Along with the Hobby Lobby decision, one of the most rampant topics in the current news is the humanitarian crisis occurring at the Mexican border and the need for immigration reform. Before diving into the issue and discussing a pragmatic solution, I'd like to point out some interesting facts and statistics.
Firstly, there are an estimated 11.4 million illegal immigrants in the United States. With a total population of about 315 million individuals, that means that about 1 out of every 25 people in the U.S. is an illegal immigrant. Approximately 6.7 million of these individuals are from Mexico; 1.3 million are from Central America; 575,000 are from South America; and, shockingly, about 1.2 million are from South and East Asia. The last statistic alone indicates to me that while there is undoubtedly a Mexican border crisis, with such a high number of illegal immigrants from Asia, the Mexican border is not our only issue.
Despite claims that we're not doing anything to deport illegal immigrants, we - on average - deport about 1 million immigrants each year. While that is not enough to reverse the rising trend of immigration, it is still a substantial number. Customs and Border Protection, alone, receives over $10 billion each year. They are responsible for "securing" a border with Mexico that stretches 2,000 miles, and currently the number of border patrol agents exceeds 20,000.
It's also worth pointing out that despite misconceptions that the United States provides an exceptional amount of foreign aid to nations in Central and South America, the only nation on either the North or South American continent which receives more than $200 million (which in federal budget terms is miniscule) is Colombia, who receives about $550 million in economic aid from the U.S. This is worth noting because a common solution to resolving the ongoing humanitarian crisis is diverting foreign aid to fuel border protection, however, these foreign aid amounts are very insignificant.
So now that the facts and figures have been laid out, let's ask the most important question of all. No, not the question of how tall our fence will be. Rather, we should ask why these immigrants are leaving their nations. Now, of course, immigrants have fled to the U.S. for centuries to seek a better life, but the current influx of Central American immigrants (particularly youth) indicates that there is something else going on.
Due to ongoing crises in Central American nations, an estimated 60,000 unaccompanied children will attempt to cross the border into the United States in 2014. You think you feel lonely walking to work by yourself? Imagine being an 8 year old crossing into the United States completely alone, not knowing anyone or where to go—it's a terrifying thought. Now, certainly President Obama's amnesty plan to provide all 11 million illegal immigrants an expedited path to citizenship is partly to blame for this surge of immigrants. But the poor political and social conditions of places such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are also major contributors to these astounding numbers.
An obvious issue arises due to the substantial number of children who are migrating to the United States. Naturally, imprisoning or holding captive thousands of children for extended periods of time only to send them back into the awful conditions of their home countries seems rather dark and unfortunate. After all, even the most staunch of conservatives who believe our borders should be tight as a tick can empathize with parents sending their children away in pursuit of a better, safer life. But simply allowing children to illegally enter and settle in America sets a dangerous precedent. The reality is, there simply aren't enough Madonnas to take care of these children, and something needs to be done.
Another issue arises due to the fact that a law signed by President Bush in 2008 requires that children of nations which do not border the U.S. must undergo a deportation hearing before being sent back to their home country. This, of course, drastically slows the process for ridding these youths from the United States, and as a result, hundreds and thousands of children are being crammed into overcrowded facilities while they await their trial.
President Obama has recently requested $3.7 billion in emergency funds, $1.8 billion of which will be utilized to provide better facilities and resources for these children while they are being processed. Most of the remaining funds would be allocated to the Department of Homeland Security to further tighten security on our borders to ensure that less illegal immigrants find their way into the U.S. Despite bipartisan calls to resolve the immigration crisis, Democrats and Republicans are having a great deal of trouble agreeing on how exactly to do that.
So, in essence, it seems that there are four main problems arising from this broad crisis:
1) The 11.4 million illegal immigrants who live and work within the United States despite a lack of citizenship.
2) An exposed border which is clearly susceptible to crossing by illegal immigrants.
3) Poor economic, social, and political conditions in Latin American nations.
4) A substantial overwhelming of Customs and Border Protection facilities due to the housing and processing of an exceptionally high number of illegal youth.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution, and there is no magical wand that can be waved to make all of these problems disappear. I do, however, have a number of solutions that - in my opinion - address these dire issues in a reasonable and appropriate manner.
Firstly, I think that it is important that we address this as a humanitarian crisis rather than a border crisis, and treat the appropriate individuals (both children and adults) as refugees rather than simply illegal immigrants. To be granted asylum in the United States, individuals must prove three things: he or she fears persecution; he or she would be persecuted on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or social group; and the government within his or her nation is either responsible for the persecution or is unable to stop it. These requirements are incredibly broad, and based upon the conditions of nations in Central and South America, a very high number of individuals meet these qualifications and could legally settle in the U.S. following an appropriate trial.
Secondly, I do not believe that universal amnesty for all current residents is in line with the objective which we are attempting to achieve. I believe that families consisting of a parent(s) and child(ren) who have resided in the United States for 5 years or more should be granted amnesty. Families who have not met the 5 year mark, however, should be deported, and all other illegal individuals who do not have a family (regardless of how long they have resided here) should also be deported. Our most important goal, in my opinion, is doing everything in our power to ensure that families are not divided.
Thirdly, I believe that U.S. foreign aid to nations such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, and Russia should be drastically decreased in order to reallocate those funds to nations in Central and South America. The most effective way to prevent illegal immigration to the United States is to improve the conditions in the home countries of these immigrants. I believe also that - where necessary - the United Nations (despite its inefficiency) should intervene in places like Colombia and Guatemala to ensure the safety and prosperity of the citizens.
Fourthly, it would be wise to continue to fund Customs and Border Protection in order to secure our border with Mexico. I would like to see a joint program established with Mexico to encourage their support. Perhaps, establish a deal with the Mexican government under the conditions that increased security efforts on their side of the border to prevent illegal crossings will result in increased foreign aid and/or economic investments in Mexican industries and exports. We should also continue to work vigorously to quell these drug cartels and sex traffickers in Mexico and ensure that innocent children do not become drug mules or sex slaves as so often is the case.
Lastly, I support increased funding to Customs and Border Protection to improve housing facilities for children waiting to be processed, as well as to expedite the hearing process. While many oppose the implementation of a hearing process, it is important to evaluate and determine the conditions of these children in their home country and grant political asylum when appropriate. As we work to improve conditions in Central and South America, the need for asylums will decrease accordingly.
Is this plan of mine expensive? Perhaps. But the deportation of several million illegal immigrants coupled with slowing the trend of incoming immigrants will have incredibly beneficial impacts on the economy in terms of jobs. It will also decrease the frequency of tax fraud, decrease crime and the importation of illegal drugs and firearms, and decrease expenditures for things like long term deportation trials, federally funded ESL programs, and emergency healthcare for illegal immigrants. So while the short term plan may be expensive, the long term results balance out.
Of course, this is just my opinion. And who cares what I think? The important thing to remember is that this is a very fragile issue, and it needs to be treated accordingly. Both sides of the aisle should work to prevent illegal immigration in humane and thoughtful ways. We must also consider the environments of those living in these respective nations and work to improve their conditions and lives. No matter your opinion on the issue, we can all agree that we should work collectively to improve the lives of Americans, as well as all human beings.
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