Emma Rice

A.Williams
AP Lang 1*
4/20/20

Two Steps From Freedom

Imagine waking up to find yourself in a cramped, congested, and soiled structure.

Daunting fences encapsulate you like some sort of subsidiary animal. Strangers wrapped in shiny

blankets lean over you, coughing, as you sit on a dirt covered floor. You can’t find your family,

you can’t understand this foriegn language that people around you are speaking. Sounds like a

nightmare, right? Well, this nightmare is the reality for hundreds of thousands of immigrants at

detention sites along the Mexican-American border. Recently, there have been countless political

debates regarding Latin American immigration into the United States. You would think that this

cultural expansion within the United States would be celebrated and cherished, but in reality, the

treatment of immigrants has continuously been influenced by racism and nativist ideals. It is

imperative that detention centers on the southern border of the United States be significantly

improved. They are inhospitable environments that are unsafe, foster sickness and disease, and

leave people in a degrading circumstance.

For thousands of years, humans have been immigrating to all corners of the globe. One of

the most notable is the Bering Land Bridge. Historians believe that this land bridge was crossed

by humans from Siberia to Alaska between 25,000 to 30,000 years ago. Resulting in the

emergence of populations in what is now North and South America. Centuries later, the

colonization of Jamestown enticed more Europeans and prospective settlers to make the journey

to the New World.

 Even after years of war, confrontation, and the development of the United States, the

peace amongst Americans was short lasting. Across the nation,the nativist idea that the original

group of settlers were better than new migrants, was rapidly spreading. New settlers from Ireland

and Eastern Europe faced constant discrimination, leading to escalating confrontations. Manifest

Destiny was another reason that tensions were raised during the nineteenth century. This

movement emphasized Anglo-American cultural and racial superiority over inferior races,

“people who lived in the West- Native Americans and Mexicans- would be subjected to

American dominion,” (Henrietta 412). The goal of Americans was to expand their empire and

influence across the rest of the country by taking land and resources for their own use. This

expansion and mindset inevitably led to conflict between Mexico and the US. It became apparent

that,​ “Mexico proved an easy target for the expansionist aspirations of the United States.”

(Tienda and Sanchez). As the US was targeting Mexico, the pressure between the two countries

reached a breaking point, causing the Mexican-American War.

The Mexican-American War was pivotal in deciding the boundaries of the southern part

of the United States. After lengthy debates the border between the United States and Mexico

was, “​codified in Article V of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848” (Alvarez). Throughout

history, this border has been utilized by immigrants from South and Central America coming to

the United States. This is largely due to the change in immigration patterns into the US in recent

years as the majority of immigrants have been coming from Mexico and other Latin American

countries instead of Europe.

Consequently, this change in immigration trends has sparked new research and data

collection projects. The US Custom and Border Protection collected census data that showed,
“Between October 2018 and September (the U.S. government’s fiscal year), CBP law

enforcement personnel apprehended or have deemed inadmissible nearly a million illegal

immigrants crossing the southwest border, the most in nearly 15 years” (Davis and Glaser). As

more and more people are coming from South to North America, the restrictions on immigration

have become increasingly stringent. Currently, “the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act)

allows the United States to grant up to 675,000 permanent immigrant visas each year across

various visa categories” (Clifford). With these policies becoming stricter and more tightly

regulated, conflicts and issues such as the conditions at detention centers on the Mexican border

have risen.

Even with many practices and beliefs disappearing over the years, one of the most

notable to prevail are the nativist ideals that began to formulate in the nineteenth century.

However, the focus has shifted from Europeans being patronized to Hispanics suffering the

burden. If current trends of immigration continue, more people will be trying to move to the

United States from Central and South America, resulting in an increased number of illegal

immigrants. These illegal immigrants are forced to stay in detention centers if they are

apprehended trying to cross the border. Regardless of these people’s misjudgments, detention

centers are unwelcoming, dangerous, inhumane, and are in need for change.

