In 2022, my desire to enter the political scene of the United States went through a pivotal change. I spent nearly three months in D.C as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Intern focusing on memorandum writing, bill drafting, constituent services and attending hearings. But the experience was much more than what the Capitol itself had to offer.

While I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue several of my life passions, I was faced with the harsh reality of D.C. being a nightmare for Indigenous people, Black people or people of color in the political sphere, especially as an Afro-Cuban womxn. Aside from personal struggles, this summer the nation dealt with the restless political climate that arose through Roe v. Wade being overturned, the commencement of January 6 hearings and the search of the Mar-a-Lago Trump residency.

Most of my time in D.C. consisted of dealing with the aftermath of Texas Gov. Greg Abbot sending busloads of Latine refugees to the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia area.

If there is one thing I should make clear, it is that this piece is not me telling you a story about the “migrant experience,” because that is not my story to tell. Rather, it is to shine light on how the politics of the U.S. is inherently structured against refugees seeking asylum here.

For months, Abbot set up a political stunt to pressure migrants into getting on buses headed to D.C. with the promise of a “better future”. Instead, they were met with homelessness, starvation, illnesses and disregard for their overall wellbeing. Without groups such as Mariflor, Sanctuary DMV or Mutual Aid providing transportation, food and housing resources for migrants, there would be no support for anyone who was put in that situation.

Abbot was not the only politician who was wreaking havoc amongst migrants this summer. Muriel Bowser, D.C.’s governor, chose to handle the influx of migrants by inviting the National Guard. The U.S. Department of Defense declined her request twice, noting that the National Guard troops are not trained to handle migrant facilities.

While different organizations were providing assistance, various college students from around the United States, including myself, came together to try to mitigate and assist the situation. Our goal was to provide support for refugees arriving to the DMV area, especially those without families or funds.

We sought to promote safe media coverage to educate the American people about what was happening. Within the span of two weeks, we hosted a donation drive, a fundraiser, connected with different news outlets and created a memo for key politicians who focus on immigration reform.

We created a team of people to help with different areas, including a communications director, fundraising chairs, community outreach and a policy advisor. As the communications director, I had so much to learn all while discovering a newfound interest in immigration reform.

Through my role, I was in charge of connecting with news outlets such as Univision and helping lead the political statements we were trying to make as first-generation Latine students. I knew that I needed to prioritize the way stories were being portrayed because narratives are crucial to sharing of information.

As I look back on my experience, I am reminded about what the Syracuse community means to me and how much of my inspiration came from coming to SU. I hope that after you read this that we are inspired to create change, whether that be to become involved in your local politics or educating others about migration, that we do it to make our community more diverse, inclusive, and equitable.

After my time at the Capitol, I now understand that the lives of breathing and living beings are not a red or blue issue. Asylum seekers deserve basic survival needs, too. Human beings cannot be illegal on colonized and stolen land.

Sofia Rodriguez, Class of 2024

Published on September 6, 2022 at 11:19 pm