Chapter 15 Discussions
tigers2019_
Lane_Ch15_PPT.pptxChapter 15: Immigration Policy
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Introduction
New concerns arose as result of 9/11.
Democratic vs Republican leaders.
Social workers battle ethical conflicts.
Settlement house and new immigrants.
“Zero tolerance” rescinded due to NASW.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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New concerns arose as result of 9/11: Since the beginning of the Trump administration, tensions about immigrations have increased.
Democratic vs Republican leaders: In January 2019, there was a government shutdown as a result of Democratic leaders’ refusal to agree to Republican leaders’ demands for funding to expand the border wall with Mexico.
Social workers battle ethical conflicts: Social workers, including those who work in schools, hospitals, and other community-based settings, increasingly find themselves struggling with immigration-related ethical conflicts.
Settlement house and new immigrants: Beginning with the settlement house movement, social workers have helped new immigrants adjust to life in the United States and to provide them with necessary supports.
“Zero tolerance” rescinded due to NASW: Trump announced a “zero tolerance” immigration policy to prosecute families who attempt to cross border and forcibly separate children from parents. NASW called this “malicious and unconscionable, and the National Association of Social Workers will press lawmakers to rescind this egregious action.”
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History and Social Construction of U.S. Immigration Policy (1 of 4)
First wave of immigration.
Second wave and Chinese Exclusion Act.
First immigration center on Ellis Island.
Immigration Act of 1924.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.1 Review the various waves of immigration and views of immigrants throughout U.S. history.
First wave of immigration: From 1840 to 1860, many unskilled laborers escaped the Irish Potato Famine and German Jews escaped religious persecution, to build railroads as U.S. labor market needed people with low skills to work in factories and remain in cities.
Second wave and Chinese Exclusion Act: From 1870 to 1920, Asians and Europeans migrated, leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, banning Chinese immigration to the United States, due to their race and ethnicity. No U.S. laws had restricted immigration before.
First immigration center on Ellis Island: In 1892, United States opened its first immigration center on Ellis Island where federal inspectors determined who could enter the country. With the rise of immigration between 19th and 20th centuries, more effort was made to restrict immigration.
Immigration Act of 1924: System of national quotas based on numbers equivalent to 2% of U.S. population in 1890, discriminating against Eastern and Southern Europeans, completely excluding Asian immigrants, based on racist ideas of superiority.
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History and Social Construction of U.S. Immigration Policy (2 of 4)
Border Patrol and Mexican immigrants.
Less support and high refugee numbers.
Priority visas granted to displaced people.
DPA discriminated against Jews.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.1 Review the various waves of immigration and views of immigrants throughout U.S. history.
Border Patrol and Mexican immigrants: U.S. Border Patrol was established to enforce the Immigration Act of 1924 and focused largely on limiting Mexican immigration to the United States.
Less support and high refugee numbers: Refugee is defined as someone who flees their country to avoid war, persecution or as a result of a national disaster. Americans feared that new immigrants would compete for jobs following Great Depression, with continued economic impacts until the War.
Priority visas granted to displaced people: President Truman granted displaced people priority visas in 1948 and the Congress passed Displaced Persons Act, allowing 200,000 Holocaust survivors to enter the United States.
DPA discriminated against Jews: Refugee Relief Act of 1953 dropped the cap on immigration and allowed more refugees from World War II to resettle in the United States.
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History and Social Construction of U.S. Immigration Policy (3 of 4)
Bracero Program and Operation Wetback.
Policy continued racial quotas.
Immigration Reform and Control Act 1986.
Categories created for immigration.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.1 Review the various waves of immigration and views of immigrants throughout U.S. history.
Bracero Program and Operation Wetback: Bracero Program allowed seasonal workers to immigrate temporarily as agricultural workers for registered American employers. Immigration and Naturalization Service deported many Mexicans, some of them American citizens, by Operation Wetback.
Policy continued racial quotas: Immigration policy continued to be heavily restricted based on racial quotas, until 1965, when President Johnson signed the Hart-Cellar Immigration Bill which ended quotas based on national origin.
Immigration Reform and Control Act 1986: Granted legal status to many undocumented immigrants and created sanctions for employers who hired undocumented immigrants.
Categories created for immigration: From 1990, new immigrants had to fall into one of three categories: family sponsored, employee sponsored, or diversity candidates, who were from under-represented countries and chosen by lottery.
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History and Social Construction of U.S. Immigration Policy (4 of 4)
Refugee Act of 1980: First formal policy.
Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Social construction of whiteness.
