Independence Day & La Jaula de Oro

I'm rounding third and heading toward the completion of another year around the sun. Being born on Independence Day means you grow up with a particular affinity toward the value of freedom. Hell, my parents almost named me Freedom - thankfully my grandmother intervened.

The separation of families - children robbed of their freedom for the acts of their parents - has been at the forefront of this community for weeks now ever since there was a kids internment camp opened in Tornillo.

Elected officials and celebrities have tripped over one another to get their photo-op. There has been demonstration after demonstration out there and in downtown El Paso about the separation of families orchestrated by the Trump Administration.

Trump is pushing threw more immigration judges so he can deport people faster. The absurdity of the immigration court system has gotten to the point where children aren't represented in court by an attorney.

These actions have been almost universally rejected by local leaders and Democrats and forward-thinking Americans across the country.

And at the same time that we have some of the same leaders pulling some pretty unbelievable political Yoga by contorting themselves to be simultaneously both for and against separation of families.

The County of El Paso has a $25,000,000 contract with the federal government to house undocumented immigrants. You read that number right. The largest enterprise in which the County of El Paso is involved. The largest contract the feds have IN THE UNITED STATES.

No matter how you dress it up, the argument for the proponents of separation of families at the county jail is that a) they are better off in our jails and b) it brings in revenue.

Both arguments are shameful.

First the They are better off argument is the same thing people said about slavery, moving Native Americans to reservations, and putting Japanese Americans in internment camps. Its for their own good was always what they said to justify those terrible decisions and history has not looked kindly on them for it.

But are they better off? I've heard Border Network for Human Rights's Fernando Garcia say that along with Sheriff Wiles and other advocates for keeping the contract to separate families while simultaneously holding rallies against separation of families, but where is the data to support that assertion? One talking point that has been used for at least a year now is that the inmates somehow won the immigration lottery by being in our county jail and are getting services and access to representation that immigrants aren't getting anywhere else.

Uh, wrong. Organizations like DRMS don't even serve inmates in the County jail.

Next the It brings in revenue argument - you are either part of the Immigration Industrial Complex, and therefore complicit with the administration, or you stand opposed to it. Eisenhower warned against the Military Industrial Complex as he was leaving office. Well we now have an Immigration Industrial Complex in which an entire cottage industry has sprouted up around our immigration policies.

Actually based on the money we spend, its more like a boutique industry rather than cottage. There is no middle ground, gray areas, or "complexities". This is a clear-cut conversation. If we are losing money on this endeavor, then that is downright terrible government. If we are profiting off of it, well then that is embarrassing as a community.

And quite frankly, the sheriff's officer's union is unashamed that this is about money for them. Their leadership was there and said that they had 300 jobs dependent on this contract. That is pretty eye-opening when you think about it. The union that supported a Republican in the last election and has at least one leader that is brown and pro-Trump, is saying we need to continue to separate families so that they can keep jobs.

How bad of a commentary on our community is it that they can argue that 300 jobs are dependent on the revenue generated by this contract?

You are against the administration or you are complicit. It really is that simple.

Personal Beef

Nothing drives me more crazy than when people make things about personality rather than policy. I like the sheriff and think he's been doing a great job. But I disagree with him on this particular policy. If you take a look at your social media feed, you'll see that a lot of people are in a debate about an issue but really, its more about a personality.

Thats when the political food fight starts.

The Sheriff appears to be taking this very personally. He went on a blistering personal attack on Commissioner Perez that I thought deserves some conversation. The Sheriff essentially said that Perez was an opportunist because he keeps raising the issue, which is true because Perez raised this issue last year upon the passing of SB4, which was the second time he raised the issue. The first was when the contract was set to expire and the third was the Tornillo internment camp for kids.

So yeah, Perez brings this up whenever immigration becomes a central issue in this community because he wants the contract to end. Not sure how that is a bad thing, but it sure pisses off the Sheriff. If you don't believe me that the Sheriff is taking this personally, just watch the last meeting and its pretty damn obvious.

The second point he makes, which I think is the more interesting one, is when he calls out Perez for bringing this issue up but mentioned that he's been to all kinds of events, rallies, and fundraisers calling for immigration reform and he's never seen Commissioner Perez there. He even mentioned that he's served as a waiter at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for immigration reform.

And he's right, he did. I know, I was there. I was serving spaghetti too. And Wiles is right, Perez has never been to one of those events. Neither have a host of other elected officials. No Norma Chavez, no Eddie Holguin, no Chente Quintanilla, Steve Ortega, Mary Gonzalez, Cassandra Brown, Alessandra Annello, Henry Rivera, etc.

