As an advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and a champion of immigrant rights, I am often asked how I can sanction the breaking of U.S. law. Clearly, the 12 to 15 million people living in the U.S. without documents broke the law when they entered the U.S. without authorization. Or, as is the case with an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the undocumented, they broke the law when they overstayed their visas. So, some people will ask me, “What is it about the word ‘illegal’ that you don’t understand?” The question merits an answer, but first requires a brief history lesson. When Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, one of the most contentious provisions was the one calling for employer sanctions. The U.S. Chambers of Commerce and other influential business lobbies opposed any such provision … until, that is, a simple phrase with a key word was inserted. The word was “knowing” and it appeared this way in the legislation: “It is unlawful for a person
Life & Death, Faith & Doubt, Here & There