Jewish immigrants became whites.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.1 Review the various waves of immigration and views of immigrants throughout U.S. history.
Refugee Act of 1980: United States has a history of providing refugee status to people from countries with which it has poor relations rather than those with which we have good diplomatic ties, regardless of the danger particular citizens face.
Immigration and Naturalization Service: Three agencies of Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly referred to as ICE, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Social construction of whiteness: As noted above, historically, there have been what sociologists refer to as ingroups, those that were considered white and acceptable, and outgroups, often seen as nonwhite.
Jewish immigrants became whites: Jewish immigrants became white as a result of racist policies, achieving economic success, disadvantaging black people, redlining through Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1994, the GI Bill that allowed states and private actors to discriminate.
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Current Immigration Policies (1 of 8)
Immigrant statuses distribution.
UDHR and its Articles on immigration.
Not law but aspirational statement.
Documented resident and green card.
Granting temporary or permanent rights.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Immigrant statuses distribution: Seventy six percent of the immigrant population have legal U.S. resident status, either as naturalized citizens, or as lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and the rest are undocumented.
UDHR and its Articles on immigration: Following the Second World War, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, a document expressly defining 30 basic human rights. Article 13 declares that everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State, and to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. Article 6 rules the right to recognition everywhere as a person before law and Article 15 rules against arbitrary deprivation of nationality or denial of right to change nationality.
Not law but aspirational statement: Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the right to equal protection of the law and not experience discrimination based on sex or gender. Unfortunately, it is not a binding law in itself. Although some of its principles have been elaborated in treaties, it is but an aspirational statement. It does provide an important perspective for how some people feel immigrants should be viewed and treated and is consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics.
Documented resident and green card: Documented resident refers to someone who has been issued legal papers by the U.S. federal immigration authorities allowing them to reside or reside and work in the United States.
Granting temporary or permanent rights: Documents grant temporary or permanent rights, such as a “green card” or Lawful Permanent Resident Card, re-issued assuming the resident does not violate any laws.
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Current Immigration Policies (2 of 8)
Citizenship benefits and eligibility.
Eligibility for legal immigration.
Green Cards are awarded in priorities.
Policy is based on preference system.
Led to chain migration.
Anchor baby.
Undocumented immigrants.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Citizenship benefits and eligibility: Citizenship provides a number of rights, holding some elected offices and government jobs, and obtaining many government benefits. Being born in the United States, marrying an American citizen, serving in the military, residing or working in the U.S. long enough with a Green Card establishes permanent residency to apply for citizenship. Permanent resident must reside in the United States for five years to be eligible for citizenship or three years if the person is married to an American. Felony conviction renders people permanently ineligible for citizenship.
Eligibility for legal immigration: People who are not U.S. citizens must apply for a visa to enter the country if they wish to work here and can get visas if they are sponsored by a family member. Temporary work visas restrict employment to the reason indicated on the visa as well as the length of stay which has been approved. Permanent work visa, also known as a Green Card, allows an immigrant to remain in the country and work in whatever capacity they choose as long as the person complies with requirements.
Green Cards are awarded in priorities: First priority group is those with some extraordinary ability. Second is for those holding an advanced degree. Third is for conducting professional work for which there are no comparably skilled U.S. citizens. Fourth is for people who have worked for the U.S. military, children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their parents, U.S. broadcasters who have worked in Europe or Asia, religious leaders, and certain types of physicians. Last priority is given to people who make a large investment in the United States which is designed to create or maintain ten full-time permanent jobs in the United States.
Policy is based on preference system: Despite professional categories, the U.S. policy currently prioritizes family over skilled workers. Though the original bill gave preference to skilled workers, those who feared competition lobbied for family preference, incorporating into law.
Led to chain migration: Chain migration describes what occurs when a family member comes to the United States, bringing their relatives who, in turn, bring other relatives. Allowing one person to come may ultimately allow for a larger family group, called chain migration.
Anchor baby: A child that is born in the United States to non-American parents serves as an anchor, attaching a non-American family to the United States, even though the child may not be a source of any rights or legal status for its parents or other siblings.
Undocumented immigrants: Many noted that their existence is not illegal and that calling people “illegal immigrants” is dehumanizing, so referring to someone as not having proper documentation or is unauthorized is more respectful. Some undocumented residents seek legal status as refugees once they enter the country, while others hide from authorities for fear of being caught and sent back to their country of origin.
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Current Immigration Policies (3 of 8)
Refugee is defined by the U.S. Code.
Guest worker can work legally in United States.
