By Travis Olsen
For nearly a decade I have been a frontline civilian with the Department of Homeland Security, never seeing my work as political or driven by partisanship. I have served with purpose, with duty and gratitude to the values ofour country. Iagree with President George W. Bush’s definition of our nation, “America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time.”
Our country has always been a refuge for those fleeing persecution, oppression and dictatorships. We have welcomed religious minorities, political dissidents and others targeted for who they are or what they believe.
Unfortunately, for the past three years these ideals which have governed our country for centuries have been crushed under the weight of intolerance and public irresponsibility. The Trump administration recently made the decision to transfer Border Patrol agents from their unprecedented law enforcement workloads to conduct non-adversarial interviews of asylum-seekers, those seeking protection, specifically women and children. This is a clear attempt to replace the humanitarian mission of our protection laws with an enforcement objective. It is part of a string of unnecessary and counter-productive policies such as sending children across the country from their parents and leaving asylum-seekers in Mexico in the hands of the cartels. Seeking greater security and vetting procedures does not require abandoning basic human rights or putting vulnerable people at even greater risk.
Furthermore, staff and migrants have been ping-ponged as policies and procedures constantly change without foresight or proper vetting. An abrupt rule change is imposed effective immediately and then weeks, days, hours later it is modified or perhaps scraped all together. Operations are interrupted and efficiencies stalled achieving little more than uncertainty and confusion. This has been constant over the past three years.
After years of serving my country, I decided that I can no longer be party to an intimidating, mismanaged and unwelcoming administration that is openly rebellious to the values our government has espoused for centuries. And so, I have resigned from DHS.
As an attorney, advocate and government officer, I have represented and worked with vulnerable populations — children, political dissidents, religious minorities and torture survivors. Those escaping war, strife and violence have come to America, the shining beacon of hope of the oppressed, to seek protection. Humanitarian immigration speaks to the humanity of all and to our nation’s history. It is not about immigration, but about how we view and treat others and about the freedoms and virtues we champion.
It is clear that we need to modernize our outdated immigration system. Laws are broken and rules are not followed. Fraud is rampant and national security concerns are real. We need to update our enforcement techniques and security mechanisms. Unfortunately this administration has not only failed to solve any immigration issues but has, in fact, created more problems by pulling resources further from their purpose and thereby clogging an already overflowing system. This has not been to enforce our laws but simply to unilaterally implement the administration’s version of the law.
We need rational, sensible and thoughtful solutions. We can support our allies by raising refugee admissions back to standard numbers. We can eliminate push factors by reinstating targeted aid to neighboring countries. We can utilize effective alternatives to detention and not create humanitarian crises within our borders. But none of this can happen when our government deliberately targets children, families and other vulnerable people. Basic humanity and decency must be restored.
As a country we can protect our national security, control our borders, grow our economy, root out fraud and treat others humanely all at the same time. Some in Congress have either defended the false choice between security and humanity or simply sat silently as this administration has trampled our national history. We need leaders who will stand for American values in the face of political convenience. We need moral courage in our government. We are America. We can do better, be better.
It has been an honor and privilege to work in public service, particularly with vulnerable populations. I have left my career to protect the persecuted, the beaten and the abused and to give voice to the voiceless. And I will always continue to do so.
Olsen is a former employee of the Department of Homeland Security.
After years of serving my country, I decided that I can no longer be party to an intimidating, mismanaged and unwelcoming administration that is openly rebellious to the values our government has espoused for centuries.