There is so much fear mongering and scapegoating during this election year. Recently Quixote Center had to remove a social media post on migration because there was too much hate and anger toward migrants expressed in the comments. It is worthwhile to take a step back and reflect on where each of us stand on immigration. No matter what our background or personal connection to this sensitive issue is, we all have an opinion. But where does our knowledge come from? That is, how do you know what you know?
When one struggles through harsh economic times to make ends meet, it is tempting to believe that immigrants are to blame. There is also fear of the “other”, of people who do not look like you, speak your language or practice your faith. It is easy to fall prey to a xenophobic and aporophobic view on immigration, believing that migrants will drag local economies down. The facts tell a very different story as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the U.S. economy will grow by $7 trillion over the next 10 years thanks to immigrants, while in 2021 they paid $524.7 billion in taxes. Migrants, especially undocumented, often work at jobs that are dangerous and unpleasant mostly in agriculture or construction which aren’t sought out by native-born US citizens. According to a 2020 Pew Center study “about three-quarters of adults (77%) say undocumented immigrants mostly fill jobs U.S. citizens do not want”. Also, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of many migrants, in many cases they end up creating more jobs than they take.
It’s worth looking at the other side of the issue, the human side. The stories of women, men, boys and girls who have left their homeland not by choice but for survival. Many have seen their countries and communities fall into a spiral of violence and lawlessness, losing their jobs and small business through extortion by gangs and drug cartels. The human side is why Quixote Center partners with the Franciscan Network on Migration (FNM) as we share the common belief that every person, no matter their origin, skin color, or faith have the right to migrate and seek asylum in a peaceful and just society. This to be a fundamental human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the United States has signed.
Since 2018 the FNM has provided vital support to migrant families through their shelters, training and guidance for a safer northward journey, warning them of the dangers ahead. Their network operates throughout the migrant corridor and has helped tens of thousands of the most vulnerable migrants, pregnant women, young children and elders with clothes, food, and spiritual support while making sure the sick receive medical attention. Treating migrants with the humanity and dignity they deserve is at the core of their mission.
The Quixote Center’s alliance with FNM initiated shortly after the creation of the network and has consolidated into a great partnership based on transparency and a shared commitment to promote justice to the most marginalized populations . Our biannual solidarity travels are organized in coordination with the FNM where we can witness the vital support they offer to the migrants, many of whom fall victim of theft and sexual assault in their perilous trek, seeking a better future for themselves and their families. Our latest trip to the Darien Gap, between Panama and Colombia, exposed the raw reality of migrants and their struggle to be treated as every human being should, with love and compassion.
We are currently working with the FNM team in Panama to establish a permanent presence in the Darien to provide humanitarian assistance to people migrating north and also serve as observers on the ground to make sure their human rights are protected. At the same time we are supporting the FNM team in Mexico’s initiative to inaugurate a new migrant shelter in the central region of the country while also coordinating our next solidarity trip to Southern Mexico with the FNM run migrant shelter, la 72, located in Tenosique, Tabasco, next to the border with Guatemala. This is a unique experience for individuals and organizations committed to the cause of assisting vulnerable populations by getting a direct encounter with the reality migrating people are facing. Our partnership with FNM keeps on growing every year as we work together to strengthen their capacity to welcome migrants with the dignity and compassion every person deserves.
