Plot Summary
“The Visitor” focuses almost exclusively on themes around the concept of immigration. The film, which was written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, challenges America’s policies governing the detention of undocumented individuals (Hammer). It begins with Walter, a Connecticut professor who leads a mundane and repetitive life punctuated by the depression occasioned by the loss of his wife. His rather tedious life grinds to a halt when he finds immigrants squatting in his Manhattan apartment on account of an unscrupulous Russian conman (Hammer).
The professor’s initial consternation gives way to compassion as he allows the struggling couple to stay until they have their affairs in order. The new housemates engage in a cultural exchange that enriches each of their lives. The infusion of music into Walter’s life lifts his spirit. Exposure to new experiences releases him from the tediousness of life. The encounter results in a relationship that explores the challenges with which incarcerated non-criminal immigrants must contend. “The Visitor” unapologetically explores how tragedy blinds a nation to the needs and rights of individuals, as demonstrated by Tarek’s quest for refuge from persecution in his home country.
The US Immigration Policy Revealed Through the Story of Tarek
The immigration legal process underwent a dynamic shift following the 9/11 attacks against the United States. Tarek’s character helps explicate the intricacies that drive U.S. immigration policy. Tarek and Mouna applied for tourist visas while in Syria, after which they gained access to the United States. They both settle in Michigan, where they begin applying for asylum (Hammer). Their efforts to gain official refuge in the United States are quashed when the asylum office refers them to the Immigration Court. The judge tasked with hearing the case promptly denied their request.
Tarek attempts to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, but his efforts are futile, given the summons to appear before the court for deportation. Tarek ignores the summons, which goes unnoticed for several years, as was the case before 9/11. After the attacks, Tarek’s arrest and detention by law enforcement on account of his undocumented status shocks his family. His eventual deportation and restricted re-entry to the United States further compound the tragedy he experiences.
Tarek’s tragic experience as an immigrant and early childhood trauma shaped his worldview. The film details the fact that he was from Syria, a country he had fled after his father was killed for criticizing the governing regime. Tarek and his mother fled because they feared for their safety. Tarek believed that the United States was the only place that could accord him the opportunities he would never access in Syria (Hammer). A once timid individual traumatized by the death of his father transforms.
Tarek’s worldview changes as he grows into an open, friendly, and trustworthy individual who focuses on exploring different aspects of life. For instance, despite hailing from Syria, he has learned to play the djembe, a West African drum with which he creates music in a fusion jazz group. He also consumes wine, much to the conservative Zainab’s discontent. He learns to embrace other traditions and cultures as seen in his relationship with Zainab, a Senegalese woman, and Walter, a depressed professor (Hammer). It should be noted, however, that Tarek’s optimistic view of the world changes to sadness after he experiences incarceration.
Tarek’s response to the immigration policies in the United States after escaping persecution in his home country fills him with despair. The change occurs because of deleterious living conditions in the ICE detention centers. All efforts to communicate with his loved ones are restricted, as are attempts to have meaningful discussions with his lawyer regarding his case.
There are limited options available for the amicable resolution of his situation. It is worth noting that even though Walter’s dedication to securing Tarek’s freedom raises concerns, his efforts do not yield much (Hammer)—the bureaucratic nature of the legal framework governing immigration limits progress. The 9/11 attacks prompted the implementation of some of the nation’s harshest security measures.
Undocumented citizens were vilified and treated like criminals in a nation that they thought offered refuge. The likelihood informs Tarek’s worries about returning home to persecution by the forces that ensured his father’s demise. Tarek’s problems are the direct result of aggressive policies the US adopts in response to terror threats.
The challenges that defined immigration policy after 9/11 contribute to the suffering that immigrants like Tarek experience. The first problematic element in the system was the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention framework. In the film, Tarek’s incarceration in a windowless room demonstrates how many non-criminal detainees ended up in dilapidated detention centers (Hammer).
