In June of 2014, America watched as thousands of Central American children sought asylum after being trafficked across the Mexican border into the United States.
Many Honduran families – mostly women and children – risk crossing a grueling 1,500 mile migration through dangerous drug lands in hope of escaping abject poverty, organized crime, and violence in their country. It became painfully obvious that comprehensive immigration reform is far more than a logistical challenge. It is part of a transcontinental, humanitarian crisis – whereby women and children’s lives hang in the balance. As a result, U.S. President Barack Obama called executive action to override Congress and pass immigration reform bills. In a recent report, CNN: Latin America interviewed the first lady of Honduras, Ana Garcia de Hernandez and her husband, President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Both spoke out about the immigration crisis and are making concerted efforts to resolve it. Mrs. Hernandez is passionate about the plight of women and children in her country, and spearheads a commission created by her husband to stop traffickers. In addition, both acknowledged the underlying issue and state equally strong efforts to eradicate the country’s high crime and unemployment rate. In the meantime, they've requested the U.S. provide all necessary provision unaccompanied children may need to encourage a successful transition.
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| First lady of Honduras, Ana Garcia de Hernandez speaking with U.S. border patrol agents. | REUTERS |
In an ideal world, there would be no such thing as borders. However, it’s not. Therefore I support immigration/reform because the current legal immigration process is convoluted and outdated. All things being equal, I don’t excuse illegal immigration. However, it’s not equal. Likewise, as the Hernandez family pointed out, matters should be considered on a case by case basis. Besides, it’s always a raw deal when kids become collateral damage. Over the summer, I was privy to lunch with the Deputy Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I asked him blunt questions on the matter, and appreciated his candor. He agreed that this is a compound issue and contrary to popular belief, he and the department work hard to balance improving the immigration process while not compromising the first priority: homeland security. However, it’s hard to give a vote of confidence when bureaucracy is the only thing standing between you and your future. It poses a quandary. In the end, I suppose we’re all trying our best to work around the parameters of politics, policies, and a post 9/11 world.
Source:
Flores, Rosa. "Honduran First Lady on Immigration: Each Case Is a Different Story." CNN. Cable News Network, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 4 Oct. 2014. <http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/25/world/americas/honduras-first-lady-immigration/index.html?hpt=ila_c2>.
