June 30, 2017

No Human Being Is Illegal

by Oliver E. Lister II (author's profile)

Transcription

Stop the Campaign Against Immigrant Workers!
No Human Being is Illegal

"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best... They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." Donald Trump said these openly racist words during his election campaign. And after getting elected, Trump has continued to attack immigrant workers. He has bragged about the raids and deportations being carried out.

Deportation has always been a threat hanging over the heads of the people who live and work in the U.S. without legal papers. But Trump's open racism against immigrants, combined with increased publicity about recent raids and deportations, will no doubt make undocumented workers and their loved ones feel even more threatened.

All this, in the end, amounts to a campaign of terror run by U.S. immigration authorities—aimed at keeping undocumented workers living in fear, rather than actually keeping them out of the country.

How else could it be explained that there are more than 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S.? The U.S.-Mexico border is already highly militarized. U.S. authorities could no doubt stop a big part of this flow of immigrants from Latin America, if that was their goal.

But the authorities don't want to do that. And that's because big companies in the U.S. have always relied on undocumented workers as a low-wage labor force. They want immigrants to have no rights and to be able to threaten them with deportation. These highly publicized raids, detentions, and deportations serve the purpose of keeping low-wage immigrant workers living in fear and unable to unionize. President Trump's campaign against immigrant workers is just turning up the volume on an already inhuman and disgusting attempt to wring more profits out of the hides of low-wage workers.

[cartoon of two parties on ships. One sailor asks: "Where are you from?". A person on the overcrowded boat responds: "Earth."]

But if native-born workers think this terror campaign against immigrant workers doesn't affect them, they are mistaken. Such divisions only weaken the working class. If one section of the working class is forced to accept low wages, it enables companies to impose lower wages on all workers.

This attack on immigrant workers is aimed at the entire working class. We can't let the wealthy divide us. Let's stand together and fight back. An injury to one is an injury to all! Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!

Socialist Action: This leaflet was published by Socialist Action, a group of working class activists dedicated to making the world a better place. We urge you to get involved in any and every progressive social movement - from the labor movement to the feminist movement! Stay in the loop through our Northern Worker blog and sign up for our weekly activist calendar by emailing us at adminritscher@gmail.com

www.thenorthernworker.blogspot.com

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