We are in Session…or Rather, Sessions’ Faulty Claims

On September 5th, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a statement regarding the benefits of the repeal of DACA. First, he states that DACA is unconstitutional, as the program was created because of an executive order. His next main point is that the repeal of DACA opens up opportunities to reform the immigration system and assist immigrants in assimilating into American culture. Lastly, he claims that the repeal will prevent the wages and salaries of American workers from decreasing and protect American workers from potential unemployment.

 

Currently, there are flaws with Sessions’ argument. For starters, yes, DACA was brought into law through executive order and may seem as if it is giving preferential treatment to immigrants. However, according to the Declaration of Independence, in America, all men (and women) are created equal. That statement now applies to men and women of many different ethnicities, whether they were born in America or came from another country. People may come to America to escape political turmoil and violence from their native countries. And they come here to start over, enduring hardship and racism to be accepted in America. To prevent these people from having the same benefits as citizens because of documentation status, especially after they have worked hard to acquire better lives for themselves and their families, contradicts the Declaration of Independence. It is immoral. On many accounts.

 

Next, with the number of immigrants currently residing in the country, it is hard to determine what exactly is “American culture.” America is a melting pot of cultures, and there are different traditions, customs, and values that are brought in from other countries. My friend group has an Iranian-American, a Jamaican, and an African-American, among other ethnicities, and we are able to share information about our respective cultures. American culture embraces differences from other cultures. Immigrants coming to America and bringing aspects from their cultures with them WOULD be them assimilating into American culture….if they’re already doing that, then how would the repeal of DACA help? How would preventing immigrants from bringing in their cultures help them assimilate into a culturally diverse environment?

 

Lastly, immigrants don’t even get the jobs that most Americans want. People usually aim for higher-paying jobs (e.g. doctor, lawyer, businessman/businesswoman). When they first come into the country, immigrants typically get lower-paying jobs, such as farming or working in restaurants. The jobs that Americans want have been protected, especially because it is already hard to acquire citizenship in this country, and it is necessary to have an ID card and a social security number in order to even acquire a decent job, much less a well-paying one.

 

Perhaps Sessions is afraid of immigrants’ potential in acquiring well-paying jobs in the future, so he wants to prevent this from happening as soon as possible.

 

Regardless, that doesn’t change the fact that there are holes in his argument. Nor does it mean that immigrants are going to stop fighting for their basic right to equality.