TO THE EDITOR:
The recent relocation of approximately 50 migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard is a stark reminder of the human consequences that occur when partisan politics influence immigration policies. It’s also a reminder of what can happen when individuals and local communities transcend these politics and turn towards caring for and welcoming the stranger. Since 2015, I’ve studied the experiences and outcomes of vulnerable immigrants, including unaccompanied children. This research, guided by social work values and ethical principles, can inform our understanding of what happened in Martha’s Vineyard, and what local, state, and federal authorities can do moving forward.
Social work ethical principles are a helpful guide for understanding the consequences of Governor DeSantis’s decision to relocate migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard. The reported deception that was used to influence migrants to relocate to Martha’s Vineyard infringed on their dignity and worth as human beings and perpetuates broader social injustice for vulnerable immigrants who seek asylum in the United States. The apparent lack of coordination with local officials, resulting in little notice and stressing the capacity to organize and support the migrants, depicted a lack of integrity and overlooked the importance of human relationships. These are specific examples of how social work values – dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, social justice, and integrity – explain the consequences of policy decisions.
And yet, these same values can help explain the ways in which local officials organized, collaborated, and met the needs of the newcomers after their arrival to Martha’s Vineyard. Local officials identified and met basic human needs including food and shelter. Migrants were soon connected with legal supports to help them begin the process of navigating the complex U.S. immigration system. Each of these acts bring to life the recognition that all human beings have dignity and worth, that human relationships have central importance, and that leading with integrity can promote trust among citizens and solve complex challenges.
Perhaps most striking to me was a photo shared by a local journalist that depicted a group of local high school students playing a ball game with a group of young migrants in Martha’s Vineyard. The photo represents the spirit of welcoming the stranger, and how this can promote stability and healing in the wake of trauma.
As policymakers and politicians wrestle with immigration reform in the U.S., I am reminded of Mr. Rogers gently encouraging us to “look for the helpers.” I hope that when future immigration policies are proposed, lawmakers and politicians look at the values depicted by helpers like the local officials and high school students in Martha’s Vineyard.
Robert G. Hasson III, Ph.D., LICSW, Assistant Professor of Social Work
at Providence College