Temporary Protected Status helps people.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Refugee is defined by the U.S. Code: Someone who leaves their native country and “has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”
Guest worker can work legally in United States: Guest workers are given short visas to work in seasonal labor. H2B visa is for nonagricultural workers typically paid less than average wages for the same work done by citizens or other legal residents.
Temporary Protected Status helps people: Temporary Protected Status enabled people from countries which had experienced a major natural disaster or were living in war-torn countries to temporarily live and work in the United States. People who are currently in the United States are eligible for TPS that cannot be applied for from abroad. If people come on a travel visa, they can apply for TPS status to remain in the United States.
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Current Immigration Policies (4 of 8)
Pathway to U.S. citizenship
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
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Current Immigration Policies (5 of 8)
Undocumented Workers
Individuals overstaying their visas.
Migration on foot is dangerous.
Especially vulnerable to labor exploitation.
Experienced wage theft from employers.
Fear of deportation withholds reporting.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Individuals overstaying their visas: In 2014, two-thirds of undocumented arrivals to the United States were individuals who had come to the United States with a valid visa and then overstayed their visas.
Migration on foot is dangerous: UN International Organization for Migration report of 2017 says that 412 people died attempting migration to the United States, getting to the border itself being dangerous, while traveling through Mexico at the southern border.
Especially vulnerable to labor exploitation: Undocumented and guest workers fear that if they report an employer for breaking the law or file for workers compensation as a result of on-the-job injuries, they may face deportation.
Experienced wage theft from employers: A report for the National Employment Law Project in 2017, documented cases in Florida and Massachusetts, where employers have retaliated against undocumented workers. These workers had filed for workers compensation by reporting them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and had been threatened with deportation.
Fear of deportation withholds reporting: These practices and anti-immigrant sentiment espoused by the federal leadership have caused many undocumented immigrants not to comply with federal investigations into unfair labor practices.
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Current Immigration Policies (6 of 8)
The impact of current policies on children
Difficult and inhumane conditions.
Children became sick and died.
Sexual abuse allegations not reported.
Children are not eligible for reunification.
California law firms filed suit in 2018.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Difficult and inhumane conditions: U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokespersons denied that families or children were being mistreated and stated that the detention facilities have acceptable conditions. Children interviewed by advocates described separation from their families, put into crowded rooms, feeling cold, hungry, tired, and scared, having little communication with their parents.
Children became sick and died: In December 2018, two children died of treatable illnesses in the custody of American immigration centers. The harsh conditions serve a purpose according to a Department of Homeland Security Official.
Sexual abuse allegations not reported: In one of the 1,448 sexual assault allegations against workers in ICE facilities between 2012 and March, 2018, a 19-year-old mother of a 3-year-old sought asylum for domestic violence. She was sexually assaulted, made the brunt of jokes, and threatened with deportation in a detention center in Pennsylvania. Government Accountability report cited by the ACLU showed that 40% of 2013 sexual abuse allegations were not reported, meaning those numbers could be higher.
Children are not eligible for reunification: In the summer of 2018, more than 300 parents were deported to Central America, leaving behind 66 children in the custody of the U.S. government. They are placed in foster care with the fear of involuntary adoption.
California law firms filed suit in 2018: Trump administration tried to end Temporary Protected Status for citizens of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Sudan, Nepal, and Haiti effective in 2018. Plaintiffs argued that the Trump Administration did not follow proper administrative procedures in ending the program, the president’s motivation being largely based on racism. In October 2018, a California District Court issued a temporary injunction stopping the Trump administration from being able to roll back the program until the case could be argued in courts.
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Current Immigration Policies (7 of 8)
State immigration laws
Exercise discretion in case of Mexicans.
Arizona native population feels threatened.
Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.
Alabama passes anti-immigration laws.
Twenty-five states consider sanctuary bills.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Exercise discretion in case of Mexicans: Despite the establishment of federal control over immigration, states and localities have often exercised their power to deport Mexicans and U.S. citizens of Mexican origin. Federal government’s Bracero Program to enable Mexican immigrants legally come to the United States and work on farms, was seen as unnecessary government intrusion by farmers, since there was lax enforcement.
Arizona native population feels threatened: Arizona legislature passed the Legal Arizona Workers Act (2007), requiring employers to use the federal e-verify system to ensure that all of their workers are documented residents or citizens. If employers are found to have hired an undocumented resident, they can be heavily fined or have their business license suspended, a law challenged but upheld by the Supreme Court.
Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act: Arizona made it legal to demand proof of citizenship from its residents if law enforcement officers believe that they might be undocumented. It also made it illegal for documented residents not to carry registration papers. Suit was filed against the State of Arizona and in 2016, they reached a settlement and law enforcement was told not to investigate citizenship based upon “reasonable suspicion.”
Alabama passes anti-immigration laws: Alabama passed the HB56 which makes it legal for officers to inquire about legal status during traffic stops and illegal for undocumented immigrants to attend a public university. But the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a provision that required verification of immigration papers for enrollment in K-12 programs. The court also blocked the State from arresting people for failure to produce documentation of legal status when pulled over for routine traffic stops. Alabama legislature found that the police did enforce the policy but in consequence, documented and undocumented Latino residents stopped reporting crimes or helping the police in investigating crimes.
Twenty-five states consider sanctuary bills: Sanctuary is a loose term with important symbolic meaning, referring to proposed laws to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities in various ways. The goal of such legislation is to protect undocumented residents, particularly those who are arrested or detained. U.S. Justice Department announced that they might block the access of sanctuary cities to federal law enforcement money, which itself was blocked by a federal district court judge.
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Current Immigration Policies (8 of 8)
Federal policy: The role of executive orders
Federal budget process was at impasse.
Controversial move: Declaring emergency.
Presidents have used executive powers.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.2 Assess the current immigration policy and its impact on children and families.
Federal budget process was at impasse: President Trump’s demand for funding a border wall was resisted by the Democrats, who had otherwise agreed to increase funding for border security from the current $44 billion. President Trump declared a State of Emergency to allow him to require the military to build the wall and divert funds from the Department of Defense and other sources to do so.
Controversial move: It might set a precedent that the President can circumvent the declared will of Congress by using his discretion to call a state of emergency, which manner has been challenged as unconstitutional by 16 states.
Presidents have used executive powers: When Obama was unable to get legislation passed to protect DREAMers, he issued an Executive Order allowing them to receive papers enabling them to go to college. His Executive Order required that they continue to register on a bi-annual basis to keep their temporary protected status, and be able to work legally in the United States under DACA.
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Policy Informed by Alternative Lenses (1 of 6)
Restrictive covenants: Jews and Italians.
Jews seen as predisposed to love money.
Italians seen as more emotionally volatile.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.3 Critique current policies using intersectionality and economic theories.
Restrictive covenants: Jews and Italians were allowed to become naturalized citizens, with the legal and political rights of “whites,” but excluded from purchasing property in certain neighborhoods and from some businesses.
Jews seen as predisposed to love money: New immigrants were often paid less than other white residents for the same work, and popular media expressed beliefs that Jews were predisposed to love money.
Italians seen as more emotionally volatile: Views on immigrants as “the other” persist in communities and in schools, and immigrant children are often placed in poorly resourced schools and pigeonholed into less academic programs.
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Policy Informed by Alternative Lenses (2 of 6)
Critical race theory and immigration
Consider race in policy making.
Xenophobia: anti-immigration sentiment.
Nationalism and racism have played role.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.3 Critique current policies using intersectionality and economic theories.
Critical race theory requires consideration of race when evaluating both the construction and implementation of policies, which is not a challenge with U.S. immigration policy.
Xenophobia means fear of and prejudice against people from other countries, and widely cited as a chief factor in much of the recent political rhetoric around immigration policy.
Nationalism and racism have played role: One example is unfounded pronouncements that “criminals and Middle Easterners” were mixed in a caravan of Central American families walking toward the Mexican border.
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Policy Informed by Alternative Lenses (3 of 6)
Intersectionality: Gender and immigrant status
Immigrant status tied to identity.
Factors that increase vulnerability:
Limited language skills.
Different cultural norms.
Fear of deportation.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.3 Critique current policies using intersectionality and economic theories.
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Policy Informed by Alternative Lenses (4 of 6)
Intersectionality: Gender and immigrant status
Immigrant women:
Vulnerable to domestic violence.
Lack health insurance.
Forced into sex work.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.3 Critique current policies using intersectionality and economic theories.
Vulnerable to domestic violence: Immigrant women are more vulnerable because of language issues, physical separation from family and friends, and because abusers can use the threat of deportation. Immigrant survivors of domestic violence and other crimes may be eligible for “U visas” that provide temporary immigration benefits.
Lack health insurance: Federal policy blocks legal immigrants from eligibility for Medicaid for the first five years of their residency in the United States, limiting their access to prenatal care for many women.
Forced into sex work: Immigrant women who are forced into sex work as a result of fraud or coercion are also eligible for special visas, but although 5,000 were available in 2012, only 674 were distributed.
