By Mabel Doge Luhan for Mabel’s Table, Kandit News & Views
Don’t you hate to hear lies? I know I do! Why, I still remember every time my third husband told me that he just likes to keep his VCR heads really, really clean! Or my second husband’s claims that he spends weekends in Provincetown because of the unicycle races. Or even my first husband, who swore up and down he was just playing leapfrog with the groundskeeper!
Well, let’s not dwell on those lies, and instead think about the ones we hear nowadays about immigration.
“America was great without immigrants!”
Except America had literally open borders for immigrants (at least non-Chinese immigrants) until the 1920s. And in 1890, which according to the Trumpists is the peak of American greatness, the fraction of immigrants in the US was at its all-time high: 14.8%. https://www.census.gov/
“They entered illegally.”
That’s not true. In the mainland US, about half of undocumented people entered legally, and their status expired. Some did enter illegally — sneaking across the border, or hiding in shipping containers. In the CNMI, sneaking across our maritime borders would require some world-class swimming (or even boating) skills. Everyone entered legally, then stayed past their authorization.
“They don’t pay taxes.”
That’s not true. First, undocumented immigrants pay the same taxes as everyone else — such as sales (BGRT) taxes, excise (gas, alcohol, cigarette) taxes, and various government fees. Many undocumented immigrants have taxes deducted from their paychecks, yet have no way to get refunds on them. And very few undocumented immigrants working “off the books” work in jobs where they would be paying net positive income taxes: most work in low paying jobs where they would be receiving the Earned Income Credit (negative taxes) or at worst, not liable for any taxes. Those who work “off the books” would love to pay taxes if they were just allowed to. (But the IRS’s recent decision to share undocumented taxpayer data with ICE will put the kibbosh on those tax payments for a few decades. Good job, Donald!)
“If they’re undocumented, they don’t respect our laws.”
That’s not true. In the CNMI, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants never wanted to be in this situation. Almost all of them were tricked, by recruiters, bosses, or “document processors,” either in their home countries or in the CNMI. Typically, their boss told them their visa was all taken care of, and they only found out otherwise when they were already in Saipan.
“They take away jobs.”
That’s not true. Do you think employers somehow prefer to run the risk of ICE raids? If not, why do you think they hire undocumented people? Employers would much rather hire US citizens. There are no US citizens that want these jobs. And at least at this stage of the Trump presidency (maybe not for long), slavery remains illegal.
See Cohen, P. (2017, March 29). A Tough Farm Job ‘That Americans Just Don’t Want’. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/
“They are here to use welfare.”
That’s not true. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for welfare.
“They are criminals.”
That’s not true. Non-US-born people in the US commit crimes at a lower rate than US-born people. See Landgrave, Michelangelo, and Alex Nowrasteh. “Criminal Immigrants in Texas in 2021.” Cato Institute, Immigration Research and Policy Brief No. 29, March 15, 2023.
And not only is that not true, but if it were true, then why do we need to change immigration policy? Regular law enforcement is out there chasing criminals — or should be chasing criminals, when it’s not tasked with chasing non-criminals. And ICE has been chasing and deporting criminals and suspected criminals since ever since. In fact, now forcing ICE to chase non-criminals takes them away from their mission of deporting criminals — and makes us less safe.
So why the hullabaloo for mass deportations?
Of course we know why the hullabaloo: Because non-US-born people don’t vote. Because Americans at the bottom of the socioeconomic totem pole want something to feel superior about, and they can at least feel superior for where they were born, if they have nothing else.
There’s just no other explanation for it, especially here in the CNMI, where you can see flagrant federal felonies without looking too hard: cockfights, bribery, tax evasion, racketeering, money laundering, espionage, counterfeiting, price fixing, wage theft, Hatch Act violations, and so much more. None of those federal felonies are ever prosecuted. Because that would be work. Handcuffing some watermelon sellers is a lot easier — cuff em and call it a day’s work.
Sure, pulling these people out of our communities destroys our economy, our neighborhoods, and our society. But the Trumpists never cared about that. They want red meat for the masses. They’re the same people who photograph themselves hugging the American flag while appointing a literal Russian operative Director of National Intelligence. The same people who claim to be protectors of the poor, while instituting a 100%+ tax on consumer purchases.
They don’t care about you. They care about you just as little as they care about our country, or just as little as they care about undocumented immigrants.
If the right wing really cares about facts over feelings, as they always claim to, then why do they absolutely reject all the policy guidance in favor of what feels vindictively good? Now they even reject the public opinion, including from Republicans, against these widespread, blanket enforcement actions.
If you’re an average Saipan resident, you’re a pawn in their system. If you’re cheering the deportations, you’re doing exactly as they want. They know they can make you happy without doing anything difficult or useful. It’s the old bull-and-bear show.
Or are you able to think for yourself? Either because of the economic and policy reasons, the moral reasons, or if nothing else, just a refusal to be manipulated?
How about demanding something actually useful from our federal government? Like investigating and prosecuting the biggest alleged heist in CNMI history? Shutting down the rampant crime on our streets? Maybe just stopping the blatant federal benefits fraud you can see at the food stamps office and the “low income” housing every month?
Or will you be happy just to see brown people — brown like you, most likely — thrown into the backs of vans? You’re the authoritarians’ dream constituent if so. People just like you enabled every dictator in history. I hope at least that makes you feel a little bit significant.
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Mabel Doge Luhan is a woman of loose morals. She resides in Kagman V, where she pursues her passions of crocheting, beatboxing, and falconry.
