Stopping the Bleeding

author Published by Andre Barnes

The inauguration came and went with all the pomp and circumstance we all expected. People celebrated with  elegant balls and took treks through the freezing cold to a packed Verizon Center. I braved the winter blast to network with people at the Heritage Foundation, NumbersUSA,  and the Legacy Ball. 

I marvelled at the many executive orders that were signed in a short period of time but I would like to remind everyone we have only stopped the bleeding. Our immigration policy is on the operating table and is receiving full attention from the top surgeon. However, when our top surgeon leaves the room in the next four years, the bleeding will commence if the real surgery of long term legislation is not performed.

In order to stop bleeding you must apply pressure. President Trump did just that with the following executive orders:

  1. Declared a state of emergency at the border.
  2. Expanded restrictions on Birthright Citizenship.
  3. He sent the military to enforce the border

These executive orders will definitely apply pressure to stop the flow at the border. However, we have seen in the previous administration that they can also change policy with the stroke of a pen. We can not continue to play “red light-green light” with our immigration policy. We must pressure our elected Congress to work to establish long term immigration policy. 

While I was networking during inauguration weekend, I had an opportunity to hear from the common man, elected officials, and people I met from other events. Many times, I will be the one to bring up immigration and discuss policy. However, this weekend it was a hot button issue and everyone was discussing it everywhere I went.  Aaron Blake of the Washington Post stated in a recent article that “the writing is on the wall for a big immigration bill”.. The energy is here but we must strike while the iron is hot. We must send emails, make phone calls, and encourage our neighbors to do so. We have 18 months before the midterm elections and we must get a bill before then.

The Emancipation Reclamation is making the rounds:

With the help of Louis Murray, Jr. and his organization Bostonians Against Sanctuary Cities, we were able to put multiple pages of the Emancipation Reclamation into a Martin Luther King Jr. edition of the Boston City Paper

We also found that the Emancipation Reclamation has been placed in the Library of Congress database:

We are excited that people far and wide can access this amazing work from NumbersUSA.

Things to think about moving forward:

Many people are going to get emotional about the deportations. They will label anyone who favors deportation as hateful or racist. Now is not the time to lose civility. People are legit scared, misinformed, and suspicious about the efforts to manage immigration.

 It does not serve our best interest to let unvetted people into the country.

 It does not serve our best interest to bring in more workers when 6 out of 10 Black Americans without a high school diploma are unemployed. 

It does not serve our best interest to increase immigration when our cities are overcrowded with non-citizens they cannot afford to support. 

We have to be the light. A stabilizing force to provide factual information to people without dispelling them to polarity. It is time to draw people in and find common ground. Gloating, hateful rhetoric, and smart aleck comments will not get the job done. We need them!

And who are they? They are your neighbors. They are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents? They are MAGA.  They are never Trumpers. We need everyone to get to 60 votes in the senate. We have a chance to meet people where they are and encourage them to support economically just immigration policy. 

This is why I am traveling across the country to talk to students.  This is why I am doing presentations with grassroots organizations. This is why I am doing radio and television interviews. Not to speak to an echo chamber of supporters, but to win over people who are on the fence. We need them to be open to discussions about immigration. This will lead to long-term immigration policy because we will have all the surgeons in the operating room to create the laws necessary to fix our border. 

Up and Coming Events:

I will be hitting the road to Athens, Georgia to give a presentation at the University of Georgia  called Humanitarian Dilemmas in Immigration Policy.

Presentation Abstract:

Do we diminish our discussions about immigration to just sensationalism and soundbites? What can the numbers tell us about immigration? The numbers will expose that many stories are not being told and the discussion about immigration policy has become one dimensional. Even history about immigration has highlighted some aspects and blotted out others. During this presentation we will dive into the ethical, historical, and contemporary views of immigration moderation and the impact on African Americans.

Soon you will be able to catch the Hiring Line on Roku TV and other streaming services.

I will have a show on the Let The Truth Be Told Network and you will be able to access those shows on Demand. We are planning to launch the first show in February.

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