In Central America, the safety of citizens is at an all time low as civil unrest and gang violence constantly threatens the innocent lives of men, women, and children who are caught in the crossfire. To avoid inevitable harm, including death, thousands of people are fleeing to the United States border in an attempt to find safety and refuge. The United States is apprehending record numbers of unaccompanied minors and women at the border desperately in need of aid, yet they are being turned away and deported immediately back to the dangerous countries they came from. The hazardous journey to America's border is attempted out of necessity as these people are no longer safe at home. While the topic of immigration is prevalent across the globe, I will be focusing on immigration from Central America and specifically spotlighting immigration regarding children. I argue that it is unethical to deny aid at the border to those who are desperately in need of safety and the current system denies immigrants basic human rights. In addition, it is necessary that the requirements to qualify one as an asylum seeker and the laws regarding deportation of children be re-visited in order to ensure the United States is working to support people whose lives are in danger. 

The concept of immigration is not only extremely complex, but widely misunderstood throughout our country. The main arguments I will be providing revolve around the ethicality of deportation and the denial of aid to those in need. I will touch upon the existing immigration and asylum seeking policies of the United States, the status of current immigrants in our country, and the reasons why thousands of people are fleeing their homes in Central America to attempt the perilous journey to America. Some counter-arguments I will describe, and disprove, include the danger of immigrants, the negative effects immigrants have on our economy, and the idealism that we have no duty or obligation to serve or help people from other countries. 

The Crisis of Central America

To understand the influx of immigrant activity at the border, we must look at the current state of Central. Nearly all of the people apprehended at the border from Central America are attempting to escape hostility and civil unrest in their own countries. In addition, astronomical poverty rates are prevalent in Central America; "fifty-three percent of Guatemalans, forty-one percent of Salvadorans, and sixty-seven percent of Hondurans" (Sorrentino) live below the poverty line. Honduras was recently named one of the most dangerous countries in the world, as it's capital San Pedro Sula has recorded the highest homicide rate to date. Last year, "San Pedro Sula saw 187 killings for every 100,000 residents" and children are not spared, as a morgue director in San Pedro Sula was quoted saying "his morgue has taken in forty-two dead children since February" (Lee). 

Gang violence has tormented the region as syndicates including the Mara Salvatrucha and the Mara 18 battle for power with little to no repercussions. The brutal killings and scare tactics gangs employ in local cities and villages have influenced the massive wave of migration as children are killed for refusing to join gangs, over disputes involving family members or relatives, by other gangs, and from random, senseless killings. In Honduras "children are increasingly on the front lines of gang violence ...  In June, thirty-two children were murdered in Honduras, bringing the number of youths under eighteen killed since January of last year to four hundred and nine" (Robles). Children are sent on the dangerous journey to the United States because it is safer to attempt this vast trek than to live in their own homes. 

While their home countries are littered with violence, the journey to the border is no easy or safe expedition either. Often, people are forced to walk thousands of miles as the trains and busses are no longer safe for travel. Gangs control much of the public transportation, and will "prey on vulnerable migrants, many of whom are extorted, murdered, kidnapped, trafficked, and sexually assaulted" (Rose). Even the transportation systems guarded by government officials aren't always safe, as corruption runs wild in the police force. There is notable corruption throughout the governments of Central America, where those in power do virtually nothing to protect their people and the integrity of their countries. 

The Border of the United States 

When immigrants arrive at the border, especially women and children, border patrol agents are recording an increase of people requesting asylum. An asylum seeker or refugee is defined as person who has been persecuted or has a legitimate fear of being persecuted "on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion" (Asylum in the US). This entails that under international law, a country cannot return or deport people to places, even if it is their home country, where their lives or freedoms could be in jeopardy. Unfortunately, although their lives and freedoms are in jeopardy everyday because of gang violence and government corruption, immigrants from countries such as Honduras and El Salvador typically do not meet the requirements for international protection. Even though they seek international protection and desperately need it, our country has continually denied their pleas and sent immigrants home at a high risk of danger and often death. The director of an emergency shelter in San Benito, Texas states the people seeking refuge at her shelter are "survivors of human atrocities of nearly every kind--religious and political persecution, ethnic cleansing, human trafficking and slavery, extortion, kidnapping, mass murders, terrorism, forced conscription, rape, and other gender-based violence" (Rose). It is necessary that the government re-visits the requirements for asylum seekers, because thousands of immigrants who desperately need it are being denied protection. While they may not be persecuted for their religion or race, innocent people are being killed and harmed and are no longer safe in their home countries. When border patrol agents and officials deny refugee, they are sentencing innocent people to inevitable harm and probable death.

In addition to being denied international aid, immigrants often have their rights stripped from them while they are being held at the border. Excessive force, theft, and other crimes have been reported yet the agents responsible rarely face repercussions. Also, Border Patrol agents have been allowed to deport people using a fast-track system since 2004, which shortens the deportation process and basically ignores most immigration hearings. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights recently wrote a report that they "had examined thirty-four cases where asylum officers had determined the clients had a fear of returning home ...  in twenty of those cases, the Border Patrol forms showed that the client had no fear of returning home" (Childress). The court systems also often fail to provide Spanish speaking immigrants with Spanish speaking attorneys, leaving them with no idea what is going on as they are trying to explain their need for protection. This is a clear violation of the laws of the United States that require a fair and equal trial. The unjust processing system that takes advantage of helpless immigrants must be rehabilitated to ensure the rights of immigrants as they seek help from the United States. 

Immigration Within the United States

While much time is spent debating strict versus loose border laws and border patrol tactics, the argument regarding immigrants who are already in the United States is also highly contested. To some, the simple answer is to deport. In reality, there is much more to consider and to simply jump to the conclusion of deportation does not help either side of the argument. 

