La Opinion (Editorial)
January 14, 2016
The
Obama Administration took a significant step in recognizing that the
current violent conditions in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are
bad enough to grant the
people who flee to the U.S. the category of refugee, the way it is
given to people coming from war-torn countries.
That
is fine, but it still does not eliminate the threat of deportation
looming over nearly 16,000 people who fall under the category of
“mothers with children” and who
are exposed to the raids being carried out by immigration authorities.
It is urgent to stop a process that was designed to target dangerous
felons but is being used against people who do not represent a threat of
any kind.
The
new idea is to have the U.S. work with the United Nations’ High
Commissioner for Refugees and allow the organization to take care of the
petitions before passing them
on to U.S. authorities. These would then be in charge of processing
them and making the final decision on whether the individual is eligible
to obtain refugee status and residence in the U.S. or not.
The
stated purpose is to save these people a costly and dangerous trip to
the border. The goal is to prevent the arrival of tens of thousands of
people seeking refuge
like in the past.
The
strategy to take care of the processing in the individual’s country of
origin coincides with the United States’ focus on tackling the causes of
the exodus. Congress
granted the three Central American nations a package of $750 million
that included some 15 conditions that are very hard to meet. Ironically,
it would be precisely these funds what would help them fulfill the
demands of bringing down crime and improving border
security, among others. It all depends on the U.S. Secretary of State
certification that the conditions are being met, something Vice
President Joe Biden and newly elected Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales
are likely to talk about.
As
with everything, it remains to be seen if the new system will help
endangered Central Americans or if it will represent yet another
frustration that will push them
towards the U.S. border. The new plan should not alter the possibility
of obtaining asylum for those who end up reaching the border. Their
petitions should be analyzed based on the individual’s specific case and
not on procedural issues.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
No comments:
Post a Comment