“Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice. Divide and conquer! We must not let that happen here.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
By now, everyone is aware of the father and his two children who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement here in Durango, and the conflict that followed between ICE and people trying to stop them from taking the family away to a facility in Texas. ICE admits they got the wrong person, yet as of this writing, the family has not been returned to Durango. Rather, hurt, angry exhausted and done believing promises, they have chosen to self-deport.
The family was seeking asylum and following our laws in doing so. Illegal immigration is, by law, a civil offense, not a criminal one. Using a paramilitary force to enforce civil offenses is dangerous, very expensive and, frankly, just ridiculous. It makes sense only if the goal is to deport “the worst of the worst.” I can only conclude that it is being handled this way to cause fear and chaos and deepen the divide among our population. And that ties it to the quote I began with.
This column is not about how anyone reading it feels about immigration. It is about the “divide and rule” policy, which is also known as divide and conquer. The “divide and rule” policy is a strategy used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years by those seeking to gain and maintain power. It usually works when those in power manipulate and increase existing divisions based on race, religion or social class. It is even easier to do these days, with the internet and the control of almost all mainstream media in the hands of only a few individuals and corporations.
The algorithms of social media and search engines on the internet nearly guarantee that users will be placed in an information bubble where conflicting ideas will rarely penetrate. The owners of the mainstream media work hand in hand with the government and other corporations to ensure that the news you get is also slanted to exacerbate divisions. By keeping us hating and fighting with each other, they ensure that we will not have the time or inclination to dig deep and find out where the root of most of our issues and problems lies.
The events of last month showed how well the policy is working. I have spent a lot of time watching videos from many sources of the confrontation. The ICE agents were, for the most part, very aggressive. No effort was made to negotiate with the protesters to find a solution. There was physical violence perpetrated by people who are convinced that they are saving the country from the scourge of immigrants, and they feel free to use whatever level of force they want. Most of the protesters were peaceful, but some were not. Once you confront, yell or scream at the other side, no matter the provocation, you have escalated the situation, and that is precisely what those in power want you to do. They will use it to justify harsher methods down the road.
The comments on any article or social media post show that the divide is not closing. The same old back and forth. The same vitriol, name-calling, anger and hatred that we see on just about any topic these days just keeps on coming. Some of the anger has been directed at our local law enforcement, who were put in a really tough spot, having to follow their own legal constraints while others were not.
It is time to step back and take a hard look at the bigger picture. The immigrant coming here to escape violence or to have an opportunity to thrive is not your enemy. ICE is not trying to get rid of the worst of the worst. It is fulfilling quotas. Local law enforcement is not your enemy. We need to take a page from “The Wizard of Oz” and pull back the curtain to see who is pulling the levers. We are all being played.
Scott Perez is a former working cowboy, guide and occasional actor. He earned a master’s degree in natural resource management from Cornell University and lives in the Animas River Valley.
