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The UNM Conservative Republicans has found a film to back up their stance on undocumented immigration.
The group will host a screening of the movie titled “They Come to America: The Cost of Illegal Immigration” in the Student Union Building today. The movie is directed by Dennis Michael Lynch.
“There are heavy consequences with this kind of immigration,” said Donald Gluck, president of the student group. “First of all, it prevents poor and minority Americans from getting entry-level jobs … There’s also a burden on our K-12 education system, on hospitals and on the criminal justice system.” Gluck said the group decided to organize the event to bring awareness of the immigration reform being discussed in Congress. He said the bill “would create a huge bureaucracy, a failed security on the border.”
According to Reuters, the majority of Congress, including Democrats, moderate Republicans and libertarians, support the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, which is being discussed in Congress. More conservative Republicans oppose the bill. Supporters of the bill aim to pass the bill by the end of the year.
According to FIRM’s website, the bill “includes a path to citizenship without unnecessary obstacles and keeps families together” for undocumented immigrants.
Undocumented immigration will prevent American citizens from getting jobs, Gluck said. He said it can also increase crime, especially near the border.
“Most of these people are good people just like you and I,” he said. “But every group has its dead apples. Within this community, there is a criminal element engaged in drugs and prostitution.”
Gluck said undocumented immigrants also hurt the country’s education system.
“Every child needs to get an education in this country,” he said. “A lot of these people require English as a Second Language classes, so there are higher taxes associated with this.”
Ryan Boyle, a member of the group and one of the event’s organizers, said the group started organizing the event three weeks ago. He said the event aims to clarify Republicans’ stance on undocumented immigration.
“Congress wants to pass an immigration reform bill,” he said. “We don’t feel like our position is fairly represented and is usually ignored. We just want to make sure that border security and legal immigration reform is really at people’s attentions.”
Boyle said the immigration reform currently in the works and the DREAM Act are not accomplishing their goals.
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“Basically, what it is, is amnesty,” he said. “It is a political play just to get votes from the Hispanic and Latino community. It totally ignores border security, legal immigration reform.”
The group’s stance is always misrepresented in society, Boyle said. He said he wants to clarify this.
“They say we don’t like immigrants coming to this country,” he said. “That’s not the issue here. We want legal immigration, and that’s why we want legal immigration talked about. They totally ignore that point.”
But some students are not receptive to the group’s film screening.
The UNM Dream Team has started an online petition on Change.org against the screening. The petition deems the screening “hate speech” because “using the word ‘illegal’ to describe people is legally inaccurate, dehumanizing and has proven to increase violence against real and perceived immigrants.”
As of press time, the petition had 37 signatures.
Still, Gluck said he aims to start conversations on campus about undocumented immigration through the film screening. He said he urges UNM students to be more open-minded about the issue.
“We shouldn’t be just intimidated by people coming in and be forced to make decisions that do not make sense,” he said.
Film Screening of “They Come to America: The Cost of Illegal Immigration”
SUB Ballroom A
5 p.m.
Free
