Cesar Vargas has become the first undocumented immigrant to practice law. Vargas has lived in Brooklyn from the age of 5 after moving to the US from Mexico with his family. While there is a federal law banning the issue of a professional license to those who haven’t been granted citizenship, the court did allow Vargas to practice- which is a huge deal. This is the beginning of a whole new realm of opportunity for those who are currently undocumented, and hopefully this progress continues, despite current political events. Undocumented people are still just that- people; they deserve the same chances as everyone else and should have an easier path to citizenship than they currently do.
Immigration reform is necessary, and mass deportation just isn’t the answer. Throughout history, from the deportations of Armenians in Turkey to the expulsion of the Acadians by the British, deportation has been associated with violence and widespread unrest. Deportation of the kind that the president-elect is planning on, in such great numbers, has only led to assault, crimes against humanity, and even genocide in the past. Let’s look to acceptance and diversity in the future.
