Immigration
immigrant surge rooted in law to curb child trafficking
As immigration becomes the front-running issue in political debates, lawmakers, politicians, and even the President are turning to a law that was passed under the Bush administration. On December 23, 2008 George W. Bush signed into legislation the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The purpose of the act was, and currently is, to combat the trafficking of human beings, specifically young children. Six years later, the law is under the magnifying focus of the Obama administration, as the issue of the "calamitous flow of unaccompanied minors to the nation's southern border" grows larger and more pertinent. The law originally garnered its support from a bipartisan affiliation of lawmakers and evangelical groups. The bill gives generous protections to children entering the country unaccompanied who were not from Mexico or Canada, by preventing them from being deported to their country of origin. Rather than being deported, the minors would be given the opportunity to appear at an immigration hearing and consult with an adviser; additionally, they would be recommended to take advantage of the right to have access to legal counsel. Further preventative methods to avoid deportation would include sending the young children to the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency would be charged with directing the minors to "the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the child." The ultimate objective would be to reunite the children with their family in their country of birth.
The Obama Administration claims that the law is partly to blame for is hesitation to effectively deal with the influx of children crossing the border. In President Obama's opinion, in order to apply the law to the current border situation, it is imperative that the White House seek leeway in the law's stipulations. The White House will need to harness flexibility and docility when asking Congress to provide emergency funds to stabilize the latest immigration crisis--about 52,000 unaccompanied minors have been caught at the Southwest border since October 2013. Josh Earnest, press secretary for the White House, called immigration a bipartisan priority as well as the priority of the Obama Administration. As the credibility of the law is brought to light, the issue of partisanship is growing in tandem.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who helped write the measure, believes that the White House's focus should be targeted at speeding up the system, while still treating the children humanely. The opinions of some Democrats on Capitol Hill are similar to Senator Feinstein in that, they expect that the administration asks for money from Congress, not to modify the trafficking laws but to persuade congressional committees to push for changes on behalf of the President. After witnessing House Republican's hesitation in applying the William Wilberforce Act, Democrats have begun to show more reluctance in endorsing immigration law changes. Representative Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker John A. Boehner that entailed requests prompting Congress to approve the provisions of the "trafficking victims act." Pelosi gently reminded Boehner that the bill "passed the House and Senate unanimously and was...signed into law by President Bush...fully enforced, so that due process [was] provided."
Recent discussions about border policy have revealed the main objective of the majority of the Republican Party; Republicans want to make it easier to send the children back. They blame President Obama for the influx of illegal immigrants--Republican lawmakers claim that President Obama provided a false incentive for the children to come, by establishing a program that deferred deportations for immigrants who came to the United States when they were younger than eighteen. A portion of lawmakers believe that the new focus on the "Bush-era" legislature is an attempt to deflect attention from the Obama administration and place the blame on both parties. In the midst of differing opinions one appears to be the most prominent: the Wilberforce law was not enacted with the intention of dealing with the tens of thousands of children who are searching for a reason to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
With intense partisanship clouding every discussion concerning border policy, it is unlikely that the bill will make substantial changes that would be approve by Congress. No matter the outcome, no matter the different belief of the two political parties, the welfare of the young children should be the topmost priority of everyone who has the power to make a difference. As Wendy Young, the president of Kids in Need of Defense and former immigrant adviser to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, put it, "First and foremost...there [should be] recognition that these kids are incredibly vulnerable...moving across international borders alone." Immigration has always been a controversial topic for me in that, you have to find a balance between a logical approach and an emotional one. Should we make exceptions because these human beings cannot fulfill basic needs in their home country? Or should we deny them the rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens because they aren't, in fact actual citizens? Personally, I side with the latter opinion--being an U.S. citizen is a privilege bestowed upon those who were born in The United States of America (and of course, Puerto Rico). However, at the end of the day, I can't help but sympathize and side with the defenseless children who traveled such long distances, only to be rejected and sent back.
The Obama Administration claims that the law is partly to blame for is hesitation to effectively deal with the influx of children crossing the border. In President Obama's opinion, in order to apply the law to the current border situation, it is imperative that the White House seek leeway in the law's stipulations. The White House will need to harness flexibility and docility when asking Congress to provide emergency funds to stabilize the latest immigration crisis--about 52,000 unaccompanied minors have been caught at the Southwest border since October 2013. Josh Earnest, press secretary for the White House, called immigration a bipartisan priority as well as the priority of the Obama Administration. As the credibility of the law is brought to light, the issue of partisanship is growing in tandem.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who helped write the measure, believes that the White House's focus should be targeted at speeding up the system, while still treating the children humanely. The opinions of some Democrats on Capitol Hill are similar to Senator Feinstein in that, they expect that the administration asks for money from Congress, not to modify the trafficking laws but to persuade congressional committees to push for changes on behalf of the President. After witnessing House Republican's hesitation in applying the William Wilberforce Act, Democrats have begun to show more reluctance in endorsing immigration law changes. Representative Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker John A. Boehner that entailed requests prompting Congress to approve the provisions of the "trafficking victims act." Pelosi gently reminded Boehner that the bill "passed the House and Senate unanimously and was...signed into law by President Bush...fully enforced, so that due process [was] provided."
Recent discussions about border policy have revealed the main objective of the majority of the Republican Party; Republicans want to make it easier to send the children back. They blame President Obama for the influx of illegal immigrants--Republican lawmakers claim that President Obama provided a false incentive for the children to come, by establishing a program that deferred deportations for immigrants who came to the United States when they were younger than eighteen. A portion of lawmakers believe that the new focus on the "Bush-era" legislature is an attempt to deflect attention from the Obama administration and place the blame on both parties. In the midst of differing opinions one appears to be the most prominent: the Wilberforce law was not enacted with the intention of dealing with the tens of thousands of children who are searching for a reason to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
With intense partisanship clouding every discussion concerning border policy, it is unlikely that the bill will make substantial changes that would be approve by Congress. No matter the outcome, no matter the different belief of the two political parties, the welfare of the young children should be the topmost priority of everyone who has the power to make a difference. As Wendy Young, the president of Kids in Need of Defense and former immigrant adviser to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, put it, "First and foremost...there [should be] recognition that these kids are incredibly vulnerable...moving across international borders alone." Immigration has always been a controversial topic for me in that, you have to find a balance between a logical approach and an emotional one. Should we make exceptions because these human beings cannot fulfill basic needs in their home country? Or should we deny them the rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens because they aren't, in fact actual citizens? Personally, I side with the latter opinion--being an U.S. citizen is a privilege bestowed upon those who were born in The United States of America (and of course, Puerto Rico). However, at the end of the day, I can't help but sympathize and side with the defenseless children who traveled such long distances, only to be rejected and sent back.