A major problem our government faces is what their plan of action should be towards illegal immigrants who have already created lives, and families, in our country. Anti-immigration supporters demand that every illegal be deported, including children who were born in the United States and have lived here their entire lives. The DREAM Act, Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors is an act that is attempting to provide rights for immigrant children, but not without opposition. Some opponents, including author Ira Mehlman, state that it is immoral to grant illegal children legal status and wrong to allow them to stay in our country, regardless of the situation. Mehlman argues that the DREAM Act "rewards parents for illegal behavior and encourages more foreign parents to bring their children to the United States illegally" (Mehlman) and that promoting this act would create a greater wave of illegal immigration. She states that the parents should be deported in order to be punished for their actions and the children, although innocent, should be punished also. 

Many illegal children born in this country have lived their entire lives here going to the same schools, parks, and stores as American citizens. While their parents did indeed break the law the come into this country, our borders let them through and the broken immigration system allowed them to do so. Children who are born or brought here are done so by no fault of their own, therefore they should be granted some sort of immigration relief that will most likely involve their parents. Parents of Central America are no different than parents in America; they will do whatever they can to protect and ensure the safety of their children. These children are American, whether opponents want to admit it or not. It "is an issue of fairness, decency, and compassion" and the action to grant legal rights to illegal children would be solely for the benefit of the children who "deserve to have the opportunity to continue the American dream" (Gardner). 

Immigration Propaganda

Much of the typical rhetoric surrounding immigrants proposes they they hurt the economy, steal our money, take our jobs, and harm our citizens. Unknown to many, allowing illegal immigrant children to gain citizenship and have an education in our country would actually yield a net-gain for the country as a whole. Providing in-state tuition rates to immigrant children creates more employed taxpayers who are educated and can be a benefit to society. Stopping young people from gaining an education, many of whom will still stay in the country, will only create more welfare recipients costing the government more money. One researcher states "the typical immigrant and all of his or her descendants represent a positive $80,000 fiscal gain to the government. An immigrant with more than a high school education (plus descendants) represents a $198,000 fiscal gain, one with a high school diploma a $51,000 gain, and one with less than a high school education a $13,000 loss" (Trowbridge). Contrary to popular belief that illegal children are "an impediment to economic recovery and an obstacle to future economic growth" (Thompson), educated immigrant children will pay back more than they will take. 

Another major misconception and fear United States citizens use to propel anti-immigration arguments is the idea that by accepting people of other races and cultures into our country, American traditions and values will be infringed upon. As our country is already a melting pot of cultural traditions and ethnic groups, this is completely false. Traditions and cultures will not be harmed if those practicing continue to do so. It is an act of discrimination to claim that other traditions and cultures are not as important as whatever you believe in and to force people out of the country because of it, especially when people are desperately in need of help. It is unjust and morally despicable to put our own fears and judgments ahead of the wellbeing of human lives. The United States abolished segregation and discrimination in our country, and it is time that we learn to aid, not harm, people who are attempting to come to the states to start a better life. 

The Ethicality Surrounding Immigration

The question "Why?" always arises when the responsibilities that the United States has or doesn't have towards immigrants is debated. Why should we help refugees and asylum seekers? They are not from our country, so why should we be responsible for their lives? I argue that this moral dilemma has only one answer that can uphold the humanitarian principles our country claims to live by. 

We must aid those in need because it is simply the right thing to do. Children are being murdered in their homes for no fault of their own and families are being torn apart. The governments are doing nothing to protect their citizens as gangs and corrupt officials destroy the lives of innocent people across Central America. There is a reason mothers and fathers, who love their kids just as much as American parents do, are sending their children alone to travel thousands of miles to the border on the slight chance they may find refuge; their lives are in extreme danger and if they do not leave, they will die. 

Imagine if it was you. If your family was torn apart by violence and civil unrest and nobody was there to protect you, what would you do? I would imagine you would do whatever it takes to keep your family safe, no matter the danger. In a speech about the opening of emergency shelters for undocumented, unaccompanied minors who migrated to our country, Deval Patrick said "every major faith tradition on the planet charges its followers to treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated. I don't know what good there is in faith if we can't and won't turn to it in times of need" (Rose). The current crisis in Central America and along the border of the United States most definitely qualifies as a time of need, and a time for America to utilize our resources to do some good, rather than waste them hurting fellow human beings. 

In Conclusion

Within the next year, a presidential candidate will be appointed to the highest office of the United States. As candidates have been campaigning for months, there has been a variety of opinions and plans regarding the immigrant and asylum seeking crisis along the United States border. Some claim we must close the borders, because those attempting to come to America are not looking for aid; "They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists" (Gass). Others preach "now is not the time for demagoguery and fear-mongering ...  it is improper to turn our backs on refugees" (Gass). Now, more than ever, it is time for the American people to uphold the humanitarian values we claim to live by in order to save countless lives.

To avoid inevitable harm including death, thousands of people have traveled to the United States border in an attempt to find safety and refuge. The United States is apprehending high numbers of unaccompanied minors and women at the border who are desperately in need of aid, yet they are turned away and deported immediately back to the dangerous countries they came from. These innocent people are no longer safe in their own homes. It is unethical to deny aid at the border to those who are desperately in need of safety and the current system denies immigrants basic human rights. To uphold the humanitarian values the United States claims to live by, it is necessary that the requirements to qualify one as an asylum seeker and the laws regarding deportation of children be re-written. We must act now and do what we would want others to do for us; help those in need and provide a safe solution to the dangerous lives they have been forced to live. 