Hell if you take away Tornillo's recent attention, I've only seen 5 electeds at immigration reform stuff consistently: Veronica Escobar, Susie Byrd, Jose Rodriguez, Richard Wiles, and Joann Bernal.

But that left me scratching my head. If Wiles is such an advocate for immigration reform, and I believe he is, then why is he such an advocate for a policy that separates families. So the greater point isn't why is Perez raising this issue if he's not slopping spaghetti at St. Pius, but rather why IS the Sheriff supportive of the contract if he's such a passionate advocate?

Honestly, who looks worse in that scenario? They guy that never goes to CIR events but puts forth a substantive policy solution, or the guy that is at CIR events all the time and simultaneously supports a policy that separates families?

But hey, don't take my word for it. Watch this exchange from the last meeting:



So I don't get why people are making this personal about Perez. Yeah, everyone threatens to run someone against him, the union has already said they were. Marco Camarillo, a pro-Trump officer in the union, posted this on Facebook recently: "Commisomer (sic)Vince Perez needs to go, membership 2019. Lace up the boots personal agenda he has. Commissioner Perez cares about mothers, children, and families, just not ours."

I know, a pro-Trump union guy but hey, its the same union that supported a Republican for sheriff last election so its not like you can take them seriously. They should ask the Supreme Court about how much good it does to be a union and back a Republican...

Speaking of pro-Trump guys that are making this personal, how about that Commissioner Haggerty, huh? He went on a tirade against Perez in the meeting saying "you cite yourself as a source" in his presentation. Essentially Haggerty, who voted against a resolution condemning the camp just a few days ago, is upset that Commissioner Perez's office did research.

Tell you what Commissioner, what has you accomplished as Commissioner? Why don't you get off your ass and actually do some sort of policy research on oh say, basically ANYTHING! Seriously, your beef with Perez is that they rolled up their sleeves and did some research? I know the Republicans have a war on intellect but Jesus, your up for reelection soon, you might want to get off your ass and do something.

Gilded Cage

Let me end by making one last point about La Jaula de Oro argument made by the folks that support the separation of families at the County Jail. The fact that both Commissioner's Haggerty and Stout agree on the perpetual separation of families through this jail contract speaks volumes.

The argument that nonviolent immigrants are held in our jail, often well above the minimum of 500 beds (for a while as high as twice that amount), are "better off" in our jail is shockingly offensive. Lost Tigres del Norte have written a lot of songs about the plight of immigration and immigrants from 3 Veces Mojado, Mis Dos Patrias, Somos Mas Americanos, Vivan Los Mojados, Pedro y Pablo, El Mojado Acaudalado, Ni Aqui Ni Alla, to El Emigrante, and others.

But I think the most poignant in this conversation is La Jaula de Oro, which is where I got the title for this post. Its a song that talks about how a guy feels like he's living in a gilded cage as an immigrant here in the United States. We aren't required to house immigrants for Trumps administration. We aren't required to fill our jail beds with non-violent immigrants, sometimes at a rate twice that of the contract stipulation.

Here's how the song ends (English translation for the bilingually challenged - in case you read this at a later date and Trump has made speaking Spanish illegal), and I think it punctuates the point about our community jailing nonviolent immigrants and participating in the separation of families:

From work to my house

I don't know what's going on with me

Although I'm the head of the household

I almost never go out

Because I'm afraid that they'll catch me

And deport me

What's money good for

If I live like a prisoner

In this great nation

When I'm reminded of this, I cry

Although this cage is made of gold

It's still a prison

When it comes to Commissioner Stout and others that twist themselves into a pretzel to be simultaneously for and against separation of families, who were also allegedly opposed to SB4 but still supported the jail contract, I think a movie character said it best.

As Doc Holiday said to Wyatt Earp in the movie Tombstone, "It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds."

Aunque la jaula sea de oro, no deja de ser prisión.



UPDATE:

There's one thing I forgot to mention on this post. Commissioner Perez asked the Court to consider, if they weren't willing to end the contract with the feds to separate families, setting aside some of the funds from the contract to give to Annunciation House to help them complete their mission for the families.

The Court wasn't even willing to consider it. I think almost all of the members of the Court are Catholic, including Commissioner Perez who attended Georgetown University (a Catholic institution) and Commissioner Stout who used to work for the US Council of Catholic Bishops.