The Constitution give Congress the power “To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization” in Article I, Section 8, as well as to “repel invasions.” Congress has passed numerous laws regarding illegal immigration, including ones that penalize those who give aid and shelter to illegals. The Executive Office is tasked with upholding and enforcing those laws, and takes an oath to do so. So, what are we to think of this?
I Met With Vice President Harris, and She Promised to Protect My Undocumented Family
For my mom, my safety and my future have always felt more valuable than her own. She has often told me that if I were to become a US citizen that will be enough for her, even if it means she remains undocumented. All the nights spent worrying about my future and about whether she made the right choice to seek a better life for our family here would feel lighter knowing that, at the very least, her child could live a stable life as a citizen.
Your mom could have emigrated legally to the U.S. She chose not to in violation of U.S. law.
But as I’ve come to learn, stability for me cannot be possible without stability for my entire family. Even if DACA were to remain in place, it continues to exclude people like my parents, leaving them vulnerable to the threat of deportation. That’s why, two months ago, when I walked into the White House to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, I carried with me a vision for what a safe, stable life for my family and millions more just like ours, can look like. It was during that meeting that I shared with the Vice President that I am pregnant with my first child. As she listened to me share what citizenship would mean for me and my family, she made a promise to fight for all of us and to keep my family together.
Let’s think on this: the Vice President voluntarily met with people who are unlawfully present in the United States. These people are, by law, criminals. Yet, she did nothing. Under the law they should have been detained and, pending a hearing, deported. Because few qualify for any sort of status. So, Kamala broke federal law. Of course, nothing will happen to her. Unlike, say, if you were knowingly employing an illegal, and you would go to jail.
Much like my mother has done for me, I know with certainty that I would do anything to keep my baby safe. But keeping my baby safe means ensuring he can grow up in a home where he won’t have to worry about his mom or grandparents being deported. It means living a life where he won’t have to bear the weight of keeping our family afloat financially because employment has never been a certainty for his undocumented loved ones. It means a life where citizenship for his family isn’t simply a dream, but a reality.
We keep being told that the children should not be penalized for the criminal actions of the parents. Shouldn’t someone pay? Apparently not, according to the illegals.
Vice President Harris has the power to deliver citizenship for my family and millions more just like ours if she commits to following through on her word by any means necessary. That day in the White House with her, Vice President Harris looked in my eyes and promised she would fight for me. She would fight for my undocumented parents. And she would fight to keep my family together.
So, you come illegally, and now you’re demanding citizenship? I wonder what Susie Lujano would think if people started camping out on her lawn. Or her living room. Would she demand they be removed?
In moments of pain and trauma – moments where undocumented lives continue to be put on the line – we have always proven our resilience and our power. But our resilience to fight against anti-immigrant attacks is just as much an indication of our courage and commitment to protecting our communities as it is a reminder that our country’s immigration system is, by design, built to hurt us..
You’re not a victim. You’re a criminal. The immigration system was designed to control our borders, not hurt you specifically. You could have gone through the legal process, like so many. You chose to do it the wrong way.
DACA is not enough. Citizenship for just immigrant youth is not enough. To truly deliver on her promise to protect immigrant communities and to fight for my family, Vice President Harris must use her power to deliver an expansive and inclusive pathway to citizenship. At the end of my meeting with Vice President Harris, she turned to me to take a photo, sharing that this picture was her gift to me and my baby and that she would work hard to make sure my family would never be separated. This photo will forever be a reminder of whether or not Vice President Harris fulfills that promise.
What’s the recourse in charging Harris with multiple violations of U.S. immigration law? There’s one set of laws for the citizens, and one for the Elites.
Read: Kamala Harris Apparently Promised To Protect An Illegal Alien Family »