By Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia
When many people think about immigration, an image of Ellis Island or maybe even the U.S.-Mexico border might pop into their minds. For me, it stems back to the day that nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Of those who lived through it, we can remember quite vividly where we were on that morning. I was in an office on Dupont Circle in our nation’s capital reviewing immigration cases during an attorneys’ meeting before the news hit that New York City and Washington D.C. had been attacked. I watched with rest of America the tumbling of the Twin Towers and worried foremost about getting home in the short term.
In the long-term, these events propelled me out of private practice and into non-profit immigration policy work. Little did I know that the demolishment of the old immigration agency, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the first of several bipartisan efforts around “comprehensive” immigration reform, triggered by a handshake between the U.S. and Mexican Presidents days before September 11, coupled with the backlash against communities of color, particularly Arab, Muslim, and South Asian communities, would be the centerpiece of my work as a legislative lawyer and organizer.
Over time, I have pored through hundreds of pages of bipartisan bills with a passion for the immigration code and found a love for law teaching. This led me to relocate with my family to central Pennsylvania where I launched an immigrants’ rights clinic at Penn State University which I continue to direct today.
My experiences overall have taught me that the challenge to enact true immigration reform has rested more on political will than on a sound policy. Thankfully, our nation is on the verge of making real progress on immigration reform.
Bipartisan members in both the House and Senate have come together to move on bills such as the Dream Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that would establish an earned pathway to citizenship for individuals who came to the United States as children, otherwise known as Dreamers, and certain undocumented agriculture essential workers, some of which have lived in the United States for more than a decade.
I have witnessed first-hand the tremendous contributions made by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients, young immigrants putting themselves through school, providing for their families, and contributing to our economy and society. Ending DACA, and failing to provide permanent protections for these Dreamers, would cost Pennsylvania more than $323 million in annual GDP loss.
I have also been the beneficiary of the physically challenging job agricultural workers in central Pennsylvania perform to ensure that fruit, vegetables, and milk are on our tables, despite the vulnerability many face as undocumented workers during a global pandemic. With immigrants accounting for 22% of our state’s crop production workforce, we simply cannot afford to lose them because of political gridlock.
Our outdated immigration system has also impacted so called “legal immigration,” including my family, and employment-based systems have not been updated in decades. My own mother entered the United States as the spouse of a green card holder. Today, she would be banned or face delays if she sought to enter this way. I share with my students the analogy of a college or university where annual slots available remains the same for decades without regard to demand, need, or talent. Such is the reality of our immigration system.
I have consulted or represented individuals and families who are survivors of an immigration system that is sorely in need of an update to align with American values and the 21st century. It is clear that immigration reform is long overdue, signaled by the more than three decades since Congress has passed meaningful reform or change to our immigration laws and the inevitable swelling of individuals inside the United States who are vulnerable and living in the shadows, all while contributing to our communities and economies in profound ways. Today, Pennsylvania’s immigrants pay $9.9 billion in taxes annually and add $24.9 billion to the state economy every year. Imagine what we could do if we empower them to fully participate in society.
Congress should listen to the overwhelming majority of voters across all backgrounds who support immigration policies that keep families safe and together while growing our economy. It’s time we come together to support the undocumented community that has dedicated themselves to American values of hard work and perseverance, especially in the face of uncertainty.
Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia is a resident of State College, PA. This op-ed is written in her individual capacity and does not reflect the views of Pennsylvania State University. For informational purposes only, Wadhia is Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar at Penn State Law in University Park.