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By now you may have grown weary of hearing news about the child immigrants that are flocking to the U.S. in record-breaking numbers. Although I don’t agree at all with the sentiment that they should be “sent back (quickly!),” I can certainly understand why people feel this way, particularly those who have never worked with immigrants.
You may think that we don’t have the resources to care and provide for so many needy people all at once. My community (South Texas) has certainly been directly affected, but I have been inspired to see so many people and organizations rising to the occasion to assist the recent immigrants.
You may also think that by allowing them to enter the U.S. we are sending a wrong message to their home countries and that as a result even more people will follow in their footsteps. So instead, we need to send a strong message by sending everyone back where they came from. That seems to be President Obama’s rationale in his recent comments about how he plans to address what has been declared a “humanitarian crisis.”
Again, I can understand why people feel this way, particularly those who have never heard the heart-wrenching stories of immigrants and why they left home and endured a very dangerous journey to the land of the free and the home of the brave.
But the difference between most of you and President Obama is that not only has he taken an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution, but also prior to his election to the Presidency he was a Constitutional Law professor. Presumably then, he knows and understands well the Constitutional protection known as “due process.” That phrase is really just a fancy way of saying that all legal proceedings must be fair – even legal proceedings for recent immigrants.
I am shocked and saddened to hear that the Obama administration is encouraging Congress to make changes to the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA) in order to fast-track deportations for these children. They believe changes are necessary because the flow of unaccompanied minors crossing the border has become too great. Are we saying that the recent children are less deserving of protection than the ones who came before them just because now there are more of them?
As we celebrate the independence of our nation this weekend, let us all remember that we are a nation of immigrants. Unless you are of native decent, your ancestors came to the U.S. from another country. More than likely, they came fleeing persecution, violence, and/or poverty. Let us not forget that America has always been a beacon of hope and protection. And let us not forget that the blending together of immigrants is what has made this country strong.
If you have an underage loved one that has been detained by Border Patrol, contact Molina Law Group immediately to assist.