To begin, detention centers pose as inhospitable environments that are unsafe. These

facilities are not properly equipped to detain people for extended periods of time, let alone at the

capacity in which people are currently confined. One specific immigrant detention center that has

been a part of many articles, and an example in recent debates, is that of Clint, Texas. The

architects of this site have conceded that it was, “​never intended to hold more than about a
hundred adult men” (Romero). Currently detention centers themselves hold thousands upon

thousands of immigrants inside cells. Most recently in Clint, there are around four hundred

detainees in a site built for less than one hundred people. This is in no way a hospitable

environment for these people to be forced to live in. In contrast, this detention center was more

specifically designed with the idea that, “migrants would be detained for only a few hours of

processing before being transferred to other locations” (Romero). Immigrants are detained at

centers like the one in Clint anywhere from one week to one year, far longer than a few hours of

processing.

In conjunction with not being suitable living spaces, these sites are also extremely unsafe

because of dangerous overcrowding. One particular instance that the US Customs and Border

Protection recalls was in 2019 when a surge of illegal immigrants crossing the border, “​caused

the Border Patrol to hold migrants in overcrowded conditions rather than moving them to ICE’s

facilities designed for longer-term custody” (Davis and Glaser). Overcrowding is referring to

when too many people are in one given space for it to be considered comfortable or safe. Placing

these humans in conditions such as the one depicted above is inhumane and puts them at high

risk for hurting themselves or possibly others. Without any sort of outlet for relief, Border

Control Patrol (BCP) has to hold detainees much longer than they should. According to the BCP,

holding over 4,000 people at a time is considered a crisis, however, at its peak, “the agency had

nearly 20,000 in custody” (Davis and Glaser). This extremity of holding too many people at a

time, almost 400% above the given amount for a crisis, can lead to serious repercussions like

aggressive behavior.
 As well, these current conditions at immigration detention centers foster sickness

amongst those detained. At the facility in Clint, Texas it has been recorded that, “Outbreaks of

scabies, shingles and chickenpox were spreading among the hundreds of children and adults who

were being held in cramped cells, agents said” (Romero). This overcrowding and lack of

medical services increases the probability that these people are exposed to these illnesses,

leading to serious health problems down the line. One of the cells in the Clint center is

specifically designed to contain children with contagious diseases and, “functions as a quarantine

unit or ‘flu’ cell” (Romero). While separating infected people from others that are healthier is a

respectable idea, placing all the contagious people in one small area is not. This, if anything, will

only hinder their chances of recovering from their illness as they are surrounded by other

harmful germs.

Subsequently, there is no urgency to provide the necessary supplies detainees may need

for health related issues. For example, a teenage mom with a gravely sick newborn lost all her

baby’s medicine on their journey to the border. After she arrived at Clint, and when her baby’s

fever came back, “she begged the agents for more medicine” (Romero). The fact of the matter is

that this kind of care should be provided to these people, and they should not have to beg for it.

In response to the girl asking for medicine, one of the agents told her, “Who told you to come to

America with your baby, anyway?”(Romero). This attitude depicted directly correlates to the

past ideology of nativism between Anglo-Americans and immigrants and further proves these

facilities are lacking the proper resources to assist in the recovery of these immigrants.

As a result, these facilities leave people in inhumane conditions. Most notably, there is a

lack of proper hygiene products or other day to day items. In Clint, Reporter Simon Romero
from the New York Times recalls seeing, ​“children in filthy clothes, often lacking diapers and

with no access to toothbrushes, toothpaste or soap,” from his visit to the center. It is degrading

for people to live in these conditions, essentially being treated like animals. In addition, the fact

that this is still prevalent in so many other detention sites across the border shows how little is

being done to help those who are suffering. The extent of the horrendous living conditions these

immigrants are kept in is so bad that, “the stench of the children’s dirty clothing was so strong it

spread to the agents’ own clothing — people in town would scrunch their noses when they left

work” (Romero). It is not just that someone must endure so much humiliation and pain, for a

small mistake that they made.

Moreover, these disheartening circumstances are mentally straining for those involved.

For example, “​One girl seemed likely enough to try to kill herself that the agents made her sleep

on a cot in front of them, so they could watch her as they were processing new arrivals''

(Romero). People are facing psychological troubles in these situations, and these conditions are

responsible for taking a toil on their mental health. The heartbreak that they have experienced,

such as being separated from their family, is traumatic enough without the endurance of

humiliation and living in dirty cages. One veteran Border Patrol agent described, “following

orders to take beds away from children to make more space in holding cells, part of a daily

routine that he said had become ‘heartbreaking’” (Romero). Looking at this situation from

different perspectives shows that the treatment immigrants face can also be menatlly draining to

those detaining them. Seeing other people be mistreated and not being able to stop it, can be just

as traumatic as the experience of those being abused.

