Immigration policies reveal hypocrisy and callousness of American politics
By Zhong
Sheng
The poor
human rights record of the U.S. caused by the immigration policy has been
strongly criticized by the international community in recent years.
A series
of data released recently have revealed how severe the situation is. In the
fiscal year 2019, the U.S. government held nearly 70,000 unaccompanied migrant
children in custody, up 42 percent year on year, according to statistics.
Meanwhile,
court documents of the U.S. record a large number of new cases about inhumane
treatment of migrant children that happened even after relevant immigration
policies were halted.
A doctor
who had visited a migrant child detention facility called the place a “torture
facility”. As the doctor described, the children were held in cold rooms where
the lights were on 24 hours a day. They had no access to toothpaste or soap.
Some children fell ill and began to lose weight. To make things worse, some
children died or were sexually abused while in custody.
"This
is unprecedented in American history or international practice." The Economist
wrote.
"We
are living in a historic moment that future generations of Americans will look
back on with shame," said Newsweek magazine.
Branding
itself as a defender of human rights and "a city upon a hill",
Washington is really obsessed with interfering in the internal affairs of other
countries and accusing their domestic policies under the guise of defending
human rights and protecting those countries.
Today, in
the 21st century, the primitive and brutal immigration policies of the U.S.
have shocked and angered the world as they deprived innocent children the
happiness of being beside their parents and caused irreparable damage to their
physical and mental health.
The
trauma the immigration policies inflicted on migrant children by separating them
from their parents is a risk caused by the state, said a U.S. federal judge.
Why is
such practice, which runs counter to common sense and civilization, enjoys
support in the U.S.? This has something to do with the American politics.
Family
separation was rolled out under the “zero tolerance” policy. As it worked well
as a deterrent to immigration, it consolidated the immigration policies,
helping the policies win political favors from anti-immigration voters.
Meanwhile,
children suffering from family separation could be taken as “hostages” and the mounting
human rights disasters as political leverage, to serve the political interests
of U.S. politicians.
Under
this political logic, immigrants have been deliberately cast as culprits for
the chronic problems of American economy and society, becoming a punching bag
for many frustrated voters.
In recent
years, immigration has become increasingly politicized in the U.S.
When the
mid-term elections or general elections approach, certain American politicians
invariably express concerns over the immigration issues, and raised proposals
such as family separation and sending the U.S. military to the border to assist
immigration law enforcement, to solve the issues.
Their
goal, however, is to divert American people's focus from domestic issues.
The U.S.
immigration policies, after all, are about politics. The truth does not count
at all; what's important is that the political narrative could excite voters.
The outcome does not matter; even it is human rights disasters. The point is
that it is the political opponents who pay the price.
Obviously,
it is hypocrisy and callousness of American politics that bears unshakable
responsibility for such human rights disasters.
The human
rights disasters in the U.S. reveal that Washington is not qualified to play
the role model of human rights on the international stage, and confirm the fact
that the hypocrisy and callousness of American politics is an important source
of many human rights problems in the current era.
For a
long time, under the guise of human rights and democracy, the U.S. has been
interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and regions, supporting
violent activities and trying to fish in troubled waters.
The
American politicians who actively advocate intervention are motivated by
nothing more than being ideological vanguard, catering to the political
prejudices of certain people and making political benefits for themselves.
Their
concern is not really about human rights and democracy at all, and their goals
are vastly different from what they say.
It is the
common practice of the U.S. to undermine human rights under the guise of human
rights. The world should be more aware of this and remain more vigilant.
(Zhong
Sheng is a pen name used by People's Daily to express views on foreign policy.)
Immigration policies reveal hypocrisy and callousness of American politics
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