Migration is a laborious process necessitated by a country’s failure to provide for its citizens because of Imperialism.  In simple terms, imperialism is a stronger state’s political, economic and cultural dominion over a weaker one in order to acquire cheap raw materials and cheap labor, and  use as dumping ground for surplus products and capital.  Such has been the relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines (and other semi-colonies) since the end of Spanish colonial rule.  The following neo-liberal policies are consistently imposed by the U.S. and its puppet regimes to maintain control over a country’s resources:

1. Trade Liberalization is the elimination of trade barriers, such as tariffs and other taxes in the spirit of free trade. This swamps the market of under developed countries with cheap surplus products from first world countries, such as the U.S.

2. Economic Deregulation is a policy that puts a “hands-off” policy on the market, meaning the government cannot control the prices of basic commodities nor subsidize vital ones, such as agriculture.

These policies devastate the  capacity of nations to industrialize and provide jobs, therefore, creating the socio-economic conditions that convince people to leave their homeland.  This is why Anakbayan NY/NJ believes that, without the U.S. intervening in political, economic, and cultural affairs of developing countries such as the Philippines, these nations will be able to assert their self- determination and implement genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization, ultimately eliminating the need for its citizens to undergo forced migration.

“Secure Communities” Make Communities Insecure

The U.S. remains to be the primary destination for many immigrants.  There are about 12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. due to the flawed economic system that governs immigration protocol. Among the 4 million Filipinos here, 1 million are undocumented.

In an effort to facilitate the removal of “criminal aliens”, ICE initiated the “Secure Communities Program” in 2008.  It involves biometric information- sharing between local law enforcement agencies and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify, detain and deport criminal offenders of varying levels.  Level 1 refers to “aggravated felony” and supposedly receives highest priority; Level 2 includes misdemeanor charges; and Level 3 includes crimes punishable by less than a year.

Jurisdiction of “Secure Communities” in the U.S.

“Secure Communities” has been implemented in a total of 1,508 jurisdictions spread out across 43 states including California, Florida and New York. Despite its guise of public safety, it has been found that, of the 49, 638 removals from October 2009 to September 2010, only 23% were Level 1 crimes, 49% were Level 2 and 3 offenders, and 28% do not even hold criminal records. Arrests also lead to prolonged detention, lack of detainee appeal system, and detention solely based on immigration status.

ICE does not maintain documentation of particulars regarding the offender’s case, so there is also no way of confirming one’s conviction.  Moreover, this program harbors fear among immigrant communities.  It raises the mentality that cooperating with law enforcement may be harmful to their safety in this country, especially if they are undocumented.

ICE is barking up the wrong tree with “Secure Communities”.  It is a waste of taxpayers’ money on unreliable strategies, and the expensive process of detention and deportation.  Instead of posing immigrants as threats to national security, why not enable them to be productive members of society through a realistic legalization process?