What do immigration vigilantes on the Texas border and a bill require standardized drivers licenses have to do with Jews?
Plenty, say Jewish leaders who are worried about the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment, now cloaked in the guise of “security” against the terrorist threat.
That could ultimately threaten the safety of Jews who still live in dangerous places like Russia, where 5,000 public figures and religious leaders recently called for outlawing all Jewish organizations.
But it also touches on a core value of the mainstream Jewish community, the belief that keeping the doors open for refugees of all backgrounds is an indispensable part of a democratic system that has made America so hospitable to Jews and other minorities.
Nobody disputes that the current system for dealing with foreigners — including hopeful immigrants, refugees, asylees and those who are here illegally — is broken. Too many visitors are simply lost by the system; even with post-Sept. 11 reforms, the borders remain relatively porous.
But the remedies that are being discussed range from the unfair to the dangerous. Gun-toting vigilantes have started patrolling the Arizona borders in what federal officials fear is an explosion waiting to happen.
This week there were reports the self-proclaimed “Minutemen” were expanding into planning three other states and take action against employers who hire illegals.
In Washington, the anti-immigration sentiment is now wrapped in the piety of the war against terrorism, but its driving force is much older — a form of anti-foreigner bigotry as American as apple pie.
Pro-refugee groups, including most major Jewish organizations, are particularly worried about the Real ID Act, which the House passed last month after only a few hours of debate. Just to be sure, conservative lawmakers added the same language to the must-pass emergency spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This week the Senate was considering a version of the spending bill without the controversial provisions, but they are expected to come up again in a House-Senate conference, and senators will also consider a freestanding version of the House bill.
The original bill, authored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), chair of the Judiciary Committee, starts with the undeniable fact that it is far too easy for people to acquire fake identification. It would require standardized licenses and prohibit the granting of licenses to undocumented immigrants.
But from there, the legislation dips into traditional anti-foreigner bigotry with provisions that would make it all but impossible for potential refugees to prove they are genuinely fleeing persecution. The measure would also make it much easier for U.S. officials to return those seeking refugee status to their home countries without due process.
According to groups like the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), those provisions are unlikely to do much to stop committed terrorists, but will make it much harder for legitimate refugees to enter this country.
You’d think Americans would have learned about the tragic consequences of anti-refugee policy after the Holocaust, but apparently Congressional leaders never read about the many thousands of Jews who could have been saved from Hitler’s ovens if the doors to America had been a little more open.
Even if it is stripped from the Iraq spending bill, the Real ID Act is expected to be just the beginning of a new legislative onslaught against immigrants and refugees.
Conservatives in Congress have traditionally sought to raise the barriers to newcomers, and the post-9/11 sensitivity to the terror threat has given them a new zeal for restrictions.
Liberals have generally supported more open immigration and refugee policies, but that support may not be as solid as it once was.
The idea of America as a refuge has always been a core value of the Jewish community, based on communal history.
But it’s not just altruism driving the broad Jewish opposition to the anti-foreigner measures. Jews continue to live in precarious places, and while large numbers aren’t fleeing for their lives right now, it could happen again.
But those who choose to come here could find the door slammed in their faces if the anti-foreigner beast isn’t tamed.
Members of Congress who are taking advantage of legitimate terror concerns to fan the anti-foreigner fires should read a little history. Vigilantes at the borders should be disarmed and sent home.
And Jewish groups should continue their all-out battle against a dangerous, mean-spirited movement that undercuts a fundamental value of American democracy and a key element in Jewish security in this country.
Former Madisonian James D. Besser has been Washington correspondent for the New York Jewish Week, the Cleveland Jewish News and other leading Anglo-Jewish newspapers for more than 15 years.
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