A new surge of children at the border

Thousands of unaccompanied children and teens are arriving at the U.S. border

Disturbing photo of children being detained

During the presidential campaign, one of the main criticisms of the Trump administration by Joe Biden was separation of undocumented migrant families at the border. According to Joe Biden, children were being kept in cages and in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. In reality part of the problem was the large number of people trying to get into the United States illegally and the fact that parents were incarcerated until their immigration trial or deportation. Children could not be incarcerated with their parents, and had to be housed separately.

Children at the border

 In addition some of the children were not family members of the people that brought them across the border. This was at least partly due to the belief that individuals with children wouldn't be detained. In fact, during the Obama administration this same process occurred as had under Trump. But now there is a difference. Joe Biden has made it clear he will allow asylum seekers to enter the United States. This promise is now being questioned as thousands of unaccompanied children and teens are crossing the border. The border facilities and workers are not able to deal with the record number of arrivals and other government agencies, including FEMA, are also being deployed to help.

According to the British newspaper, the Daily Mail:

• Haphazard outdoor processing center has been set up under an overpass in the Rio Grande Valley
• Shocking photos show migrants sitting in fenced-off areas waiting to be bused to facilities that are already overcrowded 
• Children at one facility in south Texas are 'going hungry and are only able to shower once every seven days as the center is at 729% of its legal capacity'
• On Saturday night, DHS security Alejandro Majorkas announced he has directed FEMA to help with surge of unaccompanied migrant children arriving in the US 
• But Joe Biden and members of his administration have failed to call the situation a 'crisis', despite being slammed by members of both parties   
• Critics say Biden promised a 'more humane' stance on immigration, but failed to prepare the necessary infrastructure to cope with the surge in migrants he knew that softer stance would bring
• Detractors say the result has ironically become less humane, and it also poses security and health threats to the American people amid the COVID pandemic 
• A new CNN poll shows immigration is the subject area where Biden is getting the lowest marks, with more voters disapproving than approving. (Biden FINALLY sends help to the border)

 This situation has indeed become a crisis. It is very sad for the children and for the system that is trying to accommodate them. Hopefully it can be improved soon and the children can be given adequate housing until reunited with their parents or family members.

Question: How do you think the border crisis should be solved?

Biden FINALLY sends help to the border

Pelosi says unaccompanied children arriving at U.S.-Mexico border is a ‘humanitarian crisis’ 

Children packed into Border Patrol tent for days on end 

More than 4,000 unaccompanied migrant children in CBP custody 

DHS chief directs FEMA to assist in ‘government-wide effort’ to house child migrants, as number surge