 Despite these circumstances at detention centers, critics argue it is fair that illegal

immigrants are detained for their actions. It is important to remember the manner in which these

immigrants are attempting to enter the United States. The act of doing anything that is illegal can

have serious consequences not only on the doer but for the people around them. For example,

there are thousands of people who wait to come to the United States legally, as my parents did.

Both of my parents are originally from Ireland, but after they graduated college and trade school

they decided to move to America. This was not an easy process for them, as they had to get work

visas before they came over. Currently, “In order to qualify for U.S. citizenship through

naturalization, an individual must have had LPR status (a green card) for at least five years”

(​How the US Immigration System Works)​ . My parents both endured a lengthy application process

to get visas, and had to wait four years before they became full citizens. This is just one of

countless examples of where people waited years before becoming citizens, but they followed

the rules.

Keep in mind that the United States rests its foundation on the principals of liberty and

justice for all. Illegal immigrants are not entitled to come to another country as the special

exception to the laws. By coming illegally, these immigrants are causing the government to

become more distrustful towards immigrants and their intentions. Stricter screening processes

and more regulations against immigration lead to an even longer wait time for people who want

to get visas and come to the United States. It isn’t fair to them to suffer harsher laws towards

visas and citizenship because of illegal immigrants. Additionally, along with distrust from the

government, illegal immigrants also enable tensions between foreigners and American citizens

further. These tensions contribute to a national growing animosity between the United States and
Mexico, hurting other people trying to immigrate and start a new life in America by giving them

a bad reputation or victims to racist attacks.

Admittedly, while this may be unfair to other people wishing to immigrate to the United

States, it is equally unfair the conditions and trauma that these immigrants must endure. These

humans are placed in inhospitable and degrading environments where disease and infection

spread rapidly. Even though there may be no clear cut solution that will make everyone happy

and at ease with each other just yet, the government can handle this situation much better than it

has been. They can work on improving the conditions that these immigrants are subject to, but in

return immigrants should learn from their mistakes and make better decisions about how they

will come to the United States.

At the same time, the topic of immigartion from Central and South America has been all

over the news and media outlets in recent years. A more immediate development is in the

policies passed by President Trump for immigration to the United States. ​President Trump signed

three executive orders the week of January 23, 2020. These include, “several sections which

undermine human rights, including the expanded use of detention, limits on access to asylum,

enhanced enforcement along the US-Mexico border, and the construction of a 2,000 mile border

wall” (​The Center for Migration Studies of New York )​. ​ These policies deeply offend the dignity

and threaten the rights of immigrants and refugees both in the United States and globally. One of

these inhumane aspects of his orders includes the increase of detention centers along the southern

border. By increasing the amount of detention centers, this will only create even more severe

problems then we are already seeing.

 Additionally, by expanding the amount of detention centers to fit the exponentially

increasing illegal immigrants, border patrol security is running out of resources. In 2019, before

Trump advocated his policies, “Up to 60% of Border Patrol agents’ time was diverted to care for

the humanitarian needs of the illegal aliens apprehended” (Davis and Glaser). The Border Patrol

has been overwhelmed by the amount of humanitarian duties that they need to perform, to take

care of all the illegal immigrants. This also circles back to the idea that these agents are not

properly qualified to be providing care for these immigrants, which has been the source of many

problems. By using their time and resources to care for hundreds of thousands of immigrants in

detention sites, the very idea of keeping illegal immigrants from entering the United States is

dissolved. These agents are occupied doing other menial duties, and people are becoming more

enabled to cross the border without enforcement stopping them. ​These policies of focusing on

deporting immigrants has taken the focus away from keeping humane and functioning facilities

or detention centers at the border. As a country and society, we should be more aware of these

challenges people are facing behind closed doors. We should think about how we can send

supplies and help these people in the border camps.

