what are they thinking?

I mean really, have they a clue what they would be up against? If this immigration policy criminalizes immigrants?


here is an email I read:

Source: Rodolfo F. Acuna
>
>
>Rough Draft
>
>Nativism is Racism
>
>By
>Rodolfo F. Acuña
>
>I am the first one to criticize Chicano/Latino politicos when they don't
>defend the interests of the community. However, during the present
>crisis, the Mayor and most Latino elected officials have acted in a
>principled manner, forcefully speaking out against the racist nativism
>that is gripping the country. The same can be said of the Catholic
>Church and its refusal to go along with the hysteria.
>
>If the actions of right wing radio hosts, virulent anti-immigrant
>groups, and opportunistic politicos were an aberration, there would be
>hope that people would come to their senses. However, this form of
>nativism has infected the United States since the birth of the Republic.
>It led to the persecution of Irish immigrants, the burning of a convent
>in Charleston, Massachusetts in 1828, the burning of Catholic Churches
>in Philadelphia in 1842, and fueled the illegal invasion of Mexico and
>the theft of fifty percent of its land. This was topped off with the
>creation of the Native American party of the 1850s which became known as
>the Know Nothing Party and later the Republican Party.
>
>Every time that the nation had an economic depression or recession the
>Greek Chorus pointed at the immigrant. Thus the Chinese were excluded in
>1882 and in the 1920s immigration acts made national origins the basis
>of admission. The expressed intent of these laws was to keep America
>white by giving preferences to northern Europeans who the politicos said
>were blonder, taller and had bigger brains.
>
>In 1965, the nation went through an examination of conscience and passed
>an amendment to the immigration act based on family preferences. The
>result was that too many Asians came in and Latin Americans continued to
>migrate to this country.
>
>Almost immediately after the passage of the 1965 amendments, racist such
>as Senator Alan Simpson (R-Wyoming) and ex-California Pete Wilson built
>careers on baiting Mexican immigrant. They criminalized them, calling
>them illegal and dehumanized them, calling them aliens. With the advent
>of the right wing think tanks and the internet, immigrant bashing became
>an industry. Playing on the fears of white Americans who have
>historically been narcissistic and consumed by angst, these groups have
>made millions by creating a living hell for people who just want what
>others want - a place to live in peace and educate their children.
>
>For too long the Mexican/ Latino community has been silent. This has
>encouraged bullies and wannabe brown shirts to come out of the woodwork
>and prance around like Minute Men. Most of these patriots like the
>President and vice-president of this country have never served in the
>military. Immigrants were welcome as long as they did the fighting for
>them.
>Samuel Johnson in 1775 said that patriotism is the last refuge of a
>scoundrel. History will bear out his wisdom.
>
>Aside from the mendaciousness of the nativist, their stupidity is mind
>blowing. The truth be told, the United States has been criminally
>negligent when it comes to Latin America. Its drug market has converted
>many Latin Americans into suppliers of American demand for drugs. As a
>result the governments of these countries have morally decayed. The
>U.S.'s green revolutions have destroyed agricultural subsistence, and
>the North American Free Trade Agreement has destroyed nascent
>manufacturing industries.
>
>Today, the only thing that is sustaining Mexico and Central America is
>the remittances sent back annually by hardworking compatriots. If it
>were not for these remittances those economies would crash and there
>would be many more immigrant workers coming into territory that was
>illegally taken from their ancestors. They are illegal because the
>border was moved.
>
>The truth be told, the demonstrators had no choice but to protest. I
>have no other choice but to urge my students and community to resist
>immoral laws.
>
>As a historian I remember the words of Martin Niemöller, a Protestant
>pastor and social activist, who said:
>
>When the Nazis arrested the Communists,
>I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist.
>When they locked up the Social Democrats,
>I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat.
>When they arrested the trade unionists,
>I said nothing; after all, I was not a trade unionist.
>When they arrested the Jews, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Jew.
>When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.