This has to stop, Know your Rights and Limitations!

I've lived in the US my entire life. I'm one of those stories of immigrant parents taking their child to start a new life in a new country. I have experienced first hand the difficulties undocumented immigrants face everyday and the negative political discourse the nation has about us lately. I don't endorse criminal activity of any type. For some reason Americans think undocumented people represent a considerable percentage of felonies across the country when, in reality, it's the opposite. Verify here.

I don't like to get into political stuff, but we all know the new administration represents questionable values regarding our community. Don't let this rhetoric diminish your value. Media and ignorant people will polarize our role in society, making you think "you're not enough for the American nation". Aside from employers exploiting workers with minimum wages for hard labor, they see no other contribution of the undocumented community in society.

I acknowledge not everyone thinks this way. In fact, a small percentage of Americans do, but they are noisy and hateful. We know our situation and do our best to contribute, we have ITIN numbers to report our taxes, drive vehicles with lawfully issued licenses, create businesses with EIN and compliance paperwork, speak English fluently and don't abuse state and federal programs like food stamps (I hope you're not abusing it, don't be part of the problem).

The majority of us didn't choose to be in this position. ICE targeting workplaces, churches, and schools is a poor execution of wiping out undocumented criminals, they just simply don't hang out there. We have to be cautious, know your rights clearly and exercise Miranda rights when necessary. Read and carry a copy of the constitution. You're living in the US regardless of status, so you should make an effort to understand the system and law, no exceptions. Also, while we are still protected in some areas, we're not in others, I highly recommend read this and expand from there.

I recognize the challenges in our current position. As anything in life, knowledge and a solid mindset is necessary for success. Be mindful of your actions and stay away from law enforcement (in the positive and protection sense). We need accurate and reliable information, and for most cases executive orders can be exercised only on the scope of the current law and require a rigorous process to modify the constitution. In an unbiased manner, question everything this or other administrations propose regarding policy of any type just like the ridiculous, racist and unproductive allocation of mental energy of the birthright citizenship executive order. Read the order here and an objective analysis here.

Anonymously written at my discretion.

Edit: I wasn’t expecting such traction. I’ll answer your comments, but first, let me clarify: I wrote this in reaction to the latest news and events surrounding this topic, so it has an emotional aspect, though I did my best to bring objectivity.

One additional point I didn’t discuss is that undocumented immigrants are unfortunately negatively impacted by the actions of gangs and terrorist groups within the country. We want those groups out as much as you do. This isn’t an easy task to accomplish, as there are many collateral effects that impact the immigrant community. The real problem has historic roots, such as the stigmatization of Italian and Chinese immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries due to mafia and illegal activity. A small subgroup of immigrants acting unlawfully creates the perception that this is what to expect from the entire group.

A contemporary example could be MS-13 or the current Train Aragua national threats (they must be wiped out asap). This issue has been weaponized by multiple political administrations throughout history, abusing the uninformed average American to gain votes.

I’m against illegal immigration, but I sympathize with those who hold the right values, manage to cross the border, and strive to contribute to society within their limited legal scope. This topic is complex, and to avoid the abuse of the border, immigration systems should be properly established.

I just think the conversation can quickly turn irrational when political ideologies obstruct objective points, and emotional reactions steer the discourse away from the core issue.