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Ethical and Diversity Issues

Mary Garcia

SOC 6910 Public Sociology Capstone Instructor: Sidra Montgomery

March 30, 2020

Ethical and Diversity Issues

The deportation of parents affects the involved parents, their children, and even close friends and relatives. Primarily, arising ethical and diversity issues have to do with the children and the parents who feel the direct effects of deportation. While facing deportation, some parents may opt to go with their children, with others leaving them behind with the hope that they may reunite when they fulfill the requirements that caused their deportation. Deportation cases are often handled with cruelty and inhumane manner, failing to take cognizance of the ethical and diversity issues that require consideration. Deportation affects different groups in the society, and there is a need to consider the ethical and diversity issues associated with the individual groups.

Ethical Issues in Deportation of Parents

Lenard (2015) highlighted the ethical issues in deportation as stemming from the determination of individuals eligible for deportation. Most immigrants awaiting deportation find themselves on crossroads concerning the principles highlighting the treatment they should receive. The author highlighted the existing confusion of whether to be treated according to the principles regulating discretions at the border or those regulating the discretion on the admission of immigrants. Lenard (2015) highlighted the first ethical issue as the just cause for deportation. The author highlighted the need for states to highlight the set of reasons that justifies the eligibility of deportation for a non-resident in the country legally or illegally. The author outlined that for most states, the unlawful presence at the boundaries of the territory or overstaying one’s visa is an adequate reason for deportation. Despite being a legal migrant, one could be deported due to the violation of outlined laws. Lenard (2015) observed that it is not just about highlighting the reasons that could necessitate deportation, but also, the reasons should be justifiable and serving the interests of the community.

Lenard (2015) noted that the causes of deportation could not just necessitate the exercise. Instead, there are constraints imposed on how deportation takes place. Irrespective of the visa status, there should be the protection of the individuals’ rights. In liberal democratic states, deliberately causing physical harm to the victims of deportation is unacceptable. As such, despite having a just cause for deportation, there should be a consideration of how the process is carried out. Under the just action of deportation, the underlying ethical issue is making known to the involved parties the intention to deport them and the reason(s) necessitating the action, Lenard (2015) stated that the publicity criterion denotes the potential deportees as having the right to the legal representation. In deportations involving children, ethical issues associated with this group arise.

Baylis and McLeod (2014) highlighted children as having rights aiming at protecting their interests. As such, during deportation, the ethical issues associated with their status as minors. Children do not give informed consent and often rely on their parents. With impending deportation, parents need to be informed about the cause of deportation for their children and even what becomes of them on the occasion that they have participated in criminal acts necessitating deportation. A parent has the right to decline aspects of the deportation process that seem to infringe on the rights of their children. Basic ethical issues also need to apply during the deportation of parents. Deportees should be treated fairly while ensuring that their basic rights are upheld. With deportees belonging from different diversity groups, they need protection from discrimination that could necessitate unfair treatment, aggravating suffering.

Handling of Diversity

Parents facing deportation often belong to different racial, ethnic, religious, and political affiliations. These aspects, in some cases, are the reasons people are residing in the countries in question illegally. While influencing the deportation cases proceedings, there is a need to factor the elements of diversity. Finkelman (2013) highlighted the deportation proceedings as hearing aimed at determining whether an alien is to remain in the country or punish him or her for wrongful entry. The attitudes a judge has towards people of a particular racial, ethnic or religious group may be a cause of the unfair ruling with the victim being deported without the consideration of the validity of the reasons necessitating residence in the country of question.

Facilitating the residence of the migrants from various groups complements the diversity of the state in question. There are numerous benefits accrued from having a diverse population; one of them being the cultural perspectives that are a major boost of innovation and creativity, which could spur tourism growing the economy of the region. Healey (2009) highlighted immigrants as a positive addition to the economy. Their presence translates to the addition in the labor supply of fields such as agriculture, garment industry, and college faculties. In developed countries such as the United States, Healey (2009) highlighted the immigrants as securing a job in areas where minimal U.S. citizens work or even create jobs that would not have existed with their absence. As a result, in the wake of the reasons validating the deportation of parents, there is a need to consider the social and economic impacts of the exercise.

Social Inequality

Migration has, for a long time, been action against poverty with people opting to move to other regions as a means of dealing with economic challenges. As people migrate in the hope of improving their situations, they end up facing other difficulties. Increased immigration changes trends such as rates of poverty and inequality in the affected regions. Card and Raphael (2013) highlighted the immigrants as providing labor supply that positions them to compete for jobs in the United States. With the additional employees due to immigration, the citizens feel the ripple effect on their wage and employment levels. Migrants provide a cheap source of labor, making them a preferred option among the employers. As such, their presence results in job inequalities as organizations employ migrants in large numbers ignoring the available skills.

Legal residents of the United States are entitled to benefits from the government, among them food stamps and medical access. Due to their status and inability to understand and communicate in the English language, migrants are often unable to enjoy such services. Their status could also be a reason for the exemption, especially if this group is considered as being a burden to the government of the day. Legibility of immigrant influence the access they have to services. Kandula, Grogan, Rathouz, and Lauderdale (2004) outlined the division of immigrants into two categories: qualified and unqualified immigrants. The unqualified immigrants are those who immigrated after 22nd August 1996 and exempted from enjoying Medicaid after entry. The limitation of Medicaid to certain immigration groups is a social inequality in itself, especially when people cannot access health services they are in dire need of because they cannot afford it. Just like the U.S citizens, the immigrants need of Medicaid as health insurance.

References

Card, D. E., & Raphael, S. (2013). Immigration, poverty, and socioeconomic inequality. Russell Sage Foundation

Finkelman, P. (2013). Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties. Routledge

Healey, J. F. (2009). Diversity and Society: Race, ethnicity and Gender. Pine Forge Press

In Baylis, F., & In McLeod, C. (2014). Family-making: Contemporary ethical challenges. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Kandula, N. R., Grogan, C. M., Rathouz, P. J., & Lauderdale, D. S. (2004). The Unintended Impact of Welfare Reform on the Medicaid Enrollment of Eligible Immigrants. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361081/

Lenard, P. T. (2015). The ethics of deportation in liberal democratic states. European Journal of Political Theory, 14(4), 464-480