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Our bleeding heart liberals complain a lot about U.S. immigrations policies.
They shed tears over the poor refugees stuck on our borders. They deride our immigration agencies and
excoriate the President as being responsible for all problems with immigration and immigrants. They
protest, they picket, they shout, they scream and they even shed tears. But, what they
don’t do is take concrete and meaningful steps to help immigrants and their families legally attain
U.S. citizenship.
Individuals and families desiring to legally immigrate into the United States
can do so through individual and family sponsorship. The sponsor acts as a guarantor that the
individual or family being sponsored has good intentions and plans on holding down a job,
supporting a family and integrating into U.S. society. The sponsor for a family visa must be a
United States citizen or hold a Green Card.
The process is expedited for immediate relatives, but the sponsor must still prove viable
income and maintain a stable enough lifestyle to maintain a steady relationship with the
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency over the several years it will
take for the immigrant to receive his or her own Green Card. They must also continually vouch
for the immigrant’s reputation as well as maintain a consistent relationship with the immigrant
verifiable by law. Sponsors must also maintain clean criminal records.
[1]
Let’s look at an example of people and organizations actually abiding
by U.S. immigration laws and undertaking the steps necessary to bring generally destitute refugees
fleeing oppression and death into these United States.
By the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the number of Jews fleeing Russian
oppression and blatant anti-Semitism had grown from under 9,000 annually to a staggering 200,000
people each year.[2; Page 929] Most were seeking
entry into the United States. But, these refugees could not simply get on a ship or a plane and
come to the promised land. They needed to go through a long-standing immigration process to be
legally admitted. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) had been formed decades
earlier to help refugees through this process.
“Every refugee had to have a sponsor, a person or organization to
vouchsafe housing, medical care, education, and employment. The U.S. Congress made it clear
that if it was going to pressure the Kremlin to release its Jews, if America
was going to raise its annual refugee admission quota, then HIAS would have to provide its
refugees with sponsors. In part, this sponsorship requirement was meant to ensure that the new
arrivals wouldn’t be left to fend for themselves in a foreign country. But Washington also
sought to protect itself as much as the refugees, and understandably so – laissez-faire
immigration can take a heavy toll on health care, welfare, and all sorts of social services.
In the interest of everyone, sponsorship was a must.” (Ref. 3; Page 145)
Another Jewish immigrant aid organization that was helping Russian-Jews
come to America was the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, abbreviated to
JDC. JDC came into existence in 1914. The JDC started its efforts to save Jews with a donation
of $50,000 from a wealthy Jewish entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the main funder of the
organization and helped raise funds to save and aid Jews around the world. Other Jewish relief
organizations contributed to the JDC. The American Jewish Relief Committee, founded by
several reformed Jews, was one such group that helped collect funds for the JDC. The Central
Relief Committee, which was founded by Eastern European, Orthodox Jews in 1914 also helped
provide funds to the JDC. Almost one year later, in August 1915, the socialist People's Relief
Committee joined in to provide funds to the JDC. After a few years, the JDC and the
organizations assisting it had raised significant funds and were able to make a noteworthy impact.
By the end of 1917, the JDC had transferred $76,000 to Romania, $1,532,300 to Galicia, $2,5532,000
to Russia, and $3,000,000 to a German-occupied Poland and Lithuania. By 1920, the JDC had sent
nearly $5,000,000 to assist the Jews in Poland. Between 1919-1920, during the emergency relief
period, the JDC had disbursed over $22,0000,000 to help in restoration and relief across Europe.
Today, the stated mission of the JDC is to offer aid to the many Jewish populations in central
and eastern Europe as well as the Middle East through a network of social and community
assistance programs. In addition, the JDC contributes millions of dollars in disaster relief and
development assistance to non-Jewish communities around the world.[4]
When the number of Jewish refugees seeking to come to America was a
trickle, it was a relatively simple matter to find an American family, Jewish or otherwise,
willing to accept responsibility for the newcomers while they were getting settled into their
new homeland. But, with the number of Russian-Jews stampeding to leave the land of the Pogrom
growing to 200,000 a year near the end of the twentieth century, the problem of finding enough
sponsors grew enormously. While these Russian-Jews got out of Russia as fast as they could, they
did not make a mad dash to enter illegally – they got in line and waited until their number was
called and then they waited some more while all the i’s were dotted and all the t’s crossed on
their immigration documents. For many, it was a long wait under much less than favorable conditions
– but they waited their turn.
To attack that burgeoning problem, “HIAS required a fresh supply of
sponsors, a suburban network that extended past the overtaxed enclaves of the cities. This went
beyond asking someone to sign a petition or mail you a check. HIAS would have to convince random
American Jews to take legal and moral responsibility for complete strangers, to accept entire
families of refugees into their homes. First came the recruitment, making local communities aware
of the pressing need for sponsors. Then there was fund-raising. And training. And preparations.
