Immigration and 9/11

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. We remember those we lost, those who responded and how this city pulled together to recover from unforgettable devastation.

We also are reminded about how Sept. 11 affected thousands of immigrant families.

While then President Bush had intended to initiate reforms, in a post 9-11 climate of terror and fear, anyone who was seemingly “not” American became a threat. The anti-immigrant lobby took full advantage to conflate national security concerns with zealously controlling the border and criminalizing immigrants.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security was created as an umbrella for immigration agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Immigration and Citizenship, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with an estimated budget of nearly $600 billion .

The removal of immigrants through deportations increased from 200,000 to 400,000 annually between 2001 and 2012.

The restructuring of the immigration laws and anti-terrorism laws after 9/11 allow authorities to execute arrest and deport immigrants accused of violating the law without a fair judicial process that allows each case to be treated according to the specific circumstances.

In these ramped up and vast sweeps, families like the Laos have been caught up. As we recently reported, they were in a detention center, set for deportation until Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and others intervened.

Today, the discussion in Congress around immigration reform largely begins and ends around national security and militarization of the border, with ballooning federal funding targeted at this end.

Instead, Congress must be smart about the future of this nation, about the realities of workforce needed to propel our economy forward. This means producing sensible and human immigration reform.

On Sept. 11, 2001, there were undocumented workers in the Towers. They were supporting families and bring their best to this country. In their name and spirit, we urge the New York delegation to Congress and the Hispanic Caucus in the House to pressure their colleagues to deliver on reform.