On Immigration, ‘Deterrence Only’ Is Not the Answer

As a brutally hot summer winds down and Americans look ahead to a new season, I find myself counting the days until November 5. Election Day in the United States is always an important opportunity; as Senator Raphael Warnock says, “… A vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire …”  

This year, voting feels even more important than usual. And for immigrant and refugee communities, the stakes could not be higher. 

This election cycle, from the presidential race to races further down the ballot, is focused on several key issues — but very few have received as much attention as immigration. The subject arose repeatedly throughout Tuesday’s debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump, who injected anti-immigration commentary even during answers on unrelated topics. This emphasis followed months of the candidates inundating Americans with advertisements touting their positions on border security and fighting transnational crime.  

I get it. I have yet to meet an American who opposes the notion that the U.S. should have secure borders and fight cartels. I also haven’t spoken with anyone who believes that people forced to flee for their lives should not have access to a functioning asylum system. Unfortunately, the prevailing political narrative in the U.S. suggests that our country can only do one thing at a time. We are apparently only preoccupied with the number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and the type of people behind that number.  

Unfortunately, this focus isn’t a surprise. Years of inaccurate stories hyping the perceived threat of migrants have flooded our television sets and social media feeds, whipping many people in the U.S. into a frenzy about border security. There is no better time to exploit these fears and misunderstandings than during an historic election. I understand the political tactics at play here, but that doesn’t make them any less disturbing — and threatening to core American principles. 

I’m deeply concerned that candidates of both major parties are lurching towards “deterrence only” platforms. Candidates who formerly purported to support the fundamental right of people to seek safety in the United States now only talk about how tough they are on border policy. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, they’ll also acknowledge that we should extend legal status to the many immigrants who have called this country home for years.  

I do not mean to minimize either of these positions, because both are tremendously important. However, I’m still hoping to hear a major candidate say that the talk about an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border is factually inaccurate, as well as absurd. I’m still hoping to hear a major candidate say that the United States has an obligation to welcome refugees through our refugee resettlement program and ensure that asylum seekers approaching our borders are met with dignity and a system that is both humane and effective. I’m still hoping to hear nuanced, visionary positions that are focused on comprehensive immigration reform, rather than just touting a failed border security bill that, if passed, would codify the gutting of the U.S. asylum system.  

I’m troubled that facts are being tossed by the wayside in favor of rhetoric that is not only inaccurate but also dangerous. Where are the mainstream candidates who decry the repugnant anti-immigrant platforms that are rooted in antisemitic, white nationalist dogma? Where are the conversations that say that enough is enough, and that vilifying migrants makes this country a more toxic place for both immigrants and those who welcome them? 

Despite all these concerns, there’s a silver lining. It’s not too late for candidates to address the reality that a majority of Americans want both border security and a strong asylum system. During the remaining months of this election season, we must insist that major candidates for office speak to what immigrants, including asylees and resettled refugees, contribute to the country. We must encourage candidates to drop one-sided narratives about the border and embrace policy recommendations that we believe could be more effective than deterrence-only programs. 

If voting truly is a form of prayer in action, then now is the time to raise our voices in unison and remind candidates from both major parties that the America we want to see can do two things at once: welcome people who are looking for safety and improving border security at the same time. Is this prayer for action an easy one? Not at all. But that doesn’t mean that we can give up now. Instead, from now until November 5 and beyond, we need to be leaders in the chorus of voices that demands that our elected officials can and must do better. The future of America as a welcoming home for refugees and immigrants depends on it.