I was in high school during the tumultuous era of Vietnam War and civil rights protests. I recall a favorite slogan of counter-protesters was “Love it, or leave it,” suggesting that those who opposed the war were un-American and that patriotism demanded blind fealty to the government. Even my developing understanding of a country birthed in revolution led me to ask why challenging policies that were resulting in the loss of countless lives in a seemingly endless conflict far from our shores and profound racial and gender inequality led some to demand self-deportation. We are at a “back to the future” moment.
The plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door” (from a sonnet by Emma Lazarus). Yet America has routinely disparaged and mistreated immigrants, including Italians, Irish, Jews, Chinese, Japanese and Hispanics. Despite doing work that citizens were unwilling to undertake, from building railroads to harvesting vegetables and butchering meat, recent arrivals have been subject to inhumane treatment and fierce discrimination.
The present ICE assaults on residents across the country, both those without documentation and many who are here legally, is another sad chapter in the history of America’s intolerance toward “others.” Republicans and the Supreme Court majority refuse to act as basic constitutional rights are violated and innocent residents are detained in overcrowded conditions before being deported to a foreign prison where they are subject to violence and denied any legal protections. Thanks to the “big beautiful bill” recently passed by Congress, ICE now has the largest budget of any law enforcement agency in the United States. That means much worse is to come.
What do we have to fear from immigrants? The vast majority of those being rounded up in ICE raids have no criminal record; many have lived and worked in the United States for years, contributing their hard labor to our economy. Some of those taken off the streets were guilty of nothing more than peacefully protesting the war Israel has waged against Palestinians in Gaza, an activity that ought to be protected by our much-cherished freedom of speech. Immigrants are not taking jobs Americans want to do, they are not eligible for most federal benefits (but they do pay taxes) and many have families with children who are American citizens. They enrich our culture with their music, cuisines and customs, as has every immigrant group in America’s history. It does not reflect well on those who accept the lies about immigrants and applaud the administration’s immoral actions against them.
Let’s recall that in 2023 there was a bipartisan bill in Congress that promised a reform of our border protection services, but it was killed because it threatened to take away a potent campaign issue from a Republican candidate who rode xenophobic hysteria into the White House. We don’t need a modern incarnation of Nazi SS troops and concentration camps to achieve a reasonable legal pathway for persons seeking a better life in America. We do not have to repeat the worst episodes in our history. We can be better than that by honoring the welcoming message emblazoned at the base of the Statue of Liberty and abiding by the legal protections enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Donald Joralemon, emeritus professor at Smith College, lives in Conway.