Queuing up to enter the shelter... they carry the "American Dream" Chicago | Immigration | Shelter
On the morning of July 31st, in the bustling streets of Manhattan, New York, dozens of immigrants slept on the sidewalk outside the Roosevelt Hotel, packed with cardboard. They spent the night outside the hotel, which had been converted into a shelter. These immigrants who harbor the "American Dream" may find it difficult to achieve their dreams at the beginning of their arrival in the United States.
On July 31st, immigrants lined up outside the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to enter the shelter.
"Abandoning large numbers of immigrants like abandoning garbage"
These immigrants come from countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, etc. They queue up to be placed in shelters and hope to find a job as soon as possible to realize the so-called "American Dream".
According to local laws in New York, the city must provide shelter to anyone who requests it, leading to a large influx of immigrants - especially illegal immigrants - into the city, resulting in overcrowding of shelters and forcing immigrants to stay on the streets for up to five or six days. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that as more illegal immigrants arrive, more people will be seen sleeping on the roads.
Data shows that since April last year, over 93000 immigrants have arrived in New York, with the majority coming from Central and South America, and a small portion from Africa and other regions. According to AFP, Diallo, 25, was one of the people waiting outside the Roosevelt Hotel. In order to pursue the "American Dream", he set out from his hometown Mauritania, passed through Türkiye and Nicaragua, and then entered the United States from the US Mexico border. This trip took two weeks and cost $8000.
Some immigration routes are even more difficult. The Darien Pass, located on the border between Colombia and Panama, is a vital route for immigrants from South America to the United States. It is a vast expanse of undeveloped swamps and dense forests, with numerous dangers along the way, including wildlife, the need to cross rivers, susceptibility to disease, and the face of robbery, extortion, and even human trafficking by criminal groups.
On July 9th, immigrants from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti crossed a river at the Darien Pass.
In addition, immigrants are also involved in the bipartisan struggle in the United States. In protest against Biden's immigration policy, Republican led southern states such as Texas and Florida transported immigrants to Democratic controlled areas such as New York and Chicago, increasing the latter's financial burden.
A commentary article published on the People's World website in May of this year stated that due to Republican governors in southern states abandoning large numbers of immigrants like garbage, day after day sending a large number of physically weak and hungry immigrants to Chicago, then Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was forced to declare a state of emergency in the city. John Wuyzik, the editor in chief of the People's World website, said that these southern governors used immigrants as pawns to create chaos in political struggles, in order to win more votes for the Republican Party in the 2024 election.
"This is a complete lie"
What is the situation of these immigrants after going through countless hardships to settle in the United States? Has the "American Dream" really been realized?
The Spanish daily news website reported that in the United States, human rights violations in farmland and factories are becoming increasingly "normalized" due to an increase in the number of immigrant children and inadequate efforts to combat child labor. Jose Belasquez from Chiapas, Mexico is an example.
Jose was only ten months old when he arrived in North Carolina with his mother. At the age of 8, he went to the fields to help his mother with farm work. At the age of 13, he began working on a tobacco plantation. According to US law, teenagers under the age of 21 are not allowed to purchase tobacco but can legally work in tobacco plantations. This has caused Jose to be deeply poisoned by nicotine and insecticides.
On May 16th, immigrant children were waiting to enter the United States at a shelter on the US Mexico border.
In the United States, the exploitation of immigrant children is not a new phenomenon. In addition to the legal work that Jose is engaged in, the number of underage migrant workers who violate labor laws is also on the rise. According to a survey by The New York Times, approximately 130000 unaccompanied immigrant children arrived in the United States in 2022, with thousands working in dangerous conditions upon entry, some as young as 10 years old. The survey mentioned several major food brands, Wal Mart and other supermarket chains, as well as Ford, General Motors and other manufacturers.
According to a report on the website of Al Jazeera, visiting professor Donald Collins at Loyola University in the United States said, "The most classic phrase in the golden age of American immigration often begins with 'Only in America can one start from scratch and realize the American Dream.' However, this is a complete lie. This lie attracts desperate immigrants to the United States, just like honey attracts insects, only to be lured and surrounded."
He mentioned that at the US Mexico border, 8-year-old Panamanian immigrant Annadis died due to illness without timely treatment; 17-year-old Honduran immigrant Angel died 5 days after entering a detention facility in Florida.
Collins stated that from the end of the American Civil War to the beginning of the 20th century, stories about the United States as a "land of golden opportunities" attracted a large number of immigrants. The United States effectively promoted itself as the "leader of the free world" and the "beacon shining on the mountain top", but the truth is that this is actually a country that ignores and abuses immigrants.
