One of the largest immigration problems is the legal system and policies in place that force people to immigrate illegally. “When the American Dream Becomes a Human Rights Abuse” discusses the organization CIVIC that works to dismantle detention centers by highlighting the human rights abuses that occur within them. CIVIC is a tool for advocacy and change that exposes the heartbreaking issues occurring during the detainment process including poor medical care, nutrition, prolonged imprisonment, sexual and physical abuse, etc. CIVIC offers alternatives for refugee resettlement and has made a large impact, in fact stopping the spread of detention facilities by county jails in California. The organization creates a context of reception that is understanding of immigrant’s situation and advocates on their behalf within a broader hostile context of reception that resulted in their detainment. This solution of exposing the system’s faults has the ability to be extremely impactful in welcoming context of receptions, but it must have access to the areas of detainment in order to do that research. 

“From Farm to Factory: The Rural-Urban Coalition for Immigrants’ Rights” discusses a solution to ICE’s expanding reach that I find can be applied more broadly to welcoming communities around the country. It touches upon our class discussions of the deportation process and threats along with community responses. The issue is ICE’s interactions with local law enforcement and local government cooperating in ICE’s detaining and deporting of immigrants. ICE had been rapidly picking up immigrants through farm raids and court dates in Wisconsin. The response was the creation of Voces de la Frontera, which recruits and trains ICE response and protest teams, provides “know-your-rights trainings”, and forms alliances between urban and rural workers. Tens of thousands of people joined and while cooperating with law enforcement, demonstrated their solidarity with immigrants. The public’s response to the issue gives me hope, especially as this specific welcoming context of reception is within our state. The solution is having a great impact on the situation, in giving a voice to immigrants who don’t have one. I believe it should be implemented in all locations as ICE’s ties are widespread, however, lack of empathy within hostile contexts would prevent the organization from gaining momentum. 

“Fight or Flight” discusses psychological states of immigrants as threats of deportation overwhelm them with fear and anxiety. It poses the solutions of resource and service development along with the encouragement of resilience and empowerment. With increased anti-immigrant mentalities, raids, deportations, detentions, immigrants spend life here in a panic. An important aspect of this issue is their fear of seeking mental health services, for identifying themselves puts them in danger. The solution presented is AMISTAD’s focus on these issues of wellness, health and services. AMISTAD connects immigrants to services that won’t share information with ICE. A dozen organizations also launched 24 hour hotlines, while encouraging the resilience that fear can be used to generate. Organizations are also trying to unite people and it has worked as solidarity increased within the community. The solutions presented, increasing services, confidentiality, hotlines, dispatchers etc. are techniques that are most impactful in low income areas where services are already less available. Whether a positive or negative context of reception, communities would likely not oppose implementation of mental health services as the broader population would also have access to them.