This week we will be reading the book The Leavers by Lisa Ko. In the story, Polly Guo (Deming’s mother), is detained and deported by ICE. Often times, individuals and families immigrant to the United States in search of better opportunity and overall an increased quality of life. However, since the process of getting a green card can take an extensive amount of time and money, some individuals try and come into the country illegally. I want to focus my context research presentation on ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the affect it has on individuals and their families in the United States today.
ICE is responsible for upholding immigration laws in the United States in order protect public safety and national security. They are responsible for detaining, and deporting individuals and their families who have illegally immigrated to the United States. While reasonings for ICE’s illegal immigration removal sound reasonable, some argue they often leave countless families separated and promote mistrust towards police (ICE 2020).
For instance, the Secure Communities program in 2009 was set in place in Illinois to allow ICE access to all arrest records made by local law enforcement agencies. This program led to the deportation of illegal immigrants whether they were convicted of a crime or not. Elected officials in Illinois, at the time, turned against the program voicing that it instilled a sense of mistrust and fear in minority communities toward the police. Furthermore, it makes less individuals want to work with the police when witnesses were asked to come forward when a crime occurs (WBUR 2011).
Currently in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security has the authority to separate adults and minors when illegally trying to enter the country. This authority takes precedence when DHS is unable to identify if the minor and adult are related, if there is question a child may be at risk, or if the parent or guardian is wanted for criminal prosecution. Thus, it can lead to a separation of families for an extended period of time. This process also can cause confusion and panic in families for the communication between when the families will reunite again, is sometimes unclear (Department of Homeland Security 2018). ICE detainment centers over this past summer were planning on releasing over 100 children while the release of their parents and guardians was planned for a later date. This arrangement put an increasing risk of families being separated for children could then be given to protective services or other relatives (Jazeera 2020). The emotional stress on families due this disorganization, caused many to have their children stay at the facility until all family members could be released together.
What are you opinions on how ICE operates in the United States today with keeping in mind, the tole it can take on families?
Citations:
“Who We Are.” ICE, www.ice.gov/about.
Wbur. “Mass. Weighs Pros And Cons Of Controversial Immigration Program.” Mass. Weighs Pros And Cons Of Controversial Immigration Program | WBUR News, WBUR, 13 May 2011, www.wbur.org/news/2011/05/13/secure-communities-3.
“Myth vs. Fact: DHS Zero-Tolerance Policy.” Department of Homeland Security, 19 June 2018, www.dhs.gov/news/2018/06/18/myth-vs-fact-dhs-zero-tolerance-policy.
Al Jazeera. “Kids Released by ICE Could Be Separated from Parents on Friday.” US & Canada | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 16 July 2020, www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/7/16/kids-released-by-ice-could-be-separated-from-parents-on-friday.
Hi Lauren!
I really enjoyed reading your presentation on ICE’s role in the US, and how that role can negatively impact those seeking a better life. While I do not believe their job is a pleasant one, and many reformations must be made within the program to better the experiences of those detained, they are vital to the US as their priority task is to protect us citizens. In order to do good, ICE must prioritize keeping families together, and instead of simply refusing and turning some away, must work to reunite and find a solution to the issues. Border control is a hot topic in the US, and while we must have compassion for those less fortunate, it is vital to keep our homeland safe and protected first.
Lauren,
Great research, first off! All of this information is very helpful in regards to our reading for the week. The background information on ICE is good to know prior to reading the novel. I didn’t know much about it, and your research actually helped me a lot. I wasn’t aware of the programs and scenarios you mentioned, either. Great job!
Hi Lauren,
I found your post to be extremely informative. Although I am not fully educated about ICE and everything that has occurred recently, I do disagree completely with the separating of families. The mental toll this can take on a developing mine are huge, and these kids are treated like prisoners living in awful conditions. Although these terrible things continue to happen under ICE’s watch, they do provide a service for our citizens: protection. I hope that in the future our country can develop a much better system for allowing people who are fleeing war or poverty for a better life to enter our country legally.
