Immigrants are nothing but ping-pong balls. Or tennis balls. Or soccer balls. Something to be smacked around the court with, beaten on the pitch, kicked around, tossed around, and otherwise mistreated. Why am I saying this?
For years, I have said that immigrants are merely soccer balls. Immigrants are kicked around by both political parties for political gain. Don’t tell me that Congress couldn’t fix the immigration problem. The last attempt that came close was in 2013, when Obama was president. Yet, that failed. Why? Because the “gang of eight” got cold feet. Specifically, Republicans couldn’t stomach the fact that they would have to go back to their constituents and admit that they had resolved the immigration crisis. So the ball just keeps getting kicked further and further down the field, just like Congress defers other important issues. Congress has, for many years, simply lackedthe courage to tackle immigration.
I have told this to anyone who will listen. I have said repeatedly that Congress could fix things, but it is in neither party’s interest to fix immigration.
Why is that? Because Democrats, with all their foolishness, are still politically savvy. They know that they can keep immigrants hopes alive, and thereby get votes from the immigrant family “vote bank”, and the Democratic Party can trigger their base into voting against those with anti-immigrant sentiments, that is, the Republicans. It is easy to paint the Republican Party as the bogeyman on immigration.
Likewise, Republicans have no desire to fix immigration, because then they would have nothing to beat the Democrats over the head with. They wouldn’t be able to go to their home constituents and say look, our country is being invaded, and the Democrats are doing nothing. Vote for me, a strong Republican who will stop this dreadful “invasion”.
So, in this morbid calculus of vote getting, and clinging onto power, Democrats and Republicans find immigrants a reliable soccer ball. Kicked around, thrown into a corner, inflated, deflated and burst. Immigrants are simply additional tools for politicians to stay in power. Who cares about immigrant families? Who cares about assignees at the border? Neither party really does. All immigrants are, is a reliable source of getting reelected.
See the article below for confirmation of what I’ve been saying for years: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/opinions/whos-really-crossing-border-column-galant/index.html
© Farhad Sethna, Attorney, 2024
Farhad Sethna has practiced law for over 25 years. He was awarded his JD in 1990 and his MBA in 1991, both from the University of Akron. Since 1996, he has also been an adjunct professor of Immigration Law at the University of Akron, School of Law, in Akron, Ohio, where he wrote and continues to use his own immigration textbook. Attorney Sethna is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education and professional development seminars on various immigration-related topics. His practice is limited to immigration and small business. He has won awards for excellence in teaching and for pro-bono service. With offices in Cuyahoga Falls, Akron and New Philadelphia, Ohio, Attorney Sethna represents clients in all types of immigration cases before federal agencies and the immigration courts nationwide. A private pilot, it is Farhad’s goal to fly to each of Ohio’s 88 county airports. Our number is: (330) 384-8000. Please send your general immigration questions to farhad@sethnalaw.com. We will try to answer as many questions as possible.