of the major cities that has been extremely affected by this crisis is New York. According to a news article It’s been reported that the city of New York has spent 1.7 billion dollars in shelter, and food, and that it's estimated to increase up to 4.5 billion next year. Many New York citizens believe that although they're happy to help immigrants, they’re upset that this tremendous amount of tax money has been used for those who have not contributed, and not for those who have, such as U.S veterans. This has not only affected tax spending, but also businesses. Many businesses that may be located nearby homeless shelters have complained about their profit reduction and customer attraction due the long lines that immigrants create while waiting for shelter.
As an immigrant, I understand both sides, the fear of getting rejected by the state, and the difficulties of dealing with more people in the state. Unfortunately there's always a limited amount of resources that can be provided to the public, therefore forcing the state to be very precocious in the amount of help that it's been contributed. The book, The Art of Activism showed us the journey of immigrants fighting against immigration, and how they successfully have used activism to communicate their struggles and perspective. One particular case from this is the “Undocubus”. The Undocubus is originally a bus with a logo painted on the side that communicates, “No Fear”. According to the reading the Undocubus purpose was to, “protest local anti-immigration laws that had created a climate of xenophobia and fear.” PG 30. This project was successfully achieved since many communities joined or contributed to their cause, and although some might have gotten arrested, they were able to deliver their message towards those who lived in constant fear. In this scenario was a necessary cause because although I’m against undocumented immigrants, I'm much more disgusted with spreading fear or dangerous threats towards a human being or community. However another controversial topic that I was able to find within this same case is that the Undocubus used a butterfly as their own symbol, for “social movement”. According to the book their reason for using a butterfly was to show that, “ a beautiful creature that annually migrates across North America, from Canada through the United States to Mexico and back again.” PG 30. This creates a conflict because although the analogy between a butterfly and immigrants can be easily interpreted as them wanting to have the same freedom as a butterfly, it is not cohesive to each other. Butterflies are small creatures that can depart and travel long distances without the need of destroying properties, or trafficking anything or anyone. It is not ambitious, it does not envy or have evil within themselves, it's simply just their nature of traveling. On the other hand people create mass destruction while traveling towards their destination, such as a report from Brownsville across from Matamoras located on the U.S Southern border has reported that immigrants and smugglers leave behind 4 million pounds of trash every year. Destroying nature and animals habitat, and although the problem is not new, the state is now overwhelmed by this issue. Authorities have said that there aren't enough resources or volunteers to clean up for this mess, and as for the result the state can't invest on the public’s interest or needs.
I personally believe in equal opportunities for everyone, meaning that everyone should enter a new land with an approval consent from the state. It relates to any other home, you wouldn't enter a stranger's house, but rather ask permission first. This is not only for the sake of the United States but also for the better good for immigrants. Many of them, including infants, are forced to travel through harsh conditions, and risk their lives to reach their destination. The journey of crossing the United States border is not an easy one, but many people travel in hopes for a better life which is perfectly understandable, but at what cost is someone willing to do it. My objective is to raise awareness of the danger that people risk in coming to the United States, and how it affects mother nature, and the future of the nation. I personally believe that the solution is not to run away from someone’s nationality, but rather embrace their flaws and fight for what they once believed it belong to them.
References:
Congressional Budget Office
Wamc NorthEast Public Radio
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