I appreciated the presentation on ICE, as they are frequently in the news as of late, so it was nice to have a bit of background regarding their goals and what controversies surrounding them are. I don’t think their stated goals are inherently bad, but they seem to not be too concerned with citizen’s opinions of them, which leads to a lot of distrust. Additionally, like the immigration process itself, their methods for detaining people seems to move very slowly and without much communication of what will happen in the future. This is especially a problem when families are separated, as that can be a very scary time for the people involved.
Hi Lauren,
You did great research for this week! I think you insight on ICE was very helpful as we begin this week. I think that it is important to get a feel for the history and context before diving into a story, and you have done just that. I do agree with you that the thought of ICE is good. It sounds helpful and protective when you look at is as an organization that just regulate immigration. They, however, do separate families, like you have mentioned. I think when kids get taken from their parents due to deportation, ICE is failing to do their job. Making children homeless or taking their parents away from them is not their purpose, and I think the government needs to look at how they handle modern day immigration. Good way to get us thinking before the reading, Lauren, I enjoyed your post!
Lauren,
I think your presentation was definitely well though out and well researched. You can tell when reading over your presentation that this is something you are interested in or at least provided the correct and most accurate information when doing this assignment. I also think that because of ICE’s popularity in the discussions in the media and news outlets, learning more information about what is going on provides a better understanding for people who may not be informed. I think that ICE needs to have a reform and evaluation of the facilities as well as their officers might be a better way to keep the country save and protected without hurting the lives of others. Overall, great post!
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your researching presentation. Your presentation gives me the background and helps me to have a better understand of the article. I think that the existence of ICE’s is necessary. However, I still cannot accept the separation of family and children. I think we should find a more appropriate way to solve the problem of illegal immigration.
Hi Lauren!
Thank you for your presentation on ICE and how their job has an impact on a ton of families today. I think the job of ICE overall is a tough one to take a side on. On one hand I do not think illegal immigration is a good thing for our country, and ICE has to do it’s job to keep illegal immigrants out. However, on the other hand I think that there are people that need to leave their current home and do not have a choice to wait and get into the country legally, causing them to try and cross illegally. Overall I think ICE does have an important job to do for the states, but I do not necessarily agree with the separation of families especially children.
Lauren,
This topic is both fascinating alone and an impactful connection to our course material and current events. Like most, I do not think that open borders are a good idea. That being said, I recently learned that ICE is separated into multiple sub-agencies: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). While I am not a fan of ICE and think that we need to remove it and create an entirely different agency which controls immigration and customs, I think that an argument can be made for the validity of HSI and OPLA. However, ERO, in my opinion, causes significantly more harm than good as that is the body which engages in raids of cities and separations of families. All in all, very interesting context research presentation!
Hello Lauren,
Thank you for the informative research presentation on ICE, knowing those information about what illegal immigrants could bt facing in the United States helps me better understand the reading this week. In my opinion, I understand the part ICE need to their jobs to protect US citizens rights and safeties. Although I don’t think illegal move to another country is a acceptable choice even their intention was to seek better opportunities not harm, I do not appreciate the separations of families especially for the innocent children.
Hi Lauren,
I think you have provided us with a lot of information. I think ICE’s actions have both advantages and disadvantages, and cannot be directly regarded as bad. We need to reunite families as much as possible. Perhaps ICE’s measures should be made gentle. I think ICE still plays a very good protective role.
Hi Lauren. Thank you for giving us all the information that you did about ICE. I think it is something that everyone should be educated on because of how big of a spotlight it has right now. In my opinion I think it is horrible for any family to be split up for any reason. But I am able to understand there are consequences to illegal actions that split up families everyday. For example, my grandpa was split from his siblings and parents because his father committed a crime after his mother had died. This made all his siblings have to be split up across the country and away from their family. This had to be done because of an illegal action that was committed. I think we need to help these families who want to come for a better life for their children, but it needs to be done legally. I think ICE is under intense spotlight and they have a job to do to protect the US citizens and this country.
Hi Lauren,
Your article was very interesting explains the ICE situation. A lot of people don’t know much about what ice does, and the sacrifices most people do to get a better life. Ice is just here to do their Job to protect the American people and they get pushed under the bus for what they need to do when people come illegally.