Month: July 2014
JOE DE MOTT ON THE CHILDREN FLEEING TO THE U.S.
When I see reports of children fleeing to America, I think of my great-grandfather. During the potato famine, he and his brother were orphans in Ireland. They scraped together money to buy tickets to America. Three day before the boat sailed, his brother died. He sold his brother’s ticket, and got on the boat alone with hopes of making a better life. When he landed, he was 16, an unaccompanied minor. Signs on businesses said “Irish need not apply.” Finally, he found work digging tunnels for the railroad in Pennsylvania. Years later when my great-grandmother would be frightened by the ... Read more
FOLLOWING THE RULES: AN OVERVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN APPREHENDING UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN WHO HAVE RECENTLY ARRIVED TO THE UNITED STATES.
The recent influx of unaccompanied children from Central America and other countries has dominated the news. As usual, whenever the topic of immigration arises, a common theme is that immigrants should follow the rules. Indeed, immigrants are often chastised by anti-immigration activists for allegedly not following the rules. Ironically, these same activists who are critical of rule-breaking often urge immigration officials to disregard the rules when it comes to the processing of children for deportation. For example, California residents recently stopped a bus containing juvenile immigrants from Central America from arriving at a Border Patrol facility. Some of the protesters ... Read more