Introduction
The Immigration Nation six-part video series dispels several myths about the immigration system during Trump’s presidency. It demonstrates and attests to each immigrant’s reprehensible entry into the nation, which is presented as evidence. The film revealed how the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates as a mere employee while asserting that their laws cover all potential legal difficulties in full and release them from liability. ICE vehemently disagrees with their misrepresentation in this documentary series (Schwarz & Clusiau, 2020). It is fascinating to witness how ICE personnel react and place the blame for their poor deals and cries of guilt on their supervisors as the series slows and fizzles out. The government’s hiring of individuals so callous and brutal toward the excluded is generally despised by the general public, to the point where even Pope Francis called it immoral.
How the Movie Displayed Immigration
The immigration system represented in the film during the Trump administration is absurd compared to other forms in other countries. I felt that the “zero-tolerance policy” was too oppressive and unbearable for the community. The policy initiated was a new form of governance that has not been typically experienced in another nation. The rule was that anyone crossing the border illegally would be arrested. It is too upsetting to consider how they may take away children’s opportunity to say goodbye to their families. It is also discountenancing to think how a government could support family separation. This form of controlling immigration differs from others in other nations because they do not sympathize with their parents. Accordingly, since ICE officials or agents could enter people’s houses without permission, they frequently coerce and manipulate individuals while confronting those (Schwarz & Clusiau, 2020). President Trump subsequently signed an executive order in his first days in office, changing the focus to deporting all immigrants, even those who violate the immigration laws in non-criminal ways.
Law enforcement exerts too much control; there is much potential for abuse, and those opportunities are wide open. These are the frequent expressions one could hear throughout the entire series as the ambassadors discuss their work. The ICE was doing its job, but if you put a number on the plan, it was tyrannizing and terrorizing society. As they search for illegal immigrants who are allegedly guilty of crimes, they may come across so-called “collateral” or non-criminal immigrants; however, they are still arrested (Yang, 2020). The ambushes, illegally entering a residence, door-lock picking, exploiting the language barrier, their guise of being helpful, serving warrants that they do not show, and just claiming to have are some oppressive acts outlined.
The Social, Economic, and Political Impact of Immigration
The enormous influx of immigrants has severely influenced the economy of the United States during the past 30 years. Native employees’ employment prospects, productivity, and specialization are affected by immigration (Peters, 2019). In contrast to native-born labor, immigrants play a more significant role in the American economy. For instance, they frequently do a variety of professions requiring various degrees of ability. Additionally, they increase housing demand while lowering the cost of various labor-intensive tasks like childcare, meal preparation, home maintenance, and building.
Discussions regarding immigration policy have historically focused on how immigration affects society. Most local citizens oppose immigrants because they think they would degrade natives’ living and working circumstances, put more strain on the labor market, increase crime, and promote interethnic violence. However, in many prosperous nations that see a significant intake of immigrants, life satisfaction is reasonably high and has shown positive dynamics in recent years, which depicts how people view social processes. The social standing of a person changes when they become a migrant. As a result, norms, values, attitudes, conduct, motivation, and expectations change along with social priority, material class, and circle of contacts. These modifications have a detrimental impact on fertility rates and family sizes.
Immigration can also have an impact on political results. In fact, through the job market, finances, and noneconomic activities such as voting, Americans express their views on the benefits and drawbacks of having more immigrants in their nation. They are more inclined to vote Republican if they believe increasing immigrants will be more expensive than advantageous. In this straightforward paradigm, people tend to identify the Republican Party with stricter immigration laws, which they typically supported throughout the 20 years under consideration. Election results may also be impacted by immigration by increasing the number of eligible voters by including newly naturalized immigrants’ ballots (Peters, 2019). However, data indicates that immigrants’ primary influence on Republican votes comes from their indirect influence on current voters’ views. A sharp and significant decline in Republican Party voter turnout is linked to an increase in high-skilled immigrants as a percentage of the local population.
Response to Those Who Criticize Undocumented Immigrants
When I consider the horrible treatment that immigrants have been through, I am depressed because they are just people who happen to be in this nation to support their families, find work, and find their way in life. Distress can be exacerbated by feelings of loss, cultural shock, family separation, and language barriers; therefore, exceptional care can help them adapt to the new setting. The immigrants may be from a different nation and be of a non-identical color than we are, but they are still people and do not deserve to be treated in this terrible manner. Studies have demonstrated a detrimental impact on children’s development caused by the possibility and actuality of immigration enforcement (Yang, 2020). The deportation of an illegal parent also exposes families and children to a lack of stable employment, shelter, and food. Congress could reduce the burden of living in continual dread and uncertainty for many families in the United States by providing illegal immigrants with a road to permanent protection and removing the danger of deportation.
Definition of Borders
A border, to me, is an imaginary or real line separating two places. Lateral political boundaries split the country into provinces, states, counties, and cities. A region’s government can only make laws inside its borders. Residents of one part occasionally use violence to grab power in another. The land is occasionally sold or swapped amicably and regularly dispersed through international agreements after a conflict. Sometimes borders are drawn following a natural line, like a river or a mountain range (Peters, 2019). For instance, the crest of the Pyrenees divides France and Spain. People can frequently travel freely inside their own country’s borders, but they might not be allowed to visit a nearby one. On the other hand, when neighboring nations have a comparable income and political structure level, their borders may be undefended and open.
Conclusion
The immigration system during former President Trump’s administration is examined in “Immigration Nation,” which effectively conveys to the public what seems to be unconstitutional immigration enforcement. The entire series exposes the government’s many blindingly inaccurate activities and provides a wealth of tales and alarming details about immigrant experiences in the nation. Because it is episodic, general audiences may find it simple to follow and examine the entire story without being overly confused by how this documentary moves. It shines a spotlight on various parts of the country and the numerous people who live there and on the experiences and nightmares of those who are a part of the system. The series does not simply focus on ICE but also demonstrates how the government abuses the immigration system.
References
Peters, M. E. (2019). Trump, trade, and immigration. The Forum, 17(4), 577–600. Web.
Schwarz, S., & Clusiau, C. (Directors). (2020). Immigration nation. Reel Peak Films.
Yang, J. (2020). Framing immigration and illegal immigration in the 2016 presidential campaigns: Comparing Donald Trump and Bernie Sander’s position. Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 7(1), 9–22. Web.