ANS -- Do you guys want to hear a fun little story about being a legal immigrant? IDC here it go

Here's a short little piece about why our immigration system needs a full overhaul -- separate from the issue of kids at the border.  It's about how they (we) are trying hard to sabotage our legal immigrants, and just let in the rich ones.  

Find it here:  https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1149679324670418944.html?fbclid=IwAR3L7pmwLFw-V34kb_ey5fKrv5Vjly7dWKQID-YUU42hrma2XrKybmo20bE 

--Kim

Elle

@FireinFreetown

7 hours ago, 16 tweets, 3 min read  Read on Twitter

 

Do you guys want to hear a fun little story about being a legal immigrant?
IDC here it go

To maintain legal status, I must disclose my address to immigration.
At no point in time are they ever in the dark about where any legal or formerly legal immigrant.
So of course when they require me to come in, reasonably it would be at one of their many offices in your state

1 week ago, I was informed I was expected to be at an appointment at my "port of entry"...SEVEN STATES AWAY.
I could delay the appointment ( not recommended) but I couldn't even request a different location

Plane tickets were over $500. Not including the cost of getting to and from the airport.
Driving required hundreds of dollars, days off, food, a solution for housing my dog.

In order to make this appointment, I had to have certain privileges. I needed to have savings enough to cover the unexpected cost, I needed to have a job that would let me take off with such short notice, I would have to be have a car that could make the journey +

I would need to be lucky and privileged.
This time I was. Had they asked this of me 8 months, I would have been unable to make it.
Immigrants who don't make their appointments are ruled against.
Immigrants who delay appointments are ruled against

I fully believe that the intention was for me to miss this appointment. There is a USCIS office 30 mins from me. There are dozens in my state.

I asked the agent checking me in and she smirked and tossed my id and said "you made it though, didn't you?"

Of note, I just spent upwards of $1000 to renew my visa. This came unexpectedly almost right after I spent a good chunk of money.
Had just one thing gone differently for me financially, I would have been FUCKED

When we talk about Black immigrants doing financially "better" than AfAms, this is why the data looks that way:
Black immigrants are deported at 5x our rate of entry. And for things like missing court appointments. The only way many of us stay legal is by having money and luck

Poor Black immigrants get deported or we "hide." We don't answer census questions and we rarely if ever disclose our status.
If I had spent $100 more or blown a tire I would have been very likely denied a right to stay any longer than my current visa.

Yes, I luckily made my appointment but I could have easily missed it. I drove 48 hours for a 15 minute appointment.
What was the point of that if not to add undue hardship and create a pretext to deny my request to stay?

We tell people to immigrate legally and then create near impossible hoops for them to jump through.

If you delay or miss your appointment, any appointment, with USCIS you are regarded as not taking the legal process seriously and it's held against you.
And yet appointments are being intentionally set outside people's states. 
Why?

I was lucky. I was incredibly lucky and for that I am grateful.
However, our systems should not work only if the person is lucky

Full of typos because I just got home and am exhausted.
I tried to turn it into a fun experience and spend time with my family and dog since I had to drive SO FAR for 15 mins but I am still hurt about depleting my savings (again) and being kind of certain that was the point