US immigration policy has totally lost touch with US immigration reality
The focus on Mexicans, who are the majority, and who traditionally migrate for economic reasons, has resulted in policies aimed at blocking off the border and quickly turning back those who breach it.
But these days, the share of “Other than Mexicans”, or OTMs—yes, this is an official classification—is much larger than in the past. And while some of them might have been lured by the promise of a job, like their Mexican counterparts, many of them are women and children fleeing violence and crime in Central America.
This mixed flow, experts say, poses a different challenge for the immigration system: how to quickly and fairly determine who has a legitimate need for protection. So far, though, many politicians seem to be stuck on the idea of keeping people out (including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, with his idea for a giant wall between the US and Mexico).
But these days, the share of “Other than Mexicans”, or OTMs—yes, this is an official classification—is much larger than in the past. And while some of them might have been lured by the promise of a job, like their Mexican counterparts, many of them are women and children fleeing violence and crime in Central America.
This mixed flow, experts say, poses a different challenge for the immigration system: how to quickly and fairly determine who has a legitimate need for protection. So far, though, many politicians seem to be stuck on the idea of keeping people out (including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, with his idea for a giant wall between the US and Mexico).
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