I was recently in Alabama, where I saw the devastating impact of HB 56, America's harshest new anti-immigrant law. You'd think that any state would think twice before embracing a law that so vividly brings to mind the violence that met black children attempting to enter segregated schools in the South. Yet with the law's implementation, we see a familiar fear and hostility that we hoped was in the past.
There is no question that our immigration system and our economy are broken. People of color have experienced that truth more than anyone. The median wealth of African-Americans has fallen by two-thirds in the past 30 years. There are no jobs, particularly in communities of color, where they're most achingly needed.
But our answer as a nation cannot be to start criminalizing families. Our nation's immigration policy and our economic policy must be consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect and dignity. We must move away from the politics of ostracizing immigrants and instead look at the needs of our nation. Our focus should be on comprehensive immigration reform and economic policies so people don't feel the need to compete for jobs.
