What ‘America first’ ought to mean
I did not vote for Donald Trump. His inexperience, lack of discipline and temperament unnerves me, especially in the realm of foreign policy. Still, I read his inaugural speech with an open mind and heart. If President Trump is sincere, then his speech should be lauded for reaching out to those who did not support him during the election.
Trump emphasized that the oath he took on Friday is an “oath of allegiance to all Americans.” He eloquently stated that “whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky” and “they fill their heart with the same dreams.” When Trump spoke of his fellow Americans, he said “their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success.”
Trump did not mince words, stating that going forward his administration will employ an “America First” policy. Specifically, he stated that “every decision on trade, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families.”
As an immigration lawyer, I agree with President Trump that our immigration policy should adopt an America First approach by recognizing the countless American families that will be significantly harmed by an enforcementonly approach.
President Trump spoke of the “forgotten men and women of country will be forgotten no longer.” Some may conclude that he was referring to Americans who have been financially harmed by trade and globalization. But there are other forgotten men and women in this country, too: the millions of Americans who are the children, parents, siblings or spouses of undocumented immigrants. Current immigration law offers limited protection for these American families to remain together with their immigrant loved ones instead of facing years of separation. In some situations, the separation can be permanent. Hence, this is why I believe in a humane immigration reform bill that takes into account the millions of Americans who do not want their spouses, parents, brothers or sisters deported.
As an immigration lawyer, I have had the pleasure of keeping these families together in the United States. I have had losses, too, where I had to tell an American citizen that her husband will be deported, leaving her alone as a single mom in the United States. I understand that as an issue immigration can be very emotional. It is also complicated. I admit I do not have all the answers, especially regarding crafting legislation that will prevent or greatly reduce future illegal immigration.
But for those undocumented immigrants who are already here and are very much a part of the American family (both literally and figuratively), I believe the moral thing to do is to give them a fair pathway to remain here with their American loved ones. I am not alone in this sentiment, and it is hardly radical. This is why varied religions and churches — from the Catholic Church to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — have come out with official statements in support of a humane immigration legalization approach.
Beyond the issue of American families, an America First approach would also greatly benefit American businesses. For example, it is not a secret that the Wisconsin dairy industry relies heavily an unauthorized immigrant labor. The dairy industry is vital to the Wisconsin economy, something the governor has acknowledged repeatedly. Just last year, Gov. Scott Walker remarked that “each dairy cow in Wisconsin generates over $34,000 every year in economic activity, most of which stays within our local communities to support businesses and schools.”
Some will say that Wisconsin dairy farmers are just greedy and discriminate against American labor. I disagree. Whether a Democrat or Republican, I have found Wisconsin dairy farmers to be earnest and hard-working Americans who depend on immigrant labor for reasons beyond their control. Simply put, they cannot get Americans to do the tough work on dairy farms that undocumented immigrants have been doing in Wisconsin for years.
I did not see President Trump’s speech as dark and gloomy. I took it as a sincere attempt to reach out to all Americans, even those who did not vote for him. I applaud his effort to acknowledge the common humanity of all Americans. But if President Trump truly wants an America First approach to immigration, then I hope that his actions mirror his words by supporting legislation that takes into account the millions of Americans who have an undocumented family member and the American businesses that depend on immigrant labor.