To conclude, it is vital for the country to improve the conditions at the southern border

detention centers. It is unjust that hopeful immigrants are suffering immeasurable consequences

due to dangerous overcrowding and disease. In addition, these people are facing permanent

psychological damage from trauma induced by their treatment and living conditions in

detainment centers. There needs to be a greater urgency to change these facts and assist

immigrants in need. In the end, we are all humans, living together on the same Earth. We are all

equally responsible to do our best to protect our own society and land. It is for these reasons that
we should use our position and power to help provide relief to the tensions created through this

crisis. This can be as simple as donating a few dollars, or as complex as volunteering for an

immigrant peace organization. Regardless of the manner, I encourage you to ask yourself this

question, what can you do?

Annotated Bibliography

Alvarez, C. J. “United States–Mexico Border - Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History.”

United States–Mexico Border - Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History​, 8 June 2017,

oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-97801993

29175-e-384.

This article delves into the history between America and Mexico going back to the formation of the United

States. It has information towards the creation of the borders between the United States and Mexico as

well. I will use this article to explain the history behind the formation of the border between Mexico and the

United States, this will be used in my historical background section.

Davis, John, and Jerry Glaser. “Border Crisis: CBP's Response.” ​Border Crisis: CBP's Response | U.S.

Customs and Border Protection​, Sept. 2019, www.cbp.gov/frontline/border-crisis-cbp-s-response.

This article discusses the process of the border patrol agents at the southern border of the United States.

It provides demographics, statistics, and other information regarding immigration from Latin America. I will

use this article in my current event part of my essay to detail how immigration is prevalent in society. I will

also use it to further explain the policies that Donald Trump has passed for immigrants at the southern

border to Mexico.
Henretta, Hinderaker, Edwards, and Robert O. Self. “Manifest Destiny: South and North.” ​America’s

History Eighth Edition, ​Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014, pp. 412-413.

This is an American history textbook that covers the whole known history of the United States. It covers

everything from the first English colony up to modern times. I will be using a specific chapter out of this

textbook however, for my historical background section. I will use this chapter to discuss the conflict

between the United States and Mexico, as well as the ideology of Manifest Destiny which caused a lot of

tensions between the neighboring countries.

Ink, Social. “President Trump's Executive Orders on Immigration and Refugees.” ​The Center for Migration

Studies of New York (CMS),​ 6 Mar. 2020,

cmsny.org/trumps-executive-orders-immigration-refugees/.

This article discusses President Dinald Trump's most recent immigration policies. It talks about the

specific acts he signed and is planning to build off of. I will use this article for my current event section of

my essay. I will write about the current immigration policies in the United States and also connect them to

the purpose of my essay and thesis statement.

J. Clifford, Elizabeth J, and Stuart Anderson. “How the United States Immigration System Works.”

American Immigration Council,​ 10 Oct. 2019,

www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works,

This article provides statistical data and explains how the immigartion system in America currently works,

as well as information regarding immigration to America. I will use this in my argument regarding how the

immigration system currently works and why we should move to change certain aspects like detention

centers, as well as statistics on immigration for why this is a prevalent issue.

Romero, Simon, et al. “Hungry, Scared and Sick: Inside the Migrant Detention Center in Clint, Tex.” ​The

New York Times,​ The New York Times, 6 July 2019,

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/06/us/migrants-border-patrol-clint.html,

This article delves deep into the layout and structure of a specific border detention center in Texas, and it

details with diagrams as well as other personal stories of immigrants who spent time in this immingration

detainment center. I will use this article for my argument that the conditions in these facilities are

inhumane and the people staying here are suffering immeasurably.

Thompson, Heather A. “U.S. Immigration Before 1965.” ​History.com,​ A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct.

2009, www.history.com/topics/immigration/u-s-immigration-before-1965,

This article is about the history of immigration to the United States, before 1965. It explores the first

settlers to the new world in the 17th century and the motives for their move across the ocean, as well as

discussing other historical migrations in or to the United States. I will use this article for the historical

context part of my paper, and use it to provide information on how immigration has always been prevalent

in our society and to draw parallels to modern immigration.

Tienda, Marta, and Susana Sanchez. “Latin American Immigration to the United States.” ​Daedalus​, U.S.

National Library of Medicine, 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638184/,

This article details the history of immigration to the United States, but it focuses primarily on the

immigration from Latin America. There is also information on immigration legislation and data of

immigration in recent years and the impact and relevance of this. I will use this article for the history

portion of my paper and to support my claim about how immigration is prevalent in today’s culture.