07 October 2020

Family Separation for the Children of Undocumented Workers - from illegal immigrants to tax cheaters

Imagine a political group gets into office and they are as upset about undocumented workers and businesses as Trump supporters are about undocumented workers. The difference being, this group is upset about a failure to file or pay taxes. 

These people are upset about tax cheaters in the same way that Trump supporters in 2016 were upset about illegal immigrants. What they didn't realize, though, is that the government they voted in would decide to discourage tax cheaters through a policy of family separation. Children of tax cheaters were essentially incarcerated, left in lock-down 23 hours a day. Some of the children actually adopted out.

It seems that these folks outraged at tax cheaters have two choices once they see this. One is to simply say, "Yeah. That is spot on. Take their children." The other is to be outraged, shocked that this new government would systematically separate families as punishment for cheating on taxes. The relevant question at that point is whether undocumented (as in did not file any or any accurate tax records) workers deserve a punishment this harsh and whether they'll vote again for this administration now that they know how far they'll take things.

This is the question before Trump supporters who are as equally outraged at undocumented workers (who don't have proof of residency or citizenship) but still feel that systematically separating families as a discouragement is even more evil than having someone in the country willing to work in our fields or kitchens for lower than minimum wage. The question is, Do you want to be on the side of an administration that will perpetuate this kind of cruelty on the most helpless people within our borders? Children who not only don't understand our system but don't even speak our language and for whom the only clear reality is that they've been torn from their mother? Because in 2016, you may not have properly understood why Trump was working so hard to convince you that Mexico was sending us rapists and murderers. Now you do. Good people like you can be made to support cruelty only if you believe it is just retribution for egregious behavior. Now you know that this was to get your support to be cruel to people who are born so inferior that they don't even deserve the comfort of a mother. These people are so evil that they don't deserve family. Now you know that the point was to be cruel to children who are vulnerable, confused and traumatized. If you find that more outrageous than someone crossing the border in the hopes of a better life for them and their children, you have a simple way to stop such behavior: don't vote for the man who has done this and still thinks he has done nothing wrong. Don't vote for Trump.

And I know that the Trumpbros are going to jump on this and say, "But under Obama this happened." Yes. With legal proceedings and detentions, this kind of thing happens. There is a difference between the rare case that inevitably falls out in the midst of managing borders and systematically separating children as Trump, Stephen Miller and Jeff Sessions intended. There is a difference between the rare case and systematically warehousing thousands of children in converted Walmart stores.

So think about the policies that matter to you and who deserves punishment. Whose behavior you think most undermines the economy you think we're trying to build. Tax cheaters? Illegal immigrants? And then ask whether the proper punishment for such undocumented workers is taking their children from them. Because if you voted for Trump in 2016 and then this happened, you can honestly say that you didn't see this coming. If you vote for Trump in 2020, you have to own this and say that someone trying to better themselves without having all the proper paperwork - as illegal immigrants and tax cheaters do - deserves to have their children taken from them as punishment. You have to clearly state that you support cruelty to the children of people who cut corners to make a better life for those children. Perhaps I'm a starry-eyed optimist but I don't believe nearly as many people will support that kind of cruelty as believe that undocumented workers of any kind is an issue.

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