All for one family. There were thousands of families.” (Ref. 3; Page 146)
HIAS accepted this challenge and went to work.
Working in conjunction with HIAS during this period was the JDC
which had to expand both its reach and the scope of its mission. Under the banner of “Rescue,
Relief, and Renewal,” the organization responded to the challenges that faced Jewish communities
around the world, its emphasis on building the capacity of local partners to be self-sustaining.
The thawing of the Cold War and subsequent breakup of the Soviet Union yielded a formal
invitation from Mikhail Gorbachev for JDC's return to the region in 1989; 50 years after Joseph
Stalin brutally expelled the organization, killing several JDC members in the process. The
former Soviet Union and its largely isolated and destitute community of elderly Jewish populations
quickly became — and remain today — the organization's priority. A growing network of welfare
centers, that JDC helped establish in local communities, provided welfare assistance to a peak
caseload of 250,000 elderly Jews. As of 2008, that network was still serving 168,000 of the
world's poorest Jews in the former Soviet Union.[4]
When the need arose, HIAS, JDS and American Jewry stepped up and provided
the dollars, sponsors, housing, jobs, training, and moral support to legally
bring in hundreds of thousands of Russian-Jewish refugees. They took these actions without
resorting to non-productive demonstrations and riots. They did so willingly, instead of calling
for the dismantling of the government’s immigrations organizations. They did not stupidly picket
companies that provide needed goods and services to ICE that are used to house and support
detained refugees. These organizations and people devoted their work and their money to
benefitting the refugees. They did all of this instead of blindly opposing and belittling a
political party, an office holder or the long-established laws of this country.
And it wasn’t just Jews helping other Jews. There were – and are –
people who believe in following the Golden Rule, of helping others when the need arises,
of doing something concrete instead of wringing their hands and offering meaningless words of
sympathy. One such individual was a Finnish woman by the name of Eva Huber-Huber. In the
mid-1980’s, while working as a journalist in Vienna, she noticed shivering refugees on the
streets of Vienna and she decided to take action. She began by soliciting donations and
opened a clothing distribution center. As Russian-Jewish refugees began to flood into
Austria, Eva realized they needed help. Friends across Europe provided clothing and served
as regional collection hubs. The Vienna center expanded into a headquarters and a dormitory.
Helsinki churches and youth groups allowed Eva to tap into a network of Finnish teenagers.
Donations supplied the money to transport and house the volunteers, who were recruited to
serve in Vienna for two to four weeks. As the number of new refugees kept increasing, the
Vienna center started operating day and night and an organization named Hilfe und Hoffnung
(Help and Hope) emerged. Even after the flood of Russian-Jewish refugees began to subside,
the humanitarian work started by Eva continued. When the Balkan conflict in Yugoslavia
devolved into ethnic cleansing, Hilfe and Hoffnung expanded into 26 separate aid missions
in Belgrade and Sarajevo. Eva Huber-Huber proved that when people decide to take action,
extraordinary outcomes can be attained. The results of Eva’s efforts were recognized by Austria,
when in 2006, it awarded her the Gold Medal of the Republic, one of its highest civilian
honors.[3; Pages 297-300]
Sometimes, actions are taken and programs instituted that are
counterproductive and/or which produce unexpected negative consequences. Here is an
example of one such government program involving immigrants coming into the United
States.
Once upon a time, it was clearly understood that immigrants to America
would either be self-supporting or would be sponsored by an American citizen who would guarantee
that the immigrant or the immigrant family would not be a drain on the public welfare system.
But that changed under the auspices of our liberal bleeding hearts during the
administration of President Barack Obama. Instead of requiring immigrant self-sufficiency,
the Obama administration was fostering dependency on public welfare! I made note of
this fact in 2012.
“In general, immigrants to America should not have to be supported
by public welfare. Historically, a requirement for admission to America was evidence that new
immigrants would either be able to support themselves or would be supported by family and/or
private organizations until they were able to support themselves. This policy has not been
followed in recent years. {2008-2016} [Emphasis mine]
“Instead of requiring or encouraging self-sufficiency of immigrants,
the Obama administration’s policy has been to promote ‘welfare and EBT benefits for immigrants
with a ‘welcome’ package and promotional website that encourages new arrivals to take advantage
of the nation’s generous government largesse.’ [Emphasis mine] (Ref. 5)
“About this policy, a Massachusetts state representative said: ‘I think
it’s a complete outrage that we’re encouraging people coming here to get public assistance. . . .
We should be encouraging people to be self-sufficient.’ . . . A group of U.S. senators has asked
the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ‘why food stamps and other benefits are being
promoted [Emphasis mine] to new immigrants. The agency’s WelcometoUSA.gov
website includes a comprehensive handbook directing immigrants on how to obtain food stamps,
Medicare, disability and other taxpayer-funded aid.’ According to one senator, ‘That is
contrary to law and sound policy.’ [Emphasis mine] (Ref. 5)
“Another senator noted that, in contrast to the Obama administration’s
policies regarding new immigrants, ‘the nation’s immigration policy historically has been to
deny admission to anyone who would become ‘a public charge.’ . . . It {the administration’s
immigration policy} flies in the face of what the immigration policy is supposed to be.
