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Dear John,
Race and racism have played an undeniable role in the foundation of immigration law and policy in the United States. And the history of the Border Patrol is no exception.
From the recruitment of Ku Klux Klan members into its early ranks, to racist jokes and slurs between agents on social media, the Border Patrol has racially profiled and abused immigrants and people perceived as the “other” for generations. And it has done this with near impunity.
The American Immigration Council’s new report—The Legacy of Racism Within the U.S. Border Patrol—examines the role racism played in the agency’s founding and the role that it continues to play within the agency to this day.
Institutional and structural reforms are critical. But meaningful change cannot be achieved without first acknowledging these actions that have harmed immigrants and border communities for far too long. We must address them head-on.
The government cannot continue to massively fund the agency despite its record of violence and abuse.
Sincerely,
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