As June continues to heat up, so too does the immigration debate. The Sticky Wicket of the Week Award now might well go to the question of just what to do with children who are ferried illegally across the U.S. border by their parents or other adults. As with every other issue of the day, there is heated rhetoric springing forth from the mouths of both sides.

Some cry, “You can’t separate children from their families and send them to detention centers. It’s just not right.” Others say, “Let’s start with the basics. Whoever brought them into the country did so illegally. So they are law-breakers by definition. The law says we have to detain the adults, and children can’t be in jail with them.”

Since all illegal entrants who are caught have to wait for a judge to decide their fate, it means they are probably going to be in government housing – the kind without come-and-go privileges – for a while, and that then means their children will be located elsewhere (usually foster homes). There is much talk afoot about changing the law, but it hasn’t happened yet.

None of this current scenario is new. It’s been going on for at least five years. Now, though, there are just new people dealing with it. And louder voices in opposition. The President has signed an Executive Order, but it may face judicial problems.

Lately, it seems that more and more people coming into the U.S. without permission are from Central America. If the numbers are any indication, El Salvador must be having a mass exodus. Many of these folks are traveling as families and are seeking asylum from less-than-desirable (to say the least) conditions in their home country. According to reports, asylum-seekers are accorded some different protections, and We the People can’t just willy-nilly send them back.

As has been reported for years, would-be immigrants hire “coyotes” that promise to help them get across our border for a rather healthy fee. The traveling conditions are hardly first-class, the journey through Mexico is long, and my guess is the money has to be paid up front.

Those coyotes must have a heck of an ad agency working for them. I mean, all of us are familiar with a product or service touted as being able to produce miracles and then finding out once we get it, there are a few bugs in the design. What in the world are the traffickers telling potential customers about their modus operandi?

Do recruiting flyers in El Salvador say things such as, “Texas or Bust! The state is 32 times bigger than your country. Plenty of room to spread out. Everybody lives in a two-story, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, two-car garage, finished-basement bungalow on a cul-de-sac”?

Maybe the ads say, “Free food! Free healthcare! Great jobs! And you don’t even have to learn English!”

I’m sure at no point is the topic of children being separated from parents mentioned in the literature – unless it’s in the fine print. Advertisers and lawyers have been known to put disclaimers in two-point type. Or they hire the world’s fastest talkers to give the potential problems at the end of a TV or radio commercial. As in, “Taking this pill might cause anxiety, vomiting, diarrhea, verbal outburst, and, in some cases, encourage you to stand on one foot and cluck like a chicken.” Perhaps the fact that, “You may not see your children anytime in the near future,” comes after “not responsible for lost belongings,” and other terms and conditions.

Surely word of what could happen at the border has gotten back to El Salvadorans contemplating a similar trip. I mean, what happens at the crossing can’t be a secret. Maybe there are some alternatives that might make for a far less hectic and anxious change in life. One thing I’ve wondered about is if asylum in another country is the goal, all of Mexico is a whole lot closer than San Diego or Brownsville. The natives speak the same language, probably share similar customs, and may just be a little more lenient regarding letting people in. Is there something wrong with Mexico?

The climate’s pretty good south of the Rio Grande too. And on the flip side, rumor has it that even if asylum is granted, detainees may get relocated to, say, North Dakota. Nice people, lousy weather. After a winter in Minot, warmer climes may not sound so bad.

You’d think at some point the blame game by all parties will stop. Perhaps if everyone complaining now from all sides would put that same energy toward an acceptable solution, the issue could even be resolved sooner rather than later. It could happen, couldn’t it?

 

©MMXVIII. William J. Lewis, III Freelance Writer, Atlanta