ELAINE HARRIS SPEARMAN: Immigration continues to be contentious matter

America is a nation of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886 after a skeptical American public had to raise funds to facilitate its passage from France to its full installation on Ellis Island in New York harbor.

The broken shackle and chain at her feet as she walks forward commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States. After dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom, a symbol of the U.S. and a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea. The monument was a gift from the French people.

Since 1902, there has been an engraved bronze plaque at the base of the statue containing words from the sonnet “The New Colossus,” by poet Emma Lazarus. It is familiar to most Americans: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Immigration has become a very divisive subject as public attitudes toward it have changed from the early 19th century audiences.

The pictures that are seen in real time today differ dramatically from people lined up on the decks of freighters waving flags and looking forward to a better life.

No person with any compassion can help but cringe at the views of people huddled under bridges, in tents, ill and hungry. Equally as challenging to the spirit is what we saw from Afghanistan as people ran alongside airplanes, jumping on the wings and any place they could to escape fear and possibly death in their native country.

Immigration will continue to be a contentious matter for America for the foreseeable future. Immigrants’ use of public benefits will continue to generate controversy, although a great deal of the research shows that immigrants use public benefits at a lower rate than native-born residents.

The research also points out many of the benefits immigrants bring to America. Among them are the starting of businesses and the provision of engineers, scientists and innovators, and the likelihood that immigrants would create their own jobs for cutting-edge technology and companies.

When the public is goaded to be completely against immigration with untrue stories about immigrants, it is difficult for people to see any good coming from those entering the country.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service is responsible for administering immigration and naturalization laws regarding the admission, exclusion, deportation and naturalization of aliens in the United States.

There have been complaints that immigrants take benefits from Americans in need. However, benefits to immigrants are limited to the qualified and eligible. Those descriptions are defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act. It is lengthy and too complicated for a commentary.

Lest you believe that all immigrants are crossing the southern border through hardships, the Wall Street Journal reports that more “affluent” people, who are flying to a Mexican border city every day, take a cab or a bus and just walk up to border agents and turn themselves in.

Yuma, Arizona, has become a prime destination for migrants from South America. These migrants are quickly moved from shelters to flights that they had booked ahead of time.

If you can bear the TV channel TLC, you will see that the K-9 visa is being used by American men and women seeking partners from foreign countries that they have 90 days to marry. Many are just as needy as the sad immigrants under the bridge.

I don’t have the answer to the immigration issue. I do believe that the international strategy for immigration has to be rethought.

Countries that have a reasonable amount of prosperity are facing the same issues.

In the meantime, I look at the new Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. He is the first Black U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. This office was previously held by none other than Rudy Giuliani. Mr. Williams was born of Jamaican immigrants.

I mourn the passing of one of my favorite generals, Gen. Colin Luther Powell, born of Jamaican immigrants in Harlem, New York.

Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., a Gadsden native, is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis. The views reflected are her own.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Columnist Elaine Harris Spearman comments on immigration