“Zero tolerance” immigration policy is not just evil but also extremely profitable

Clara Barros/Staff Writer

Evil. Wicked. Torturous. Inhumane.

All of these terms have been used to describe the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy as pictures of children in virtual concentration camps flooded the media.

We know that toddlers and babies are, at this very moment, separated from their families and  crying inside cages because of Trump’s unprecedented decision to prosecute undocumented immigrants.

And we also know that, though he has just signed an Executive Order allowing families to be detained together, it does not provide a solution to the 2,000 children who have already been separated from their parents — and threatens to hold the detainees “indefinitely.”

We know all of this is happening, but I’m not sure we know why.

Many attribute the “zero tolerance” policy to Trump’s personal evilness, madness, or intolerance — but it’s much more than that. What often goes unnoticed is that there are high US economic interests at stake.

To begin with, we must recognize the role of the United States itself in creating the hazardous conditions that Central and South American undocumented immigrants are trying to flee from. Poverty, gang violence, persecution, and political instability have all been historically stimulated by US imperialism in Latin America.

Imperialist endeavors —  invading and occupying countries, destroying their local economies, destabilizing their national politics, overthrowing their democratically elected governments, and backing military dictatorships — have been a part of US business-as-usual in this continent since time immemorial.

The dumping of US agricultural surplus in Mexican markets, for example, has undermined local farmers; and US-sanctioned violence has raised economic and political turmoil in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Meanwhile, a steady flow of US weapons fuels drug cartels’ violence.

Without much alternative, many Latinos are compelled to try their luck in the United States, where they form a particularly exploited social layer: aside from living under the constant threat of deportation, they are actively sought by companies because of the abuses and low wages they’ll endure.

So why detain undocumented immigrants at all? Again—because it is profitable. The criminal justice system, including immigrant detention, is largely run by private companies like the GEO Group, who profit from building detention facilities, managing them, providing food and healthcare services, and more.

With the toughening of immigration enforcement and 30,000 border children expected to be held by August, private companies and NGOs are rejoicing. They’re guaranteed at least $92 million in contracts with the federal government, as Yahoo News reported.

Here in our area, Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. is the company profiting from the Homestead prison-like facility for children — they won a $30 million contract to operate it in February, according to Miami New Times.

None of this is accidental—It’s calculated.

The “zero tolerance” policy is a brutal way to extract profit. To top it off, it boosts nationalism, racism, and xenophobia.

Couple that with the United States leaving UN’s Human Rights Council, and you’ll understand why I and others say we are marching towards fascism.

 

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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo taken from Flickr.