Introduction
The refugee rights and the immigrants have always been a paramount issue of concern for the social workers in the United States. The pioneers have been involved in the development of their expertise while working in the houses of settlements which served as the residential centers and social services for the new migrants. The international migration is considered as substantially making changes to the demographic profile of the communities in the United States. Throughout the national history, the refugees, as well as the immigrants’ policies, have been under the influence of the competing themes and values of the human rights, humanitarian response, economics, and the national security.
The National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) recognizes that the refugees and the immigrants are faced by serious challenges as a result of the policies on immigration. The policies are considered important for the social workers since the social statuses as well as the legality of the migrant’s impacts on the provision of the social services and the well-being of the community in the United States (National Association of Social Workers, 2015). The relationship between the social service provision and legislation is clearly described by NASW in its policy statement. In the description the social workers are much constrained in their service to the immigrant as well as the families of mixed-status, where members incorporate the combination of the citizens as well as the non-citizens. For many of the immigrants reporting on the issues such as the domestic violence, employer exploitation, as well as the child abuse to the law enforcement agencies and the social services, will amounts to the offenses which are deportable rather than chances of seeking healing and justice.
The policy statement also gives a highlight on the common national security and the economic debates undergirding the immigration policy’s trajectory. The NASW reveals that the immigrant has a positive impact to the economic growth in the united states since they are involved in the payment of taxes, small businesses investments and the reinvigoration of the supply of labor in the native population of the U.S which is rapidly growing (National Association of Social Workers, 2015). The social workers will be involved in working under the dual pressure of the NASW’s call for the human rights and security balance as well as the potentially regressive policies.
Immigrants and the refugee advocates are concerned with the future of the programs admitting and also granting the legal status to the migrants. Besides they are worried of the programs’ prospect targeting the refugees and the immigrants, for instance, the immigration and customs enforcement workplace raids, ethnically and racially discriminatory law enforcement practices and also the special registration of the Muslims. The advocates will continue in preparation for the further refugees and the immigrants’ rights incursion despite the doubt of Trump’s likelihood of deploying the programs of the anti-immigrants and the anti-refugee.
Conclusion
The NASW Code of ethics reveals that the workers ought to be involved in the pursuance of the social change especially with the oppressed and the vulnerable individuals as well as the groups of people. While the social movements can be taken as a form of collective action with the aim of inhibiting or promoting the social changes the movements defined by the NASW tries to protect and also advance the oppressed and the vulnerable peoples’ rights. Therefore, the social workers have the legal power of acting in ways that alleviate the policies which are unjust and also help in shaping of the public values towards upholding on the immigrants and the refugees' justice.
