Univision (Op-Ed)
By Hillary Clinton
February 27, 2016
America’s
immigration system is broken – but not beyond repair. I believe our
immigration enforcement efforts can and should be humane and effective.
Large-scale raids
sow fear and division in communities around the country, and they are
contrary to who we are as Americans.
People
who fled violence and threats of death in their homelands should not be
afraid to go to work, or to send their children to school, or to go to
the grocery store
in America. People fleeing persecution should always have the right to a
full and fair hearing in this country.
We
need a comprehensive approach to addressing the large numbers of
Central American migrants who have come to the United States in recent
years, especially the many unaccompanied
children and teenagers, and to fix our immigration system.
First,
we have to reform our asylum and refugee processes to ensure that
everyone fleeing persecution has a fair and full opportunity to tell
their story. In particular,
every unaccompanied child who appears in immigration court should be
granted access to government-funded counsel.
Seventy-three
percent of unaccompanied children who have lawyers at their hearings
are granted permission to stay in America, while just 15 percent of
those who appear
alone do. No child or teenager should have to face a judge and defend
himself or herself without an attorney.
Just
last week, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid introduced legislation to
get this done, and I urge Congress to pass it swiftly. Surely we can all
agree that children
and teenagers, many of whom have already survived unspeakable violence
and abuse in their home countries or on the way to the United States,
deserve a fair hearing.
Second,
we must also turn our attention to the serious problems on the ground
in Central America. We need to work with regional partners to improve
economic and security
conditions in these countries, so no one is forced to put themselves
and their children at risk by undertaking a dangerous journey north.
President
Obama has requested $1 billion for assistance to Central American
nations to help them crack down on criminal organizations, promote
economic development, and
strengthen the rule of law. Congress took a step in the right direction
by partly funding this request, but that’s not good enough.
We
need to fully fund the President’s request and do it now. We should
also strengthen in-country processing, so that people can file for
parole and refugee status from
their home countries, rather than attempting a dangerous journey with
smugglers.
Third,
we need to continue the fight here at home for comprehensive
immigration reform. I will lead this effort from the very first day of
my Presidency. We will work
to keep families together and stand up to those who demonize and
disparage our immigrant communities. We must put an end to the political
assumption in Washington that we can’t get comprehensive immigration
reform done—that it’s just too hard. We can get it
done, and we must.
As
part of this process, we have to reduce backlogs in our immigration
courts, add more translators and immigration judges to hear cases fairly
and quickly, modernize
our visa process, and reduce barriers for immigrants to adjust their
legal status.
And
while we fight for comprehensive reform, we also have to defend and
build on President Obama’s executive actions protecting DREAMers and
others, so that they can live
without fear of deportation.
This
is a challenge that evokes great passions on all sides. But the answer
is not to build more walls or separate more families. We need to make
smart investments that
keep families together and protect the human rights and dignity of
immigrant communities. Our immigration system is broken—but not beyond
repair. It’s within our power to fix it.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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