The first piece of post-election immigration reform legislation was adopted in the House of Representatives on Friday. I’m sorry to say that while it grants more visas for immigrants with advanced degrees, it’s loaded with other provisions that run counter to our values and our country’s best interests. I’m excited to bring you more insights on the reform debate in this week’s edition of the Monday Top Picks. Of particular interest is Ben Winograd’s analysis of the just-passed GOP-backed bill in his piece for Immigration Impact. I’d also like to share Maryada Vallet’s moving piece on the need to leave behind our xenophobic obsession with border security, and a pair of incisive posts by Colorlines.
- In her post for Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, “Been There. Bordered That. Why are We Still So Afraid?” Maryada Vallet makes a compelling case that our obsession with border security is unfounded, and calls on readers to practice acceptance instead of fear of our neighbor.
- In response to a new report by the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Julianne Hing of Colorlines explores how race and status determine wages for domestic workers and disenfranchise people of color and undocumented peoples. This deserves our attention.
- Writing for Immigration Impact, Ben Winograd argues in “STEM Bill Still Plagued by Politics” that the newly passed GOP-backed bill includes needless cuts that will end up hindering the progress of immigration reform.
- Mahwish Khan of America’s Voices examines Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s continued decline and radicalization, as DREAMers from all over the country picket his office and fellow Republicans denounce his harsh nativist policies.
- Seth Freed Wessler writes of one family’s long journey to reunification in his Colorlines piece, “A Deported Father Wins a Long, Painful Fight to Keep His Kids.” One story. One family. And so many others that are shattered by an unjust immigration system every day.
Please email me or comment below to recommend any Top Picks. Next Monday, I look forward to bringing you more!
Image credit: Evan-Amos