RETURN TO SENDER/ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

[HairOfTheDog]

I watched the plane land back in their country last night & I felt sorry for those who had first left there filled with hope in starting a new life in America.

I think the 2008 Bush law did, in fact, encourage a floodgate of Central American immigrants attempting to cross the borders -- and it needs to be amended to reflect today's reality. I feel badly for the Central American children and their journey to get here is no walk in the park. But, we don't have the capacity to accept everyone who comes here simply because they want a better life, without many citizens believing it worsens their lives.

This is a good recap of the protests going on across the country as the government attempts to house some of the unaccompanied children that are already here, but for whom there is no room at the existing detention centers. RECAP: http://us.cnn.com/2014/07/15/politics/im...?hpt=hp_t1

The majority of Democrats and Republicans have agreed for years that the 2008 law needs to be amended or scratched, but the law hasn't been changed because both parties want to be the one credited with a sweeping all-inclusive immigration reform package.

So, for now, Obama can send back accompanied minors and adults, but he can't legally deport unaccompanied minors until the Congress works together and amends the existing law.

THE EXISTING LAW REGARDING UNACCOMPANIED CENTRAL AMERICAN CHILDREN
On Dec. 23, 2008, George W. Bush signed into law the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan measure described exactly how unaccompanied children crossing the border must be treated.

For children coming from Mexico and Canada, countries with a border with the United States, a Border Patrol officer has the authority to determine whether the child is eligible to stay in the country. And because the child can be easily handed over to officials from his or her home country, the process can move very quickly.

But for kids from Central America, where handing them back to authorities is more complicated, the law dictates that Customs and Border Patrol must turn undocumented children over to the Department of Health and Human Services within 72 hours.

HHS will then hold them humanely until they can be released to a “suitable family member” in the United States.

And the law requires HHS to ensure “to the greatest extent practicable” that these detained children “have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings or matters” who can explain how to apply for asylum or find ways to stay in the country.

At the time, the changes were intended to prevent immigration officials from inadvertently sending kids back to pimps and drug violence. The bill passed with remarkable speed – introduced Dec. 9, 2008, passed the House and Senate on the 10^th and signed into law 13 days later.

It frustrates me that Congress won't work together to make the immediate necessary changes to deport new unqualified children quickly while the detention centers are already way overcrowded. They could do that first and then address the issue of how to best handle those who are already here.

(Edit: link)