The deplorable conditions led to disease outbreaks, as was the case in eight Texas detention facilities that reported mumps cases (Leung et al. 750). In some locales around the United States, the detainees were housed in local jails. The lack of medical care resulted in preventable deaths in numerous centers (Terp et al. 81).
The poor treatment of undocumented foreign nationals was, undoubtedly, one of the motivations for the film’s creation. The conditions of confinement that Tarek was subjected to invariably resulted in the disregard of his inalienable human rights. The film expertly highlights the frustrations that defined ICE detention centers. For instance, Zainab’s inability to gain access to Tarek stems from her weariness regarding the inevitability of detention (Hammer). Tarek’s experiences and evolving worldviews demonstrate how harsh experiences change an individual’s perspective.
Cultural Challenges Faced by Immigrants
The film brings the different worldviews together to emphasize the contrast between the innumerable benefits of cultural exchange and the pain caused by disregarding human rights. The world of academia seems dreary and cumbersome. However, Tarek’s introduction of music to the professor’s life lifts the latter from the depths of depression and facilitates the formation of new bonds (Hammer).
Tarek’s influence in the introduction of new cuisines and cultural experiences to other characters in the film does not go unnoticed. Tarek has a single advocate on the outside as he suffers through detention (Hammer). The people who had enriched his life after he arrived in the United States feared suffering a similar fate. Lives were uprooted, and individuals in Tarek’s position were exposed to the dangers from which they were seeking refuge.
The film’s views on immigration are directed at America’s policymakers. America’s post-9/11 measures resulted in the detention of thousands of undocumented individuals. The film challenges its audience by highlighting the rigors most immigrants face as they seek asylum in a country they believe would save them from persecution in their home nations.
Legal Challenges of Immigrants
The film ultimately asks its audience to consider whether detained individuals have opportunities to follow legal channels as they seek redress. It is unclear whether or not Tarek had access to legal options to fight his inevitable deportation. In the film, Tarek did not have a chance to request that his asylum claim be reviewed (Hammer). In addition, the film shows that the deportation officer assigned to his case made no effort to evaluate the danger associated with returning to Syria.
The film demonstrates that incarceration denied Tarek the opportunity to seek legal counsel to challenge the fugitive warrant (Hammer). The main issue highlighted in the film involves access to expedited justice. Even if Tarek had had the means to access the aforementioned opportunities, he, like most other detainees, would have declined to remain incarcerated for the protracted period it would have taken to find solutions.
A significant number of ICE detainees seldom pursue legal options because of limited access to services. The immigrants have a limited ability to fight due to the costs and time it would take to achieve success. As a result, a majority give up and return to their home countries because it facilitates quick release from incarceration.
Summary of the Themes Explored
“The Visitor” boldly examines how a nation’s focus on collective crises can overshadow the rights and needs of individuals, illustrated by Tarek’s search for safety from persecution in his homeland. It explores the challenges such measures present to individuals seeking asylum in the United States. It also explores the impact of the law on individual lives.
The dynamic shift in policies has resulted in the inadvertent persecution of innocent civilians. The affected individuals’ worldviews have changed dramatically. The challenges they encounter during incarceration have given way to despair.
The film highlights the varied worldviews to expose the contrast between the countless benefits of cultural exchange and the agony occasioned by the disregard for human rights. The exploration of the cultural exchanges that define the characters’ lives emphasizes the value of interaction. The film ultimately asks its viewers to ponder whether the detained can take advantage of legal channels that would address their situations. The evaluation of the legal framework that governs immigration is necessary to ensure that inalienable human rights are protected.
Works Cited
Hammer, Andrea. “The Visitor: Movie About Complex Immigration Issues and Rediscovering Life’s Beat.” ArtsPhoria, Web.
Leung, Jessica, et al. “Notes from the Field: Mumps in Detention Facilities That House Detained Migrants — United States, September 2018–August 2019.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 68, no. 34, 2019, p. 749-750, Web.
Terp, Sophie, et al. “Deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention: FY2018–2020.” AIMS Public Health, vol. 8, no. 1, 2021, pp. 81- 89, Web.