The Immigration Waiting Game

*Image courtesy of Policies on Immigration*

By: Katie Pilson

Immigrants in the United States are anxiously awaiting Inauguration Day to find out what changes president-elect Donald Trump’s administration will be making regarding immigration which could potentially jeopardize the naturalization of thousands. For now, most immigrants have two options; they can take their chances and try to quickly wrap up applications for residency that are already in process, or they can do nothing and wait for policy change, taking the chance that they will be discovered in the meantime, and deported.

applying-for-citizenship-in-el-paso-300x203 — *Image Courtesy of Cynthia R. Lopez*

Martin Bonilla* was born in Honduras and came to the United States with his father when he was 12 years old. The pair overstayed their visas and never left. Arriving with his father placed Bonilla in a precarious situation that is similar for many children that cross the border or overstay their visas with their parents. As a minor who had no say in his passage to the U.S., Martin qualified for certain initiatives like DACA, a program designed to protect minors in these situations by allowing them to obtain a driver’s license, permission to work, and no chance of deportation for two years. However, eventually these children must reapply for DACA or apply for residency, a long and difficult process that does not guarantee that applicants will get to stay in the country; deportation can still easily happen. The system is flawed, and the current political climate isn’t helping to ease the stress of many families.

Today, Martin is 31 and currently undergoing the long process to apply for residency, one of the first steps in becoming a naturalized citizen. Since marriage is the fastest way to obtain papers, his wife, Andrea Bonilla*, who was born in the U.S., became his sponsor after beginning the application a year after they were married. The process has been grueling and expensive. Affidavits, testimonies, and even forensic testing have made the application process increasingly difficult. The couple has used multiple lawyers, attended strenuous interviews, and by the time the process is over, they will have spent approximately $20,000. Despite the seriousness of their situation, Andrea Bonilla says immigration officials have put their case on hold allowing their local office time to “get more urgent cases out the door by December,” because they fear some applicants will no longer have the chance to apply once the Trump administration takes office.

la-me-edu-ice-agents-school-campuses-20160209 — *(Image courtesy of the LA Times)*

Since both Martin and Andrea Bonilla were able to attend college and attain good jobs, the cost of this process is still great, but more manageable for them compared to many of their neighbors. For many immigrants, the costs of applying for naturalization are unimaginable. Immigrant workers generally have low paying jobs, sometimes several at a time, leaving thousands of people stuck in their predicament because the have too little time and money to go through the process. The uncertainty of the upcoming policy changes is quickly turning into fear for many immigrants who believe threats of a wall and mass deportations could turn into reality within a matter of months. Widespread fear is dangerous to any city, but it is even more concerning in communities like the one the Bonilla’s used to live in where the crime rate was almost three times the national average. This can in part be explained by the principles of differential mobility.

What is differential mobility, and how can it explain these fears and social phenomena?

Researcher, Brian Williams of the University of Georgia, says that the theory of differential mobility asserts that as certain resources and geographical spaces become more and more inaccessible to specific populations, these groups become isolated and marginalized. He says this is especially concerning in communities where the majority of a large immigrant workforce cannot obtain a driver’s license. This incites fear of movement in an entire population, which can lead to the division of areas like Miami where a large affluent metropolis is surrounded by smaller impoverished cities. Wealthy communities get wealthier, poor communities get poorer, all of which leads to the isolation of communities and resources. This divisiveness is dangerous; isolation from the positive economic and social forces affluent cities can provide can potentially turn into systemic issues of poverty and crime. These systemic issues make it paramount for the new executive administration to address immigration reform in a way that will not continue to let fear be the driving force in these communities, or continue to allow these communities to be isolated and neglected.

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The implications of the election for families like the Bonillas

Immigration policy dominated the 2016 presidential election. Though the particulars of reform may still seem somewhat polarizing, research done by PRRI, a non-partisan research organization, found that a majority of Americans actually believe that immigrant populations are not a threat to the traditions and values of the U.S. Instead, both Republicans and Democrats in the study found foreign contributors to society a sign of strength and a positive thing to have in the country.

However, president-elect Trump’s policies speak less of unity and more of division. In an attempt to prioritize the American economy, the president-elect plans to do so by removing many immigrant workers that are living here illegally out of the workforce. He also plans to repeal several actions protecting immigrants that were made by President Barack Obama. Programs like DACA that helped Martin Bonilla get a job and go to school will likely come to an end. Also, Trump plans to begin construction of the infamous wall to secure the border.

Martin Bonilla’s mother and sisters came to the U.S. to join Bonilla and his father three years after he and his father arrived. They too overstayed their visas and have been living here ever since, living in fear that they will be deported if officials discover their presence. Martin Bonilla hopes to be granted citizenship so that he can become a sponsor for them and help them become legal citizens too. However, if they are deported, they will “wait in line” in Honduras to return to the U.S., a rigorous process that would not guarantee reentry and could take years.

immigration-1804471_1920 — *Image Courtesy of Pixbay*

What needs to change to fix this problem?

The first step forward is to remove stigmas surrounding immigrants. Dr. Edward Panetta of the University of Georgia says that it is important to always remember that immigrants “do not come from places devoid of national pride.” People generally come here for work and opportunity not because they hate their homeland, or because they want to uproot the social structures of the places they move to. Immigrants sometimes risk their lives crossing the border, paying human smugglers to ensure them passage or sacrifice living with family and friends to come to the U.S. for a chance to work and live in freedom. This is why fighting the stigmas are so important; it will move the U.S. into a more unified country.

Also, partisan issues must be set aside. With the millions of immigrants in the country today that are living here without permission, this issue has quickly surpassed the kind of problem that can be bickered about in Congress for years. Bipartisan bills like the DREAM Act that offer solutions from both Democrats and Republicans are imperative to success. Immigration reform has been stunted for years, and it’s becoming too critical for anymore waiting.

President-elect Donald Trump has a big task ahead of him. All eyes are on him and his policies. For now, the Bonilla family, along with thousands of others, will wait for Jan. 20 and pray for an America where they do not live in fear.

*Names changed for legality issues

Additional Resources

For more information about DACA: