Nungun Humano Ser Es Illegal

While I was a reporter in Mexico, we once ran a news article on a recently split up family; the wife, a Mexican, had wandered across the border while still a teenager, eventually settling in Ohio and marrying a native-born American citizen. They had two children together. After all these years, the wife decided to "legally" become a US citizen. But once Immigration learned that she had entered "illegally," she was kicked out of the country and barred from re-entry. Her husband was understandably furious. I have not followed up on the story and do not know what has happened since.

I bring this example up because in the furor over the recent law passed in Arizona, many of the law's defenders have said that those who are here "illegally" should go get their "papers" to become a legal US citizen. The aforementioned mother tried to do that, and was kicked out of the country. I don't think most Americans understand just how incredibly difficult it is to get a green card, let alone become a "legal" US citizen. Quite frankly, if all 300+ million "native-born" Americans had to jump through all the hoops of the multi-year process of becoming a US citizen, most of us would fail. And I think if most Americans had to provide "papers" every time they're citizenship was questioned, we'd all be crying bloody murder and Soviet Russia.

I often find American's tendency to exploit immigrant workers and then deport them appalling. I remember that President Bush, after he repeatedly violated the constitution through the Patriot Act, illegal wire-tapping, expansion of Executive powers, torture of prisoners without trial, all while waging a war that had nothing to do with 9/11 and doubling the deficit while doing so, did not lose the support of conservatives until he suggested that there should be processes in place to allow illegal immigrants to start the process of citizenship process without having to leave the country or get treated like a criminal. Go figure.

I'm actually somewhat sympathetic towards Arizona; they are overwhelmed with undocumented workers ripe for exploitation and don't know what to do about it. But of their limited options, punishing impoverished populations for coming here searching for a better life and who are too poor to do so "legally" was probably the worst. Thus, in spite of my sympathy for Arizona, I must ultimately condemn them for their terrorizing police-state tactics.

I once saw a t-shirt in Mexico I wish I'd bought; "Ningun Humano Ser Es Illegal"--No Human Being Is Illegal.