The illegal immigrant situation sure is tough one. But I can’t help but think it is very important to separate emotion from logic and status. Are the arrests traumatic to watch or to endure? Perhaps both?
But focusing on the drama of the arrest and ignoring the logical facts misses things that are important. You did a pretty good job pointing some of this out in your article. But any discussion of “dignity” should really factor in the complete story.
- Person enters the country or stays in the country illegally. This means they came here and did not follow the legal process to become a citizen. They took a chance. A very big one.
- If they have an Order for Deportation [that means] that they received due process, and a judge decided the person needs to go back home and issued such an order.
- The person ignores this order and decides to build a life here and establish a new home and they know that it could very easily be taken away.
- The person also ignores the warnings from the administration to self deport. Person decides to stay and risk it all anyway.
- ICE finds and arrests the person and begins the deportation process. Maybe said person even expected it and just tried to stay as long as possible. One administration chose to ignore the law and their illegal status. Another administration chooses to enforce it.
- We as observers and citizens feel bad for the person, and people who had to watch the arrest struggle with it. Some want to ignore the illegal status because these people have lived among us for a few years and see they are good people. Some want everyone to follow the rules and immigrate legally, especially those that followed the rules and did it the right way. And we all want immigrants to be legal contributing members of society. We all seem to want to deport people who commit crimes, especially violent ones. But can we tell and know that just by watching an arrest?
Some people are asking for these arrests to be done with more dignity, right? What would they like to see that shows dignity to the arrestee? Not handled roughly? I think that could be reasonable, but it all depends on how the arrestee behaves. Do they make the process easy or difficult? Clearly the most dignified path is the self-deportation path.
However, I can’t help but wonder if any arrest ever happens with much dignity. It is a tough situation regardless. Any arrest. The event would surely be influenced by any resistance from the person. Unless perhaps the person freely gives themselves up and turns themselves in so ICE and police can apply the cuffs without any resistance and out of the sight of others. That is all within their control right now.
I like to ask myself, what if I went to another country on a visa and overstayed and then tried to establish a life there. What would I or should I expect? Should they let me stay because I’m nice and found a job? Should I expect to be sent home? How should I be treated when they arrest me? What if I run away? Honest answers to these types of questions should help us decide what to do here.
– David Bunda