Among the slew of opinions on illegal immigration in our country today, sometimes people must agree to disagree.
But when the government suspends the civil liberties of American citizens, tempers can flare to heightened levels in defense of our inalienable rights.
The documentary "9500 Liberty," which will be screened in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln City Campus Union on April 20, portrays the battle over immigration reform in Prince William County, Va. The screening is sponsored by Nebraskans For Peace, the Progressive Student Coalition and the Mexican American Student Association, and will be free and open to the public.
"I've heard really good things, and it's a really well-made documentary," said Jenny Holm, a co-chair of Nebraskans For Peace. "It's pretty powerful to see all these anti-immigration sentiments."
The film chronicles the intense debate over local legislation that allows authorities to act without probable cause in situations they decide might involve illegal immigrants — a law not only vehemently opposed by minorities and constitutionalists, but also by many law enforcement professionals.
"That's always a really dangerous policy approach to public safety, and local police are opposed because they don't want the community to perceive them as immigration agents," said Darcy Tromanhauser, the director of the Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Program at Nebraska Appleseed, a state organization committed to the integration of immigrant families.
But for many minority citizens in Prince William County, who fume that they must constantly prove their citizenship, the bill looks much more like legalizing ethnic profiling than simply expanding the duties of local law enforcement.
Equally intense and perhaps more eye-catching are the nativists in the film. Some go so far as to liken undocumented immigrants from Mexico to the orchestrators of 9/11.
"What happens, unfortunately, is there are a few very loud voices that would use this issue in order to try and spread misinformation," Tromanhauser said. "Human nature — and we've seen it time and time again in our history — is when someone is feeling pressures or insecurity, the human thing to do is look for a person or group to blame."
Fighting this ugly staple of human nature is Norman Pflanz, also of Nebraska Appleseed, who, after the screening, will address issues of immigration that Nebraska and the university face. Such matters include the possible rescinding of the DREAM Act, which allows in-state tuition for undocumented college students, as well as the recent immigration raids in Fremont, Neb.
"This is an issue that affects Nebraskans or people that should be Nebraskans," Holm said.
Though there are many solutions to be found moving forward, groups that wish to raise awareness are charged with keeping the issue of immigration reform in the collective public lexicon and combating the natural fear of the unknown.
"I find that when people do start to get to know their neighbors, they want to build a positive community with their neighbors," Tromanhauser said. "There's a lot of Nebraskans who just want to see a system that treats people well and will do well moving forward."
chancesolem-pfeifer@dailynebraskan.com
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