U.S Immigration Crisis

The debate over illegal immigration was once again brought to national attention by the recent influx of children illegally crossing into the United States from Central America. Illegal immigration in the U.S and elsewhere has long been the cause of much discussion. Those in favor of it state that illegal immigrants help the economy by providing cheap labor. Others attack it, claiming immigrants steal jobs away from actual citizens. The economical effects, however, should not take away from what these immigrants suffer through in the hopes of finding a better life. Many leave their home country to escape violence or poverty. The journey to the U.S itself is often very dangerous. Some are smuggled in by trucks, shipping containers, or make the journey on foot through the Arizona desert. The latter method often results in the migrant dying of dehydration. If they do make it to the U.S, they are vulnerable to an array of abuses including poor pay and living conditions. They must also live with the fear of being detained and deported. Now imagine a child, unaccompanied by an adult, going through all this.

Last Friday, President Obama met with presidents from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala to discuss a solution. In addition, President Obama wants congress to dedicate nearly 4 billion dollars to the immigration problem.The 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act is currently slowing down the deportation process. The act requires that each child be given a court hearing to determine whether or not they will be allowed to remain in the U.S. Due to a back log of cases, this can take years. Obama therefore wants the money to go towards improving the border patrol and detention facilities, as well as increasing the amount of judges trying these cases. In a press release, Amnesty International reminded leaders of the four countries that they have an obligation to protect the human rights of migrant children.

For more information on how U.S immigration policies effect migrants see: "Torn Apart", a multimedia feature created by Human Rights Watch in partnership with artist Platon.

For more information on the recent immigration crisis read this article by NPR: http://www.npr.org/2014/07/09/329848538/whats-causing-the-latest-immigration-crisis-a-brief-explainer

For more information on illegal immigration read this article by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html