Indigenous Peoples in the U.S. struggling against Poverty and Repression: Native Immigrants Facing Incarceration and Deportations

The United Nations has denounced the United States government's abuses against its Indigenous populations, as poverty and many social crisis affect most Native Americans. Meanwhile, millions of Indigenous undocumented immigrants from Latin America remain ignored by the Obama administration.

The UN report was detailed by Amnesty International USA office:

The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples notes that nearly a quarter of Native Americans and Alaska Natives live below the poverty line in the U.S., compared to about 12.5 percent of the total population, and pinpoints the direct relationship that the educational deficit has upon economic opportunities and employment rates. [...]

Native Americans and Alaska Natives in the U.S. face higher death rates than other Americans from diseases such as tuberculosis and diabetes, motor vehicle crashes, alcoholism, unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide.

The UN report also addresses the particular vulnerability of indigenous women to violence and sexual violence. It cites our Maze of Injustice report statistic that Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually violated than women in the United States in general.

This report doesn't include the outrageous reality of millions of Spanish-speaking Indigenous peoples living in the United States. Many, if not most undocumented immigrants in this country, are Natives peoples from Latin America. Alike the U.S. Indigenous peoples, we are among the most oppressed communities in this nation.

Photo by Carlos A. Quiroz

A day before president Obama's State of the Union speech, hundreds of advocates rallied in front of the Department of Homeland Security offices in Washington, DC. During the rally for a Comprehensive Immigration Reform -which was widely ignored by mainstream media- the protesters blocked the streets and yelled: "Stop the raids! Obama listen to our struggle!"

The following day, president Obama mentioned the immigration issue in his speech in front of all Congress members:

"... we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system, to secure our borders and enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation."

In other words: more prisons, deportations and increasing militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. More money for the law enforcement big business, while millions of undocumented immigrants fall victims of the economic recession and violent incarceration. I was appealed by the cynicism of a president who run his electoral campaign with promises of a Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) "during my first year at the White House".

Obama got the Latino vote -which includes many Spanish speaking Natives- and he was elected president. But he appointed racist Arizona governor Janet Napolitano as his firts Homeland Security Secretary. That was a clear sign that his administration wasn't concerned about human rights of the poorest people in this country, but he was focusing instead on the blind enforcement of an obsolete and abusive legislation.

Secretary Janet Napolitano has increased the military/police enforcement of current immigration laws. As a matter of fact, in 2009 the Obama administration has imprisoned and deported over 400,000 immigrants, mostly Native descedants. This stupidity will promote more poverty here in the U.S. and other countries. Just think about it.

Journalist and author Jeffrey Kaye wrote for The Huffington Post:

A long-promised, bi-partisan U.S. Senate bill aimed at comprehensive immigration reform will be delayed until at least March, according to a lobbyist involved in negotiations over the content of the legislation. [...]

The recently-introduced House immigration bill advocated most forcefully by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and championed by many reform advocates is widely seen as basically dead on arrival because of criticisms from the right that it is too migrant friendly. [...]

Time is not on the side of immigration reformers. As the 2010 midterm elections approach, politicians on the fence are likely to be seen as loathe to embrace such a controversial issue. One influential senator, Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has suggested a more wary piecemeal approach to immigration reform, rather than one big package. Breaking off chunks and dealing separately with the contentious issues of legalization, enforcement, and "future flows" of migrants may seem like a pragmatic short term approach to immigration but is likely to result in once again postponing the issue. And, if it's not going to be dealt with in 2010, it's almost certain to be ignored later on as politicos prepare for the 2012 presidential election year.

After Obama failed to pass an Immigration Reform bill in 2009, the only chance to move forward with any immigration bill will expire in 2010. Otherwise there won't be any chances for it until the next government is elected.

The Democratic Party used Immigration Reform very well during the 2008 presidential elections, but with now that has control of the Legislative and Executive, their leaders aren't doing much to meet their promises. If anything, they are more concerned about the 2010 Congressional mid-term elections and the 2011 election campaigns.

It's proven once again, that undocumented immigrants are not a priority for the government of this country, and that the U.S. Latino leadership lacks of enough strength to pressure the White House and Congress to pass an immigration reform. There is not even a national consensus and a wide understanding of what the best solution could be for this humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, millions of undocumented families are suffering the consequences of a racist, discriminating, and inhuman approach to their legal status in this country. A blind option is to call them illegals, which even president Obama has done, ignoring all the facts that create undocumented immigration.

By postponing any legislation reform on Immigration, the Obama administration is missing a great chance to reform this nation by allowing millions of hard working people to become productive citizens of this country. Legalization can help to recover the economy in every community where potential new citizens live today. It will also bring at least $1.5 trillion in revenues to the federal government in a decade, according to the Center for American Progress.

The U.S. government is ignoring the disgrace of millions of Native peoples in this country, born in the U.S. and in Latin America. For instance, the Lakota Indigenous peoples (Sioux) are currently facing hunger and disease due to extreme climate change effects, especially those living in those concentration-camps called reservations.

Indigenous peoples are struggling in the United States against racist and obsolete policies that promote poverty, human exploitation, labor abuses, human trafficking, discrimination. In this documentary [see video] a Lakota man says "[Obama] Make it right for Indian people first, and then other countries will take you seriously":

How long do we have to wait in this country to see real justice for all peoples? Oppressed communities from all over the United States are expecting a stronger leadership from president Barack Obama, and from all Congress members.



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