Central American Refugees
In a recent article posted on the ABA (American Bar Association) website there is the statement
The more than 2,000 children taken from their parents by the federal government are overwhelmingly Central Americans seeking asylum because of unchecked criminal gang violence in their home countries.
At the federal courthouse in McAllen, TX those caught crossing the border illegally are in mass brought before a judge with a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge for that action. Afterwards they are remanded into the custody ICE for deportation. A relatively quick method of dealing with the situation.
From the ABA article, concerning the mass hearings of illegal aliens ABA President Hilarie Bass makes the statement
“And if they didn’t have legitimate asylum claims, they probably could have been immediately processed … without having a misdemeanor charge and a federal court hearing.”
The question comes up for those seeking asylum. Does the desire to want to get away from "unchecked criminal gang violence", although understandable and admirable, meet the criteria to be called asylum? If you're seeking asylum you must meet the legal definition of a refugee. From U.S. Code Title 8 §1101 Paragraph 42 a refugee is
- A person outside their native country or the country they habitually reside in
- Unwilling or unable to return to their native country or country of residence
- Is unwilling or unable to rely on their native country or country of residence to protect them
from danger "because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion".
Is the danger in the Central America based on race, religion, nationality, social groups or political opinion? Seems to me that criminal gang violence would be unrelated to any of those items. Seems like it would be more general in nature than targeting of a particular group of people. If that's the case, then in my opinion asylum wouldn't apply.
How would Canada react if people residing in some neighborhoods of Chicago were to seek asylum to escape "unchecked criminal gang violence"? I suspect they would simply tell them to go back to the U.S. and move to a different neighborhood.
Wish I would have thought about the Chicago example first. Damn that is good!
No, they are not seeking asylum. They pour into the US because for some unknown reason, unless because we make it so easy, instead of standing up for change, new government, laws, or law enforcement, gang control, improved living conditions and economy where they live. Nope, leave it to rot for the next generation and go live where someone else has done the work for what you want. There's a plan.
There is a talk show host on Sirius radio named Andrew Wilkow (The Wilkow Magority) that points out that we send most of these Central American countries hundreds of millions of dollars every year to help with things like gang violence and to pay us back they allow immigrants to head north to provide our liberal "news" media with ammunition to criticize the government that sends them money.
Pointless, vicious circle.
I sincerely hope Trump reduces aid to Mexico, or anywhere else, to help build the wall.
We tried, 'just say no' but that didn't work. Now we have to argue here in our country, build a wall so lets not pay for it, too. Twice.