“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-tossed, to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

These were the words written by Emma Lazarus, a poet and refugee advocate. The poem would forever symbolize the “American Dream”, an ideology molded and praised by immigrants of all kinds (whether they are refugees or illegals). Through hard work and determination, these immigrants would hope for the best that America would be the safe space its inhabitants have praised for so long through songs, chants, culture, etc. However, the country has not become the land of opportunity we boast about and because of that, Emma Lazarus might be rolling in her grave.

A while ago, I had stumbled upon an article (don’t worry, it is credible) about Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents on patrol through the Allison Hill neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I knew that they would be on the move, but not so close to home. This would bring fear to many of the residents living here, as they would become afraid to drop their children off to school, or even to go on a simple corner store trip, out of fear of being caught in the numerous raids.

“It shouldn’t be a problem if the immigrants have their documents correct?”

Well yes, that is true. However, these raids are still scary. Imagine this: You are a documented immigrant who had just learned of that the ICE agency has stormed through your neighborhood. Your children ask if they are going to get deported, and your spouse looks at you with great concern. Your neighbors are worried and startled from the raids of grown men, all started by a president who won their campaign out of xenophobia and prejudice, feelings that were buried in the hearts of many apparently.

That is how the residents of Allison Hill have been feeling. No one should go home, filled with a gnawing fear of random raids and racial intimidation from a country that promises diversity and opportunity (or at least should promise those things).

Even if you are a documented immigrant, it doesn’t mean you are free from worry. These raids are only phase one of an uncertain era, forged by the ignorance. The next phases are obvious-build a wall and make American “great” again. However, these steps would be cost effective, as the whole wall would cost us between 12 billion and 15 billion. Our immigrants, refuges, and other foreign hopefuls will be too afraid to enjoy the lives they dreamed of arriving here. They will resent us, forsaking all hope of a happy life. They will soon ask themselves if it was easier to stay in their mother country, or stay in a country that doesn’t seem to want them. My philosophy is this: America is a land of opportunity for all. If you mess with immigrants, you mess with me. They deserve a chance.