There Is No Line
a documentary short
"If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost."
- President Ronald Reagan
An Unsettling Truth
There Is No Line exposes an unsettling truth: The United States no longer welcomes the “tired, poor, huddled masses” we’re telling to “get in line” for the American dream. There is no line anymore, not for them.
Yet the lie—as with so many of the immigration myths that will be explored in this short film—lives on. Every major Presidential candidate since the early ‘90s has referenced “the line” in one way or another; it continues to haunt Congressional immigration reform negotiations each year and cable talk shows from both sides of our intractable partisan divide every night.
It's time to change the conversation.
Click the play button to watch the trailer for the documentary short, There Is No Line
"If we do not provide the same opportunities for future immigrants that were provided for our forefathers, it is an affront to our national ideals."
- Senator John McCain
The Myth of the Line
As we all know, there used to be a line. If you are an American, odds are good that at least one of your great-grandparents stood in it.
Over 100 million of today’s Americans can trace their ancestry to an immigrant who patiently shuffled through a quick medical exam, passed a brief immigration inspection, and were otherwise able to provide favorable answers to a quick list of 29 basic questions after arrival at Ellis Island. This singular point of entry has become so synonymous with the concept of American immigration that it is perhaps more difficult than it should be to abandon the image of long lines of deserving poor in their Sunday best, gazing steadfastly into the new American dawn with a baby on one arm and luggage stuffed under the other. This was the line.
But Ellis Island has not been an active inspection station since 1924, the year that the management effectively closed our golden door to the famous “huddled masses.” And since that time, our immigration "system" has initiated one change after to bring us to the reality today: It's most likely the case that your ancestors would never be able to gain entry to the country "legally" were they to try to do so today. There is no line for people like them.
That's why we need to change the conversation, and stop referring to "the line."
"I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong."
- President George Washington
Learn More About the Issue
While it’s true that many countries around the world have requirements for entry and citizenship which are just as strict as ours or even stricter, we’ve been telling ourselves that America is different. We say, “America is exceptional.” We claim that America is the place where the hard-working, honest person is given a chance.
Clearly, that’s a false narrative. We need to acknowledge that there really is no “line” for honest, hard-working, aspiring Americans to patiently wait their turn. Only then can we have an honest conversation based in reality and begin to make real, effective change when it comes to immigration.
To further educate yourself about the reality of America’s immigration “system,” here are some recommended resources:
Davis, Julie Hirschfeld and Shear, Michael D. Border Wars. Simon & Schuster, 8 Oct 2019.
Lee, Erika. America for Americans. Basic Books, 15 Jun 2021.
Ngai, Mae M. Impossible Subjects. Princeton University Press, 27 Apr 2014.
“Joint delegation report details harms of Biden’s new asylum ban.” Human Rights First. 18 May 2023.