ICE Actions Are Not Actually Something Americans Want

 Via Scheerpost:

For a nation of immigrants, the Trump administration’s attacks on immigration are nothing short of heartbreaking. Each day, we’re seeing neighbors kidnapped from our streets, detained in unsafe and inhumane conditions, and deported without due process to countries they’ve never known.

If there’s one silver lining, it’s this: The more Americans see of this agenda, the less they like it. And the more immigrants tell their stories, the better people understand why they belong.

Over 15 percent of Americans are immigrants. If you live here, there’s a good chance you know one. Since the late 1800s, we’ve called on immigrants to work in industry, health care, hospitality, agriculture, and other essential jobs. Immigration is a core to our story about who we are.

Immigrants contribute greatly to our culture and economy. They work jobs, pay taxes, volunteer in churches and schools, support American sports teams, and eat American foods. In 2022, immigrants paid nearly $100 billion in federal, state, and local taxes — more than many big name corporations.

At the root of why immigrants come to this country is the promise of a better life — a better job, a better education for their children, a chance to reunite with family. It’s not an easy choice to pick up and leave, and the journey is often perilous. But it’s often the only choice for migrants facing violence, death threats, climate disasters, or extreme poverty.

Against all odds, on average a few million have made their way here each year for the past five years. And generally speaking, the American people want them here — over 60 percent of Americans now disapprove of Trump’s cruel treatment of immigrants.