Immigration: An Unequal Process

By Jeanna Murat

Jeanna is the Director of Membership Engagement & Programming at PACDC

The rhetoric and knowledge of the American immigration system is convoluted. How we view immigrants has an impact on how they are welcomed within our country. Most recently, our American immigration system created legislation that allowed a mass entry for Ukranians. Our media sources, society and our government have presented the story of a people ravaged by war and insecurity. While it is true that Ukrainians are being ravaged by war in an unstable country, we have failed as a nation to provide the same voice and concerns for many other nations that are continually facing political violence, instability, and are being ravaged by war. 

Race is a major factor in how we receive and welcome specific nations within our borders. For example, we have not used our media and political clout in the same fashion to acknowledge the suffering of people in Central America or Africa. Our system has created various classes of immigrants and which of these classes an immigrant belongs to impacts if and how an immigrant prospers and their accessibility to infrastructure upon entry to our country.  

Most Americans are misinformed about the American immigration system. Upon reviewing the application one can see the distinct differences and wording on the process for Ukranians vs. the process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. The web page created for Ukrainians has a slogan that welcomes and supports the entry of Ukrainians. “DHS has implemented processes through which nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, and their qualifying immediate family members, may request to come to the  United States in a safe and orderly way.” (USCIS) Whereas the page for the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans is not welcoming, the slogan specifically implies that the process is created to form a safe and orderly way for these potential immigrants to gain entry into our American immigration system. The stark disparities are glaring and difficult to overlook. It is implied that particular immigrants, those who are Black and Brown, are less than, disorderly, and have a potential to cause issues. 

The immigration system in the United States is outdated and fails to welcome all ethnicities the same way. It is our responsibility to consider the duality of entry for Ukrainians vs. other Immigrants. As a nation, we must begin to acknowledge that our system has implicit bias and discounts the validity of immigrants that come to our country seeking solace, economic opportunities, and want to contribute to the success of our nation.