Caring for Children, Picking Produce, Toiling in Factories:
Hardworking Residents and the Elusive American Dream

	Elena Herrada

The United States today is home to an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Approximately 7-8 million of these undocumented workers are from Mexico and other Central American countries (source: Census 2000 and Allocation of Pew Research Report on Undocumented Immigrants). People across the political spectrum agree that our immigration system is broken, and that our country needs comprehensive immigration reform. How can government devise sensible laws for our undocumented inhabitants who are in this country because, under NAFTA, they could find no work at home, and whose work makes a substantial contribution to our economy? How can we create an immigration and border plan that reflects our humanity, our belief in the American Dream, while also addressing government infrastructure inadequacies, and national security concerns?

The Bush team and Congress have recognized the importance of this complex issue, but the federal government has failed to construct a workable, socially-just solution. In December the House passed a controversial bill that resulted in mass pro-immigrant rallies across the country, culminating in a national boycott on May 1st -- after which the government felt compelled to respond. In May, the Senate passed a slightly less punitive bill, and Bush outlined his immigration reform plans on national TV. Among other proposals, Bush called for a temporary guest worker program, a border wall, the deployment of 6,000 national guard troops on the US/Mexico border, high tech id cards and mass detention centers. Instead of taking up this issue in a practical, holistic manner in this election year, the House GOP last week announced that it will conduct field hearings on the Senate proposal during Congressional vacation time in August.

Thus, there is no unified government leadership on this critical issue, and yet the privatization and militarization of US/Mexico border control has begun. Homeland Security Department funds are pouring into border states. (Texas for instance, will soon receive $90 million.) And companies with close personal ties to the Bush team and the Dept of Homeland Security are receiving lucrative business contracts for as-yet-unproven products and services. Additionally, thousands of inhumane deportations of long-time US residents continue across the nation. These socially repulsive and racist programs are being funded by US taxpayer dollars.

Meanwhile, around the country, grassroots immigration and worker rights groups continue to strategize, organize and mobilize. A leading immigrant rights organizer is Elena Herrada of Detroit, Michigan.

Elena Herrada is the Backbone Cabinet's first nominee for Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security.

Elena Herrada is co chair and founding member of the Committee for the Political Resurrection of Detroit, which focuses on domestic human rights. Ms. Herrada is a member of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, she has worked at a SEIU local, and was the president of a RWDSU (Retail, Worker, Department Store Union) local. A columnist for the newspaper Michigan Citizen, Elena Herrada is also a longtime advocate for Detroit's Latino Community. She is a member of Latinos Unidos, and, in 2001, Ms Herrada produced a documentary film entitled Los Repatriados: Exiles from the Promised Land, about the depression-era deportation of Mexicans from Michigan. Just six weeks ago, Ms. Herrada founded a new Latino Workers Center in Detroit, the Centro Obrero, whose open doors will, according to Ms. Herrada, "assist immigrant workers in finding their voice and bearing in the Promised Land."

We were honored that Ms. Herrada joined us for a Conversation on this important and complex topic.

Actions needed for position:
Get media to report on deportation raids. Mainstream corporate media is reporting on immigration and government's half hearted initiatives. Professional Latinos (some of whom receive government funds for their non profit work) and Arab community are often intimidated; that is one reason why deportation raids from media aren't reported. Herrada organizes protests because media will report on the protest. Press is afraid to show human side of deportations, that deportations leave gaping holes in communities. Media should report extensively on heartbreaking deportation raids.

They are happening partly because 1) Detroit, for instance, is in a border state and Homeland Security funds are pouring in. 2) Michigan has large Arab community. 3)Immigrants are vulnerable, esp. non English speaking immigrants. They often don't receive necessary paperwork on a timely basis in the mail, and they are receiving ill advised but costly services from immoral lawyers.

Talking Points:
Homeland Security is 'waging war' in Detroit; they are calling this "Operation Detroit." They have successfully deported 3,000 people with a goal to deport 10,000 people. This is possible because of the city's location in a border state, and demographics: Detroit is 85% African American and economically distressed, because the community has a large Arab community, because there is now a large Latino immmigrant community.

Action Steps:
If Herrada were Director of USCIS, she would:

1) Offer immediate amnesty to undocumented workers residing in the US. People would start paying into social security, and reap rewards of their own work. The country could identify its true citizens, they could vote. People having a right to their own full humanity can only benefit a country.

2) Enact a law such as the Freedom Visa currently being proposed by Baldemar Velasquez and FLOC (Farm Labor Organizing Committe). Under a Freedom Visa, all people would be able leave their countries, work and return, with freedom, the same way multinationals can.

2)The presence of immigrants from Mexico and other Central Americans in the US is directly linked to a larger foreign policy issue. Herrada believes that the US must let other countries make their own choices about how they want to govern themselves. Herrada cites NAFTA's passage in Mexico as an example. The passage of NAFTA pushed sustenance cooperative farmers off the their "ejidos," off the land, into Mexican cities, where they found no work. They were pushed north to find work to feed their families, all the way into Michigan in some instances. Repealing NAFTA would make it possible for Mexico, for instance, to care for its own people without their having to leave to avoid starvation. Ultimately Mexico's people could thrive in Mexico, and not live on slave wages (often under terrible living and working conditions) in Mexico and in the US. Multinationals' power to quash other countries' ability to survive must be overturned. If the US doesn't fix the forthcoming election in Mexico, and if Obrador is elected, Mexico can once again turn towards economic health for its people, something that has not been the case since the Revolution.

Action Contacts:
TWO WEBSITES MENTIONED BY MS. HERRADA

1. Los Repatriados: Exiles from the Promised Land, documentary/oral history project produced by Ms. Herrada, about the deportation of Mexicans from Michigan
2. Farm Labor Organizing Committee/Baldemar Velasquez: This organization is exploring the idea of a Freedom Visa, a migrating workers union, across national borders, to match corporate international relocations. For details, see link: http://www.floc.com/documents/10FLOCProposesFreedomVisa.pdf

OTHER IMMIGRATION RIGHTS GROUPS

• www.mapa.org
• www.cirnow.org
• www.nnirr.org

Conversation Participants:

• Mr. Rosendo Delgado, Latinos United, who called upon participants to recognize the complexity of this issue
• Mr. Alejandro Murrieta, March 25th Coalition, Association of the Descendents of Joaquin Murrieta, who questioned Ms. Herrada about the role of the unions and the issue of guest worker passes
• Prof. Jose Creyo, Wayne State University, who reminded participants that this nation is made up largely of immigrants, so current government policies are contradictory, hyprocritical and short-sighted.
• Mr. Harvie Branscomb, Chair of Eagle County Colorado Dems (via email)who spoke at length about the role of Democrats at local and state level, especially in Colorado, as symptomatic/symbolic of larger inability of Americans to see issue clearly.