For quite a while now, the national news stream has felt more like a firehose (well, several firehoses at once) than a stream. There are so many happenings, judgments, court orders, executive orders and shifts in policy — and opinions on each side — that it’s nearly impossible to keep up.
In my opinion, one of the most egregious policies we’re facing today is the lack of due process in our immigration system. That’s one of the rationales behind this month’s feature, “Reporting on Immigration and Deportations.” Gretchen Peck’s story explores the experience of only two reporters — chosen because of their extensive background and experience with immigration, deportation and U.S. policies around both. However, this issue is far from a national, or even international, issue. This is a local issue on steroids.
Most communities in this country are experiencing stories of immigrants and deportations, or the threat of deportations, which have exploded since the beginning of this Trump administration. Granted, Donald Trump ran and won the presidency in large part on this very issue. However, I don’t believe anyone who supports our Constitution voted for cruelty, which is what we are currently experiencing.
If anyone — including citizens — can be taken into custody and face deportation without due process, we might as well give up on the idea of democracy. It’s one of the basic tenets our country and Constitution is based on. The fifth and fourteenth amendments to our Constitution ensure that no person be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law. Read that again: no person. Due process isn’t for citizens; it’s for anyone and everyone in our country.
Here in the Nashville, Tennessee area — far from any of our borders — deportations and their aftermath are in the news, our businesses and our homes. It affects public policy, politics, police efforts, the economy, local labor and families. People with black and brown skin — even those who are documented — are fearful and guarded. And our community isn’t alone. My guess is that most of our readers’ communities are in the same boat.
Our deportation story also includes a sidebar with resources for your newsrooms. I urge you to evaluate how your newsroom is covering immigration policy and deportations in your community. The U.S. immigration system is broken and has been for many years. It’s likely that this issue will be with us for some time to come. Let’s tell these stories that need to be told with sensitivity, clarity and humanity.
Robin Blinder is E&P's editor-in-chief. She has been with E&P for five years. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com
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teaster
The premise of your article is way off in that you frame it with "Cruelty" and "Constitutional" You are far off base and egregiously mistaken about both. The Cruelty is to the women and children that were killed and who's lives were changed forever by the cruelty of the people that the misinformed populous are feigning to help. I wish someone would actually, truly, put effort into finding the truth. Anyone writing an article like this is just plain lazy and doesn't really care about the truth.
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