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Policy Informed by Alternative Lenses (5 of 6)
Economic Analysis and Immigration
Low-skilled workers are paid less.
Employer’s profits increase.
First-generation immigrants are costlier.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.3 Critique current policies using intersectionality and economic theories.
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Policy Informed by Alternative Lenses (6 of 6)
Economic Analysis and Immigration
Immigrants make more money in United States.
Immigration solves tax burden issue.
Population declines are controlled.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.3 Critique current policies using intersectionality and economic theories.
Immigrants make more money in United States: Immigrants also make more money in the United States than they would have made in their home countries. Increase in low skilled workers has led to a decline in wages for unskilled work in the United States.
Immigration solves tax burden issue: If the number of nonworking people becomes too big for the working age population to support, number of retirees gets too high, and the tax burden on the workers may also be too high. To reduce benefits, the burden on current workers is increased, or workers are sought to contribute, a problem which immigration solves.
Population declines are controlled: To keep the population from declining, we need to have a birth rate of 2.1%. Instead, we have a birth rate of 1.7%. Immigrants could help make up the difference.
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Opportunities for Advocacy (1 of 2)
Legal entitlement to protections.
Policies designed to deport residents.
Abusive conditions in Border Patrol cells.
Supporting young adults and children.
Students’ acts of civil disobedience.
Lane, Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.4 Devise opportunities for advocacy on immigration advocacy on with federal, state, and local government.
Legal entitlement to protections: Though immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants, are not legally entitled to the same protections afforded to citizens regarding their right to live and work in the United States, many have U.S.-born children.
Policies designed to deport residents: When their parents are faced with deportation, child citizens are often faced with the option of being raised in foster care or being deported to a country where they may not even speak the language. The arrest of parents or other relatives prior to deportation causes sudden separation of parents and children that can be very traumatic. Immigration policies such as those that required parents to be separated from their children at the border can cause children to develop mental health problems.
Abusive conditions in Border Patrol cells: Abusive conditions in U.S. Border Patrol holding cells force undocumented migrants, including women and children, to sleep on the floor with only Mylar blankets for 3--4 days. Security officials require them to remove or discard their sweaters for “security reasons,” so that they are cold. Teenagers, as well as fathers, are kept in separate holding cells than women so that families are forced to separate during a particularly traumatic experience causing additional trauma.
Supporting young adults and children: DREAM, an acronym for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors was designed to protect such individuals. Students began to organize themselves and large national pro-immigration organizations were pushing for full-scale immigration reform policies. Young people broke with larger, traditional pro-immigrant organizations and openly supported and lobbied for the DREAM Act.
Students’ acts of civil disobedience: One group entered then-Senator John McCain's office and refused to leave. As a result of this action, several students were given deportation orders. In part, in response to these actions, the entire pro-immigrant movement began to support the DREAM Act, also publicly supported by President Barack Obama.
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Opportunities for Advocacy (2 of 2)
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Created temporary relief for children.
Improved economic well-being of families.
Improvements in mental health status.
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Satisfies Learning Objective 15.4 Devise opportunities for advocacy on immigration advocacy on with federal, state, and local government.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals: President Obama’s Executive Order allowing DREAMers to work legally by deferring any action on deportation for renewable two-year periods, in the face of Congress’ inability to pass the DREAM Act.
Created temporary relief for children: This order enabled children who were brought to the United States before age 16, who had been in the United States since 2007, and who were younger than 31 to receive temporary, renewable work permits.
Improved economic well-being of families: When comparing DACA eligible and non-DACA eligible undocumented immigrants, DACA reduced poverty by about 38% demonstrating the success of even temporary legal status.
Improvements in mental health status: Approximately 800,000 people took advantage of DACA, of which approximately 100,000 had their status changed after initial enrollment. They either became eligible for a different type of visa or a Green Card or lost their DACA status as a result of committing a crime. President Trump suspended the DACA program and tried to stop DACA renewals, but as a result of several federal district court challenges, DACA recipients are currently still able to renew their work permits.
Federal, state, and local opportunities: National Conference of State Legislators and National Immigration Law Center document state and federal legislative actions. Newer organizations such as America’s Voice and United We Dream tend to be more action oriented, create petitions to have organized marches, and help garner support for undocumented immigrants.
NASW encourages advocacy: National Association of Social Workers took a policy position that separating children from their parents at the border is “unconscionable.” Though one voice alone may not create a change in policy, organizational statements, petitions, and demonstrations together can create a force powerful enough to create policy change.
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