Reader challenges immigration stance

I very much appreciate receiving letters from readers, even the critical ones. I received a two-fer in the mail right before Christmas. On the surface it was a Christmas card in a festive envelope. When I opened it, however, I discovered that it was much more than just a hello on the holidays. It was a letter from a reader, in particular a response to an editorial I published about immigration, with words scrawled across every open square inch of the card. After reading it, that one has a permanent place on my bulletin board in the Carrington office.

This gentle reader, originally from the area but now residing in Oregon, reminded me that immigration is a multi-faceted topic. Flashback to a couple of months ago when I expressed support for the Uniting 4 Ukraine program the City of Carrington has supported through sales tax dollars, and I printed a column from a man working to help legal immigrants settle in North Dakota. It was headlined “A call for compassionate immigration reform,” and it was aimed at the “new administration” although it was written before we knew who would be elected president.

I expressed support for the Uniting 4 Ukraine program because it provides a pathway for immigrants to be in our country. It counters the flood of migrants through the southern border that often captures headlines and is made the example for how not to bring new people to America.

The individuals coming into our community under this program are vetted and are coming with the proper paperwork to live and work in the United States legally for a defined period of time. That’s what we need to remember. These people have “gone to Ellis Island” so to speak, as the reader referenced in her letter.

She spoke of the illegal immigrants that are entering our country every day and have no respect for our laws or customs. I understand her concern.

After reading her letter, I think we have some common ground. We both understand how our ancestors got here. She has also taken the time to hear the stories of immigrants who have arrived within the past few decades.

Yes, many of our ancestors who settled in North Dakota received free land. The Homestead Act gave citizens or future citizens up to 160 acres of public land if they were at least 21 years old and the head of a household who paid a filing fee and met several conditions. Most notably, they had to live on the land for five years, build a house at least 10-by-12 feet (the size of a small bedroom by today’s standards) and cultivate at least 10 acres.

Sounds like the American dream, right? Well, there are many written accounts to help us remember the plight of immigrants arriving in North Dakota in the late 1800s. It wasn’t easy and many died, and that was when we wanted people to flow across our border and populate the vast prairies and plains of the upper Midwest.

Yet, there is an entirely different situation going on at our borders today. There are millions of people entering without papers. Drug lords and sex traffickers benefit from the daily flow of money, drugs and people across our borders. How do we manage that AND continue to support legal immigration?

The writer of the column I shared, David Jenkins, called for more compassionate policies on immigration reform, and I question whether that’s even possible in today’s political climate.

The country has definitely changed, and people living in the United States have access to so many modern conveniences that simply weren’t part of the deal when our ancestors came here. There wasn’t a health insurance marketplace, SNAP benefits or even Social Security.

According to KFF, a nonprofit health policy research, polling, and news organization, “As of 2023, there were 47.1 million immigrants residing in the U.S., and one in four children had an immigrant parent.” The writers of the KFF report, Drishti Pillai and Samantha Artiga, are critical of the immigration policies so far proposed by President-elect Trump and his incoming administration.

However, there is bipartisan support for immigration reform and the question is whether or not we have the will to make changes that will make a positive, lasting difference moving forward.

I’ve been following Braver Angels, a nationwide nonprofit whose mission is “Building a house united.” They aim to bring Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. In Braver Angels, neither side is teaching the other or giving feedback on how to think or say things differently.

Braver Angels commenced a Citizens Commission on Immigration this summer at their national convention. It is a three-year work in progress with plans to prepare a major report on immigration to Congress by 2027.

Here’s an excerpt from their website, “The goal of the Citizens Commission on Immigration is to demonstrate to Congress and the nation that Americans with differing views on immigration can find common ground. The Commission works in a red/blue balanced way and includes Americans from all sides of the issue. It was launched after a red/blue balanced group of about 750 delegates at the 2024 Braver Angels National Convention gathered and voted to establish immigration as a Braver Angels priority issue.”

I will be following this process. They are looking for leaders in all 50 states to help convene conversations around immigration throughout the next two years. Readers, if you feel strongly about immigration and want to be a part of the solution, this might be for you. Braver Angels is hosting an online Common Ground Workshop on Sunday, Jan. 26, during which all are welcome to join the conversation.

Check out Braver Angels at braverangels.org and let me know what you think.

Through this debate, let’s come up with common sense solutions. Let’s understand that there are many perspectives to consider and none should be lost in our pursuit to address this most pressing issue that has implications far beyond our borders.