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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2018)
Page 12 March 14, 2018 MCS Still in Business O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Black Immigrant Lives Matter Too We are stronger together M arC h. M orial We are long over- due for a discussion about immigration as it relates to black im- migrants, particularly at this moment as the current presidential administration clamors to end legal protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and congressional leaders lurch from one proposed bipartisan solution to another in search of a perma- nent legislative fix. To be sure, to live in this coun- try as an undocumented person is to live a life overshadowed by fear, but combine that fear with the harsh realities of race in our nation and you have a volatile mix. The numbers are troubling— and telling. Black immigrants make up a small percentage of DACA recipients. They are an estimated 12,000 of 700,000 re- cipients, and comprise less than 10 percent of all our nation’s en- tire immigrant population, but at 2 percent, they are predictably overrepresented in deportation proceedings as a result of criminal by convictions, and according to the deputy director of the Black Al- liance for Just Immigration, the same yawning disparity holds true for detention rates. The alliance’s state of black immigrants report estimates that “one out of every five noncitizens fac- ing deportation on criminal grounds before the Execu- tive Office for Immigration Re- view is black.” While undocumented black im- migrants share a universal story of migration, struggle, and survival, they must also contend with the heightened risk of social vulnera- bility commonly tied to race in our nation. As we enter the proverbial ring to fight for the civil and hu- man rights of those brought to this country as children, who recognize no other home, and as President Obama once noted, are “Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper,” we must ensure that solutions that benefit one immigrant community do not de- rail the opportunities of another. Therefore, the stories and voices of black immigrants must remain top-of-mind and relevant through- out this debate. The Trump administration re- cently left the fate of these 700,000 undocumented immigrants in the hands of the Supreme Court. A decision to allow the Trump ad- ministration to end the DACA program—which currently shields those young men and women from deportation—would have resulted in the near immediate loss of that protection. The added travesty for black immigrants is that over-policing in their communities and increased engagement with the criminal jus- tice system would have increased their risk of deportation. But in a widely expected setback, the Su- preme Court rejected the adminis- tration’s request to hear the case. While the court’s decision of- fers a timely lifeline to DACA re- cipients, who faced the imminent expiration of the program’s legal protections, the reprieve is tempo- rary. The disturbing language said to come from the White House claiming that Nigerians live in huts, that all Haitians have AIDS, or that Africans should return to their slur-worthy countries, would evidence a disdain for immigrants who come from majority black countries. Various proposed congressional resolutions have highlighted the urgency of amplifying the experi- ences of black immigrants. There are bipartisan proposals on the ta- ble that offer a permanent fix for DACA recipients and DREAMers (undocumented immigrants who are eligible, but have not applied for DACA), in exchange for end- ing established channels to legal immigration such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), protec- tions for immigrants who come from countries experiencing en- vironmental or social upheaval, the visa diversity lottery program, and family-based immigration programs—some of the very pro- grams that created and create legal pathways for black immigration. We are stronger together. The immigrants’ rights movement needs to be inclusive and incor- porate the realities of its diverse constituencies. Now is the time for rights groups, advocates, and allies to begin to specifically look at and address the complicated needs and reality of black undocumented im- migrants whose stories and voices are rarely heard above prevailing media narratives. It is time to af- firm that their lives matter, too. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League.
