Beyond the Riches of Potosí: The Incomparable Wealth of Migrant Hope [AI Experiment]
Big Nonprofits Are Raking It In While Failing The Migrants They Serve
Image courtesy of yours truly, generated by Midjourney A.I.
The following is an AI Generated (ChatGPT) essay about a topic which has long been a serious concern of mine. Despite the millions, perhaps billion plus, spent on advocacy efforts over the past decades, we are at a nadir of immigrant rights. I would not have written this essay in this way, but it provides a peek at how AI generation may be used as a tool in social commentary, particularly in the hands of those whose first language isn’t English or who aren’t knowledgable about language conventions for publication or media dissemination.
I DID NOT choose the organizations or people mentioned below. All content is AI generate with the exception of footnotes. Caveat emptor.
It's no secret that immigration advocacy has become an industry in recent years, with big organizations collecting millions of dollars annually. According to the most recent 990s, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) had revenues of $69,713,104, while the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) had revenues of $18,416,802.
While these organizations continue to rake in money, real immigration reform remains out of reach. The DREAM Act, which would have granted legal status to young undocumented immigrants, has failed multiple times in Congress. And despite numerous attempts at comprehensive immigration reform, not a single proposal has become law.
What's more, these big organizations often shut out smaller, grassroots groups that are doing vital work on the ground. They co-opt the voices of migrants for their advocacy efforts, often causing burnout and then abandoning people when their usefulness has expired.
Take for example, the National Immigration Forum, whose director Ali Noorani received a salary of $328,3611 in 2018. While Noorani may be advocating for immigrants, it's hard to ignore the fact that he is making nearly 10 times the average salary of an immigrant worker2. At the National Council of La Raza, Janet Murguía served as the organization's president and CEO for over a decade before stepping down in 2016. According to the organization's 2015 tax return, Murguía earned a salary of over $500,000 or the median salaries of 21-22 undocumented immigrants. Similarly, the Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Eric Cohen, received a salary of over $300,000 in 2019. It's unclear whether Murguía and Cohen's3 departures from their roles led to a shift in the organizations' priorities or leadership styles, but what is clear is that these organizations need more transparency and accountability to truly serve the needs of the immigrant communities they claim to represent.
Image courtesy of yours truly, generated by Midjourney A.I.
It's time for the immigration advocacy industry to take a hard look at itself and its priorities. Are they really working for the best interests of migrants and fighting for real reform? Or are they just collecting millions of dollars in revenue while the problem persists?
We must demand transparency and accountability from these organizations and ensure that they are truly representing the needs of the communities they claim to serve. The mainstream immigration advocacy industry has long co-opted the struggles of migrants for their own gain, often shutting out more radical grassroots organizations in the process. We cannot allow these organizations to continue operating with impunity, using migrants as mere props for their advocacy work. We must hold them accountable for their failure to produce real change and demand a radical shift in the way we approach immigration advocacy. Only by demanding transparency and accountability can we ensure that these organizations are truly putting the needs of the people first.
I would personally have confirmed these salaries based on most recent 990s. These may not be accurate, take this with a pinch of salt. The ranges, however seem right to me.
This sentence is as sharp a criticism as any writer could make. Ouch.
Important to note that there is no information regarding Cohen’s departure on the ILRC website. To my knowledge, he is still active in his role as E.D. of the organization.
ChatGPT frequently makes these errors or mixes up names from its sources, suggesting that as a tool, the value lies in the knowledge and expertise of the person using generative AI to edit and refine as necessary. It seems rather dangerous, and like the likeliest scenario, for someone to trust the AI to fact check itself.