By Carol Pomeroy

I absolutely agree that there needs to be immigration reform, but certainly not in the way it is being presented by the incoming president and his administration. More resources need to be allocated by the government in the form of additional border guards, immigration judges to vet for potential criminals and security personnel to prevent fentanyl and other drugs from coming into our country. Mass deportation is not the answer.

It is a complete fabrication that many other countries are opening their jails and sending their criminals to the United States. Anyone who believes that should research legitimate sources and discover the truth for themselves. Do not rely on white supremacists and Christian Nationalists for the misinformation they propagate. Their beliefs are not Christ centered but rather based on their belief that the white race is superior to any person of color and they need to keep this county white. Fear and intimidation are their goal as well as the goal of the president elect whose desire is to be an autocrat with unlimited power.

The immigrants are not taking your jobs. There are a high number of unfilled jobs in many industries including, but not limited to, hospitality, fast food workers, waiters and waitresses, chefs, dishwashers, maintenance, CNAs and nurses’ aids in hospitals and nursing homes, landscaping and lawn care. People are frustrated that there are long wait times for service in restaurants and other establishments. They are frustrated that their relatives in hospitals and nursing homes do not receive basic care in a timely manner because they do not have adequate staffing. Have you noticed how many businesses have help wanted signs in their windows? If there are mass deportations the unfilled job situation will become even worse. We do not need less immigrants, we need more.
People in the incoming administration are intentionally stoking fear not only in the minds of undocumented immigrants but in the minds of dreamers, immigrants with visas and work permits and naturalized citizens. These people are living in fear that they will be swept up in the mass deportation of 11 million people in year one of Trump’s presidency. Even if costs or logistics would not allow this to happen in year one, large numbers of immigrants will be deported in this coming year.

Some of the concerns I have heard from people who are having trouble sleeping and are continually under stress are from people of color. One example is a person of Asian descent who has been subjected to racial slurs. At an election site, in a previous election, while handing out voting information this person was spit on and told to go back to their country. As a naturalized citizen who has lived in the United States for many years, there is still daily fear of deportation.

It is now more important than ever that all people be treated with dignity and respect. No person should be treated unjustly because of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs or their ethnicity. This country was built by immigrants. We are not a white nation, but a nation that has a diverse population. We are not a Christian nation but a nation that in our Constitution guarantees the freedom to worship in whatever manner is consistent with your beliefs which includes Christianity but is not solely Christian.

Now is the time to stand up for what is just and right. Let your Government representatives know that mass deportation is not the answer and that they have an obligation to address the concerns of their constituents and not cower to the self-serving interests of the president elect.

Carol Pomeroy lives in Salisbury.