Our Government is Abusing Children for Political Gain

Dr. Randy White

The immigration crisis is politically orchestrated and is the sickest kind of political maneuvering. That’s my opinion. Now, allow me to build my case.

Just a few weeks ago, a humanitarian crisis was born when thousands upon thousands of illegal border crossers began to flood into the United States through our “secured” border (or so we’ve been told). These illegal crossings were done by minors who were fleeing poverty, crime, and horrible circumstances (at least that was the talking points we heard on the evening news).The realty of the matter is that there isn’t any poverty, crime, or horrible circumstances that haven’t already existed for years. There has been absolutely no change in the circumstances in Mexico or Central America. Living conditions did not change. Crime did not change. There wasn’t a hurricane. No earthquakes disrupted living. There wasn’t an outbreak of civil war. No country experienced a coup. There were no terrorist attacks. There wasn’t a new pandemic of disease.As we examine this humanitarian crisis, we must first realize that it is a politically created crisis. Our government has knowingly allowed this to happen. In effect, our government has invited this crisis. I, for one, believe our government has created a crisis that would put children into danger and draw them away from their families or the orphanages that have cared for them. The Obama administration has invited children to leave safety and travel a dangerous, crime-ridden path to the US border, using the carrot of a better life to draw the children out of their safety zone. Here (or on the way), many of the children will be introduced to sex trafficking, drug dealing, and robbery as means of survival. I am fully convinced that the US Government is to blame for this crisis.In the church, Christians are jumping into action. It is our desire to care for the children, and rightly so. But, do we not have an obligation to care for these children in the same way we care for children in general? If so, we must recognize that our government policies have created death and disease for children, and have done so simply for political gain. Is this not heinous? Is this not worthy of outrage? Do we help anyone by ignoring the cause of the problem as we take care of the effect of the problem? We must send a warning to Central American parents who are paying upwards of $3500 (when they make only dollars a day) of the danger to their children. Their money will be thrown to the wind, as their children are held at military bases (detention camps) until they can be presumably “sent back.” If we don’t try to warn them, as well as doing whatever we can to stop this political charade, we are guilty of allowing children to be exploited and victimized. If we truly care for children, we will stop this madness, quickly and decisively. Every child that we keep in our detention camps sends a message to hundreds more to come north, inviting these children into the danger, to be used as another political pawn. Let’s do the right thing with these children by getting them back to their homes.The White House is asking taxpayers for 3.7 Billion to meet the needs of these children. What if we took that 3.7 Billion and used it to return the children to the orphanages and families from which they came? Is that really inhumane? A faith-based orphanage in Central America can do a much better job caring for these children than the US military (currently over 3,000 are housed at our military bases). A parent is the best preference for these children, and the parents who have given up their children for the US dream, should be able to receive these children back safely. If the child doesn’t have a parent, place them in a faith-based orphanage in the country of origin, and create an immigration policy that allows for their legal adoption.Furthermore, I wonder if the word “children” is really the correct word, or is it political spin? I know there is anecdotal evidence to the contrary, but the pictures and videos I have seen of these children seem to say that these are really young men. They are 16, 17, or 18-year-old males who are ready to enter the job market, and are desirous of a better life (or who, according to this article, may be violent criminals).. Our current immigration policy invites young Central American men to a better life here, without legal red-tape or expense (a policy that does not extend to the Irish, Canadian, Asian, or African). If the policy does not change, these young men will continue to leave home, and country, and flood the US border.Has anyone noticed that the immigrants do not continue north to Canada? Maybe it’s just a distance issue (I’m doubtful), but more likely, it’s the fact that Canada has a temporary foreign worker policy that seems to work. If the US created and implemented a temporary worker policy for employers who would like to hire south-of-the-border workers, and then would create and implement a humane deportation system, then the humanitarian problem would go away as quickly as it was created. My suggestions: allow employers to travel to foreign countries to interview and hire non-citizens, providing that those individuals register and pay taxes. With a secured job, provide those non-citizens a temporary work visa for a specific period of time, with the ability to renew if they retain their jobs. So long as they are employed, pay their taxes, and abide by our laws, allow these extensions to continue indefinitely. For the employer, remove the incentive to bypass the system by making the fine so exorbitant that it could bankrupt the company (perhaps $250,000 per day, per undocumented worker). For the worker, require the possession of a temporary worker permit to get a driver’s license, enroll children in school, rent an apartment, or cash a check with a government issued ID. If they cannot produce a card, provide them a one-way flight home.Is this inhumane? No. The system we have created is inhumane. The neo-con immigration reform platform is inhumane. Believing the problem is natural is inhumane. Thinking the problem will go away is inhumane.Let’s fix the problem!