As a Cuban-American and son of political refugees, I know that there is no greater motivating force than the desperation and hopelessness felt by those facing oppression and injustice. My grandparents and their generation were forced to make unfathomably difficult decisions on behalf of their families, leaving relatives and property behind to ensure that their children would stand a chance in life. Nothing more. Just to have a shot.
This experience is not unique to Cubans. Since this country’s founding, groups of immigrants have come to the United States seeking that shot, fleeing hopelessness and desperately yearning for the freedom to provide their children with the very best.
So while the United States remains a country of laws, and while respect for those laws is central to our continued prosperity as a nation, we ought never to demonize families who – out of sheer desperation – are in the truly unenviable position of having to decide whether to risk their lives and freedoms or those of their children to seek a more stable future. Those who flee or overstay their visas often do so because they feel they are out of options, and while labeling them criminals rather than understanding and appreciating their motives may score political points, it does little to help create the kind of consensus needed to forge a long-term, comprehensive solution to our immigration challenges.
There is no easy answer when it comes to immigration. Allowing a continual flow of undocumented immigrants indefinitely is not sustainable and could have long-term consequences for our national security.
But the debate on how to fix our nation’s immigration system has to be conducted with civility and compassion. Immigrants, documented or not, are not just numbers. They are real people, real families, real children. Any long-term fix has to happen at the federal level and has to be comprehensive, addressing not just undocumented individuals but the various work and student visa programs, EB-5 infrastructure investment programs, and the numerous nuances within the law.
The fact that so many risk so much for just a taste of American liberty speaks volumes of the esteem in which we are held internationally. Let’s make sure, as the immigration debate rages onward, we hold ourselves to those same standards.
Lopez is the executive director of the State of Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.
