Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Shannon Henry
Professor Wright
ENC 3331
16 July 2016
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................3
Methods ...........................................................................................................................................5
Limitations ......................................................................................................................................5
Ethical Considerations...................................................................................................................6
Conclusions .....................................................................................................................................6
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................7
Introduction
In this proposal I will be looking at the current drug policy and how it impacts the lives of
incarcerated legal immigrants. Also, I wil be looking at how these new laws causes a ripple
effect leading to an increase in the number of deportation of legal immigrants who are first time
offenders. As the 4th of July has passed, I am honored to be living in a wonderful country and to
see how others have loved this nation so much so to lay down their life for it. America represents
freedom, opportunity and for many a place of rescue. As with most things, freedom comes at a
cost and for many legal immigrants that means everything. The current climate of America has
been changing rapidly from technology to science and lastly medicine. As these new changes
have evolved over time new policies are required and put in place to fit the current climate of the
nation and with it unintended consequences for many, in this case the American citizens and
legal immigrants.
Review of Literature
The new US drug reform has focused primarily on the “science” of addiction and its impact on
the individual and their families. After realizing the campaign of “War on drugs” has been
ineffective and has actually lead to a bigger issue: an overpopulation of the prison system.
treatment over incarceration, pursing “smart on crime” rather than “tough on crime” approaches
to drug-related offenses…to break the cycle of drug use, crime, incarceration and re-arrest”. This
new approach is a healthier approach because it focuses on the well-being of the individual
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instead of what they have done. Yet this new reform has holes, producing unintended
consequences for many legal immigrants and have armed the Immigration services with
increased power to deport many people who have committed first time minor offences. Now I
can see how easy it is for many to ask, why should I care? Or they committed a crime,
deportation is the consequence; overall how does it affect me? The answer is – broken homes
What was once introduced as a rescue net under the “New Deal” it has become a marketplace
where, “single mothers have become increasingly dependent on government aid” (The
Medium.com). This has now been the lifeline for many Americans and in this instance, for
Mirtha Pellerano. Mrs. Pellerano’s husband, Francisco, is a legal immigrant and the bread winner
of the household who pled guilty for cocaine conspiracy and was sentenced to 51 months behind
bars. Once a stay at home mom of three kids, she “soon became a working single mother, relying
partly on food stamps and moved in with her mother” (The Guardian). Francisco’s sentence was
ultimately reduced to 10 months and deemed “not a threat to society” (The Guardian), and was
soon after released from prison. Yet instead of returning to his family, he was sent to an
immigration detention facility. Paromita Shah, the associate director of National Immigration
Project, stated “it is just absurd outcome…when a man who has a motion from the US attorney
who says he is not a threat to society is being viewed as a target for deportation by another
agency under the same executive branch of government” (The Guardian), there is a major
disconnect. Even though the new drug policy ruled out by that Obama administration has led to
the release of thousands of individuals for minor offences, the law has empowered immigration
officials to target free legal immigrants for deportation tearing their families apart, this not only
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increases the likelihood of the family needing financial assistance from the government but by
using deportation we are creating a generation of children that looks to the welfare system as the
Methods
My first strategy would be to distribute surveys at the UCF campuses which will contain
statistics in the form of a questions. For a sample of the survey please refer to Appendix 1. I
chose the UCF campuses because a majority of the students attending are or have family
members that are legal immigrants. This will spark conversation at home but also in their minds
to raise awareness for those who are unaware of the growing issue. I will also analyze the new
drug policy and the immigration laws by using content analysis in order to find the loop hole
between the two policies which the legal immigrants are feeling the consequences. Also I will
look at the wording of the documents that causes the differences in legal representation between
legal immigrants and citizens. Also I will attempt to and attempt to interview a representative
from the immigration services in regards to the new changes in the drug policy and find out what
changes have been made to accommodate the new drug policy. In addition to this, I will conduct
interviews with an immigration lawyer to find out the limitations he/she faces when helping a
client and ask for their recommendations on how to best address the issue to find a healthier
solution.
Limitations
If I focus my study on UCF college students it may not produce the results I would like because
the warrant or relevance to the subject does not line up with their socioeconomic status. Also, the
topic I chose may be too large to cover effectively within the short amount of time.
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Ethical Consideration
Each person interviewed would be given an informed consent form to fill out at the beginning of
each session in order to reaffirm their rights as the interviewee and to help build credibility in
Conclusion
America has offered many the freedom and opportunity to make decisions and for some, this
path is not so clear. As many citizens have the opportunity the opportunity to walk and fall my
hope is that legal immigrants would have an opportunity at redemption. With a more current
change to the immigration laws we as a nation can build a healthier America for future
generations.
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Reference
1. The White House.(2014).A Drug Policy for the 21st Century. National Drug Control
Policy Retrieved from:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/drugpolicyreform
2. Feltz, R. (2016). Immigrant facing deportation could be first to benefit from US drug law
reform. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/28/immigration-drug-
sentencing-laws-prison-junior-francisco
3. Human rights watch. (2015). US: Drug Deportation Tearing Families Apart. Spike in
Cases, Many for Minor Offenses. Retrieved from
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/06/16/us-drug-deportations-tearing-families-
apart
4. Winfree, L.P. (2015). The Unintended Consequences of Welfare Spending. Culture and
Opportunity. Retrieved from
https://medium.com/2015-index-of-culture-and-opportunity/total-welfare-
spending-63802c3b021b#.g8dewxufj
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Appendix
1. Sample Survey:
1. The top five states that have the most immigrants are California, Texas, New York, Florida
and New Jersey.
3. “Under the Obama administration deportation rose to 22% for legal immigrants, whose most
serious conviction was a drug offence.”
4. “As a legal immigrant you will be deported if you have been arrested many times without
facing a conviction.”
6. “Marijuana possession was the fourth common cause of deportation for any crime, and the
most common cause of deportation for crimes involving drugs.”
7. “Even if you are able to prove that you can become a citizen, to avoid deportation, if
you are up for deportation, you will still be removed.”
True O Unsure O False O
Yes O Unsure O No O
General Comments:
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