A visit to the "Mother of Exiles" and Ellis Island.
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**A Beacon of Welcome**
Good afternoon,

Last week, the National Immigration Forum's Field Team visited the
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York to experience these
significant monuments to immigration in the United States.

While I know of the connection between the Statue of Liberty and Ellis
Island, I often find myself thinking of the two landmarks as separate:
Ellis Island as the first landing point for millions of immigrants, and
the Statue of Liberty as a nearby monument designed as a symbol of,
well, liberty. But I was reminded on this trip that more than just a
ferry connects the two historic sites. Ellis Island was the location
where entry to the country was granted, but the Statue of Liberty was a
tangible assurance of the possibilities immigrants could only dream
about as they were making the journey to the United States.  

Dedicated in 1886 after two decades of design, building, transport, and
assembly, the Statue of Liberty was built and gifted to recognize the
centennial of the United States and symbolize its friendship with
France. The French designers envisioned it to be an international symbol
of liberty, justice, and democracy. But to many who observed her
grandeur and posture, she came to symbolize something greater.

In 1883, Emma Lazarus, a Jewish poet born in New York City, donated a
poem called "The New Colossus " to
raise funds for the statue, which was later inscribed on a plaque and
placed at its base. In this poem, Lazarus depicts the Statue of Liberty
as the "Mother of Exiles" from whose "beacon-hand glows world-wide
welcome" to all who arrive at her shores seeking refuge. For immigrants
and refugees, she was a bright symbol of welcome and hope.  

As I stood at the base of the "Mother of Exiles," I wondered if this
symbol of hope overshadowed the fear and anxiety many migrants must have
felt as they thought of the process that awaited them on Ellis Island.

Ellis Island was the processing location for steerage passengers -
those who did not have the means to travel as first or second-class
passengers (who were examined aboard the ship and then allowed to
proceed to their destinations). Every day, thousands of  passengers
weary from the long Atlantic voyage were taken to the main building to
wait to be registered and go through medical and legal inspections
during which officers and doctors would screen out immigrants that were
considered "undesirable" - the poor, disabled, criminals, incurably
ill. For most people, this process lasted less than a day while some
were detained longer for further inquiries. While the process was long
and stressful, 98% of immigrants that passed through Ellis Island were
allowed to go on to their final destinations in the country.

It is interesting to think about immigration through Ellis Island at the
beginning of the 20th century and compare it to our immigration system
today. We still see the less privileged going through long and
complicated processes to try to enter the U.S. while those with enough
means have an easier way in. Immigrants are still being deemed as
undesirable, especially by race, religion, and class. There is still a
lot of fear and anxiety involved in the process but instead of 98% of
immigrants granted entry, many are denied asylum claims, visas, and
pathways toward permanent status.

In the almost 150 years since Ellis Island began processing immigrants,
we have not seen the reforms and changes we need to affirm the dignity
and potential of migrants seeking to start a new life. While the picture
Lazarus painted in her poem was one of welcome, the Statue of Liberty
has come to symbolize a strict gatekeeper for the many tired and poor
immigrants arriving at the southern border and the immigrants living in
the U.S. who contribute significantly to its progress, such as Dreamers
, farm
workers
 and TPS
recipients
.

We need reforms to create long-lasting changes that treat immigrants
with dignity, as people deserving of liberty, justice and the chance to
breathe free. Let's work together to have productive dialogue and
advocate for reform that will benefit us all. Let's be the nation that
believes and acts on Lazarus' words:

**"**

**Give me your tired, your poor,**

**Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"**

Stay healthy and hopeful,

Allison

**Allison Bassett**
Field and Constituencies Associate
National Immigration Forum 

**NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:**

**BLOOMBERG LAW: **Talent-Hungry Employers Offer Workers Help With
Naturalization

**THE HILL: **Around 100,000 'Dreamers' to graduate without shot at
work permits

**NEW YORK TIMES: **Illegal Immigration Is Down, Changing the Face of
California Farms

**WASHINGTON POST: **The 'great replacement' theory rises again,
ending in tragedy

**CBS NEWS: **U.S. to start interviewing asylum-seekers at two Texas
detention sites under new policy

 

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