Understanding the complexities of U.S. immigration: Beyond the border crisis and misconceptions

The United States has two problems when it comes to immigration, particularly that which occurs across our southern border with Mexico.

We have an actual problem, and we have a perceived problem.

We also have a problem based on bigotry and racism, but one thing at a time.

The actual southern immigration problem we have is twofold. We have drug warlords using whatever means necessary to heave as much of their product into the United States as possible — this has the knock-on effect of turning much of our southwestern border into a fairly deadly no man’s land — and we have a steady flow of folks from Mexico and points south desperate to get into this country for a chance at what we have, namely jobs and money that’s worth a heck of a lot more than the currency where they live.

At press time, one U.S. dollar is worth 19 Mexican pesos.

Unfortunately, the two problems above are, at times, inexorably entangled with each other, as people hoping for a new life at some point down the road are commoditized as drug mules, or dragged into some deeper, darker part of that racket.

And the other side of the latter problem above, of course, is we do have laws in this country regulating immigration and, at our southern border predominantly and prolifically, those laws are ignored.

So those are actual problems.

The perceived problem with illegal, or undocumented, immigration we have in the United States is the idea the people coming in over the border are stealing American jobs, or are otherwise here to murder, rape and pillage what they can from whomever they can lay hands on.

Taking the first part first, it’s illegal at the federal level for an American business to knowingly hire an undocumented migrant, so it’s the scores of such businesses that are stealing jobs from Americans, if anyone is.

Here in New York City, things are a little different as, though an employer can refuse to hire an undocumented worker on that basis, that employer cannot, if it does take on such workers, treat or pay them differently from any other employee.

That leaves the third problem we have in the United States when it comes to immigration over the southern border, the convenient target migrants make for demagogues…

…such as, say, the one currently running for president on the Republican ticket, who has gone out his way to paint migrants as rapacious animals on numerous occasions and, just last week, seemed to reiterate his belief those coming to the United States for asylum were actually coming to the United States from asylums.

They’re not.

With all that as background, The Press reported last week New York City is preparing Overlook Manor, a former off-campus housing facility for Manhattan college, to be a migrant shelter.

Though this has been rumored for some time, the mayor’s office only told local elected officials it was making the move to convert the building within days of doing so. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s office put flyers up on the surrounding buildings informing local residents of the imminent plans for Overlook Manor.

Furniture was moved into the building last week and, later this month, up to 95 rooms of the Overlook will be used to house migrant families, who will be transferred from the migrant arrival center in the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.

It will fall to Yonkers-based Westhab, which did not respond to The Press’ request for comment last week, to administer services, including meals, to the migrants at Overlook Manor.

The department of homeless services said Overlook is not expected to be a permanent migrant shelter, but Councilman Eric Dinowitz said he is working with area schools, which will be tasked with educating migrant children in the fall.

Meanwhile, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa told The Press last week he intends to station 12 of his volunteers around the Overlook, ostensibly to protect the migrants from each other, he said, as much as to protect local residents from the migrants.

OK.

As undocumented migrants continue to enter the United States, continue to be bussed into sanctuary cities by red-state governors and continue to be stigmatized by those seeking cheap political points, we have, at best, an uneasy situation in places like greater Riverdale, where the best nature of a diverse populace should understand the plight of those desperate for the chance at a better life.

But.

Just as bias and snap judgments are not helpful in tenuous situations like there’s about to be at Overlook Manor, it’s equally detrimental to all concerned to turn a blind eye and an open heart to the very real task of trying to give the families housed there — for however long — the logistics and humanity they’re going to need to, if it can be done, become part of what actually makes America great.

It’s tempting to just say let’s wait and see, but perhaps the best course of action, for everyone involved, will be to do and watch.

And listen.