U.S. Borderline Crisis
July 15, 2014
As a result of increasing gang violence in some Central American countries and deliberate misinformation by border smugglers, the U.S. has been overwhelmed by 52,000 unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed the southwestern border since October of last year. The “humanitarian crisis,” however, as President Obama called it, was recently met with an effective plan of action that aimed to safely return the children back to their homelands.
The unprecedented amounts of illegally migrating children from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are reportedly caused by a combination of violence from gangs and drug cartels and the false belief of deferred deportation for illegally migrating children. Thus, Vice President Joseph Biden met with Central American officials in Guatemala to assert that the children will not be allowed to stay in the U.S. He also sought to dismiss any misconceptions regarding immigration policies.
Another part of the plan of action, the U.S. will launch programs to improve citizen security in Guatemala, fund youth outreach centers in El Salvador, and increase efforts in law enforcement in Honduras under the United States Agency for International Development. Doing so will mitigate the influences of violence for the frightened Central American children upon their return.
In the meantime, Obama discussed the influx of undocumented children with Mexican president Peña Nieto to formulate a “regional strategy.” This strategy would seek to safely return the children to their families and at the same time, target smugglers luring families into sending their children across the border, which, in this “humanitarian crisis” should be the officials’ top priority.
With these three actions in effect, the undocumented immigrants would have made it back to a newfound safety. Yet, this would mean little to the U.S. if nothing is done to mend its own immigration policies and prevent a future, parallel event from occurring. To do so, Congress needs to step up and pass a comprehensive immigration policy.
A step in the right direction, the president has proposed to deport the Central American minors whose attempts to remain in the U.S. were undeniably unlawful; at this point it is vital that Congress upholds this decision. Should all 52,000 be granted amnesty and welcomed in, border patrol would promptly see hundreds of thousands more illegal immigrants waiting at America’s doorsteps. The U.S. simply cannot care for these bodies, as it would be staggeringly detrimental to the country in the long run.
Congress cannot sit idly while the U.S. is on the verge of being flooded by unimaginable numbers of illegal aliens; a clear message must be made, one saying that any more illegal immigration will not be tolerated. This begins with toughening the current immigration policy, making it more realistic—considering the current situation at the border—and offering a viable plan for decades into the future.
