Panelists urge reform, expansion of rights
4 women address issues before 100 people at forum in Schenectady
When it comes to immigrants, who gets to come? Who will stay? How will they be treated?
A panel of immigration experts, attorneys and educators tackled those tough questions and explained national policy to a packed room at the Schenectady County Library Thursday evening.
The forum, attended by nearly 100 people, was hosted by the Schenectady League of Women Voters. The four experts covered migration across the U.s.-mexico border, changes to immigration policy under President Donald Trump, immigrants in Schenectady’s schools, and when questions came from the audience, addressed the elephant in the room — Trump’s push for a border wall that has caused a government shutdown.
“We are long overdue for comprehensive immigration reform. It’s unfortunate the conversation has been hijacked by a border wall,” said Sarah Rogerson, professor at Albany Law School and director of the detention outreach project that gives legal services to immigrant detainees in Albany County Jail.
She said the main security concerns in New York are at ports of entry — intercepting terrorists in airports and stopping drugs coming in on boats.
“The land border is fighting a humanitarian crisis,” she said. “We do not have anything to fear along the border, what we do have to fear is being distracted by a rhetoric of fear.”
The panelists proposed expanding legal immigration for people who want to work and wouldn’t do harm, arguing that the U.S. economy could support more immigrants.
“Let anybody who wants to come in come, as long as they don’t want to do anything bad, because we can absorb them,” Rogerson said.
Victoria Martinez, a Union College professor who has been visiting the U.s.-mexico border since 1985 and now takes students on trips, explained the factors behind undocumented immigration. People who are eligible to apply for visas need a lot of money, special skills or a job offer with an employer willing to sponsor visa costs, she said.
“What happens to the individual who would like to come in to work but no family member and no special skill and no money and no job offer?” Martinez said. “Where’s the line? There is no line. When you hear people say get in line, there’s no paperwork for them to even apply to.”
She said that a lot of fencing along the border in California and Texas has pushed migrants to cross the Arizona desert, walking miles in extreme temperatures. She said the area is remote, with only volunteers, border patrols officers every mile, and a few vigilantes with guns in trucks standing guard.
In 2017, she said, 415 migrants died in the desert. During the summers, Martinez volunteers with relief groups dropping off gallons of water along the journey to try to save some.
Isabelle Paine Thacker, an attorney with legal aid organization The Legal Project and formerly with refugee resettlement agency U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, explained immigration policy changes under Trump.
Trump’s executive orders in early 2017 expanded the guidelines for which undocumented immigrants can be deported — not only those convicted of, but also charged with a crime — and how soon they could be deported without having their case heard before a judge, called expedited removal. Previously, only those in the country less than two weeks close to the border could be deported, now anyone in the country less than two years could be quickly removed.
Trump’s executive orders also implemented the travel ban stopping immigration from seven countries due to national security concerns. Then the number of refugee arrivals were drastically reduced.
The termination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), status for young immigrants, and the removal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), relief for people from countries affected by war or natural disasters, are both being challenged in court.
“There is not one policy that has expanded immigration rights. Not one,” Rogerson said.
She said the program she runs to provide free legal help to immigrant detainees housed in Albany County Jail, a population that peaked at more than 300 this summer. Many are eligible to apply for asylum based on persecution in their home countries.
Schenectady Board of Education member Cathy Lewis said immigrant children in the city’s schools speaks two dozen languages and receive special support, although the district never asks about immigration status.
Audience members questioned the panel on how to secure the southern border against drugs and asked about the situation along the northern border. One pointed out that American foreign policy created problems in countries that now produce migrants while others wondered whether employers of low-wage immigrants fight against reform for their own benefit.
A couple of audience members debated whether immigrants receive social services and drain resources. The panelists finally clarified that immigrants need to be green card holders to receive many social services, with refugees the exception.
Cheryl Nechamen, president of the 150-member Schenectady League of Women Voters, said the group’s position on immigration is to follow current policy and look into making changes.
“I think we really need to have a deep conversation about immigration policy in Congress, but before that, in our community has to know what is our policy and what happens when you don’t follow the rules,” Nechamen said.
She said the forum grew out of the group’s ongoing project to mentor legal permanent residents who want to become citizens. Project coordinator Ann Hatke said she used to volunteer with refugees in Albany and started the program with the league when she realized there was nothing similar in Schenectady. The city has the highest foreignborn population — almost 16 percent — of the tri-cities, according to the latest census.
Since 2017, the league has run free eight-week civics classes with volunteers. Eleven residents have become citizens and the league has helped register 156 new citizens to vote.
A new class session will start Jan. 19 at the Schenectady County Library.