By: Paige Rohe

The Statue of Liberty is closed indefinitely for security reasons. You can walk
around the grounds, but forget visiting the monument itself.  I find it oddly
appropriate. Just as the very doors to Lady Liberty have been closed, so also
have the very values she symbolizes been made inaccessible to some residents in
our country for the sake of national security.

On September 11th, 2001, the lives of thousands of Americans were destroyed by
a few Saudi residents who had been living in the US illegally. No one knew if
other members of al-Qaida were still living in the US and the Bush
Administration was loathe to allow another similar event to occur during its
watch. So, what do you do when forced with tracking down a needle in a
haystack? You burn the haystack and hope the needle survives the flame.

We rounded up untold numbers of Arab and Muslim immigrants and detained them in
sometimes hostile, abusive environments without any idea as to who actually had
terrorist associations and who didn't.  We treated all these prisoners as
terrorists, breaking one of our cardinal rules of juris prudence, that everyone
should be considered innocent until proven guilty. But, these men weren't
American citizens, so perhaps American judicial safeguards against tyranny
don't apply to them.

As for all those other illegal immigrants who are from Arab or Muslim states,
many thousands will be sent back to wherever they came from, without regard to
what lives they have created here or what might happen to them if they return
home to a less than hospitable environment.  All that matters is that they
aren't here legally and therefore don't deserve to be here.

While it certainly isn't fair that someone who broke the law in this country
should be treated with more deference than an immigrant who has established
his/herself with permission from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, it
also isn't fair that an innocent Muslim man from Nigeria be targeted over a
Mexican, Japanese or Canadian.

Furthermore, we've only thus far found ourselves able to successfully deport
those illegal immigrants, who aside from their illegal status are relatively
law-abiding. Thirteen thousand immigrants who presented themselves for
registration at the request of the US government are now facing being kicked
out because they did what they were told to do. Certainly a terrorist would
never risk identifying himself to the government, so why can't these people be
given leniency for their obedience?

In years prior to September 11th, illegal immigration was never a top priority
for the US government. Our economy demands a significant population of low
wage, manual labor workers to clean our bathrooms and build our houses.  Sadly,
we need illegal immigrants to take advantage of as much as they need us.
Otherwise we might be forced to pay Americans better wages and corporate
America might, consequently lose profit margins.

Additionally, it often isn't the fault of immigrants that they are considered
illegal. Many have tried to achieve residency status via the INS but have
failed either because the US doesn't want anymore citizens from Country X, or
there's simply too many cases and too much paperwork for one of the
government's already most inefficient federal agencies to handle.

Like millions of other Americans, I am terrified of what horrific possibility
looms behind the Office of Homeland Security's next elevation of the terror
threat level.

Like millions of Americans also, I am frustrated that apparently all I can do
to protect myself and those I love is to buy duct tape.

But, as a thirteenth generation American whose Revolutionary War ancestors
fought to create this great nation, I cannot abide my freedom coming at the
expense of innocents who desire nothing more than the opportunity that was
given to my family three hundred years ago.

What can be done? Hire more staff to make the INS a much more effective
organization, that will keep better tabs on those who come to this country and
thus hopefully help prevent any future terrorists from making the US their
home. Allow those who have come forward to the INS a reprieve. After all, those
desirous to be good citizens are exactly the kinds of people our government
should try to recruit.

Our policy towards immigrants defines our nation. We have built this country
with the sweat and tears of people who came to America because they love the
values and ideals for which it stands. If we continue to deny innocents the
very rights and privileges that have made America great than we are living a
lie.

We might as well take down Emma Lazarus's sonnet, "The New Colussus," from its
place of honor on the pedestal of Lady Liberty. We no longer want anybody's
'tired,' especially not the Third World's 'poor,' and certainly never any
Iranians, Iraqis, or other Arabs 'yearning to breathe free.'  

Paige Rohe is an International Studies student at Emory University and a contributing writer for PurePolitics.com. She can be reached at feedback@purepolitics.com.

Past Columns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7