. . . People with skills can’t get in, and our USDA is advertising benefits for people who
are immediately going to go on welfare. There’s a great bit of irony there.’
(Ref. 5)
“A member of the Senate Committee on the Budget stated:
“ ‘Federal law prohibits the granting of visas to those likely to
be welfare reliant, yet DHS {Department of Homeland Security} actively promotes these benefits
to millions of new arrivals every year.’
“ ‘DHS should remove any sections of its website, and any portions
of its materials for new arrivals, that promote or encourage welfare reliance.’
“ ‘It is a long-held principle of immigration that those seeking a life
in America are expected to be able to care for themselves financially and contribute to the
financial health of the nation. The Administration’s actions show this principle is no longer
in effect. Encouraging self-sufficiency must be a bedrock for our immigration policy, with the
goal of reducing poverty, strengthening the family, and promoting our economic values. But
Administration officials and their policies are working actively against this goal. At the same
time, those who would be self-sufficient are denied or delayed in their admittance.’
(Ref. 6)
“Some of the administration’s other controversial immigration
policies/actions include the following:
"** ‘The USDA signed a pact with Mexico requiring 50 US-based consulates to hand out
information to Mexican nationals on how to obtain welfare and other benefits.’
- (Ref. 5)
“** ‘The agency created a Spanish-language ad in which an individual is ‘pressured’ into
accepting food stamps, even though she says her family is self-sufficient.’
- (Ref. 5)
“** ‘A USDA web site gives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 'recruiters
tips on how to ‘overcome the word no’ when seeking to sign up new recipients {for the
food stamp} program.’
- (Ref. 5)”
(Ref. 7)
Instead of using their energy and their resources to help bring
deserving refugees legally into this country, some supporters of the asylum seekers have
utilized their energy and resources in violent fashion. There has been a rising tide of
vicious anti-ICE rhetoric from the liberal-left, all too often fueled by congressional
Democrats, media voices and presidential hopefuls. ICE workers are facing threats, including
intimidations of their children and shots being fired at their offices.
Instead of resorting to violence and idiotically demanding the
dissolution of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service which is tasked with
protecting America's borders, why don’t our egg-head,
ivory tower, blustering and protesting liberals sponsor the legal immigration
of an asylum-seeking family? Why don’t they put their money and their zeal where their mouths
are? Instead of shedding their crocodile tears over the plight of these illegal aliens, why
don’t these supposed champions of the poor and down-trodden do something meaningful and sign
up to guarantee that they will be responsible for a legal immigrant family
while they are adapting to their new country? In case these liberals don’t know how to sponsor
an immigrant, there’s a set of instructions they can get and follow to accomplish this task.
All it takes is real compassion, the will, some money, and some risk-taking to fill out the
necessary forms. To be walked through the process, they can go to Reference 8
and follow the detailed steps provided.
American Jews (and many others) have been going through this process
for two centuries. Jews in America did it for their Russian brethren back in the 80’s and 90’s,
so why can’t our bleeding-heart liberals do the same in 2019-2020? Maybe it’s just a lot easier
to complain and grouse than to do something really positive. Maybe risking a few bucks and some
time is too difficult for these do-gooders. Maybe they really don’t live by the Golden Rule.
Maybe they really don’t give a damn about the potential newcomers coming to America. Instead,
maybe they are are only interested in bashing Donald Trump and the political party to which
he belongs. Why weren’t these alleged champions of the poor and downtrodden rioting over
America’s immigration policies and illegal immigration when a Democrat held the office of
the president? After all, ICE is doing the same job with the same resources now as then.
Maybe then, it was easier to close their eyes to the situation at our borders. Maybe then,
our bleeding-hearts didn’t want to embarrass their man in the White House.
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References:
- How Does Immigration Sponsorship Work?, The Law Dictionary,
Accessed 9 September 2019.
- A History of the Jews in America, Howard M. Sachar, New York:Knopf, 1992.
- A Backpack, A Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka, Lev Golonkiin, Doubleday, 2014.
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Bill Ong Hing, Wikipedia,
Accessed 10 September 2019.
- ’Outrage’ over fed EBT push for Aliens , Dave Wedge, Boston Herald, Page 6,
20 November 2012.
- What Is Comprehensive Immigration Reform?, Bill Ong Hing, HuffingPost.com:
The Blog, 15 November 2012.
- American Immigrants – Legal and Illegal, David Burton, Son of Eliyahu;
Article 152, 16 November 2012.
- How to Sponsor an Immigrant, Clinton M. Sandvick et al, wikihow.com,
Accessed 10 September 2019.
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