EDITORIAL: A Band-Aid to Cure an Ulcer in the Immigration Debate

By Armando García

Surely due to international pressure, that of his own party in Congress and even his own wife, President Trump had to fold his hands and retract his own policy and decisions to separate families of immigrants seeking in the southern border of the country refuge against situations of life in their countries that are no longer bearable.

But, you still cannot sing victory, you can say that you hardly win a battle, there is still a war to achieve real immigration reform within the United States and to improve or change the requirements to obtain asylum in the country, since, In the 21st century, those persecuted in their country of origin are already more reasons than those required by law: founded fear of persecution based on their race, nationality, religion, member of a particular group or political opinion. Immigrants who are arriving at the border between Mexico and the United States, report that in their country violence, impunity, insecurity, threats, organized crime, corruption; etc., are some of the reasons why they have fled and have gone to the United States.

Nor is President Trump's executive decision rosy, since it would only expand family detention and continue with the "zero tolerance" policy that slaps families with federal charges just for crossing the border to carry their families. children to a safe place. The order would continue, but it would no longer separate the families, but would place them either in a cell, in military bases, detention centers or who knows where, until after the parents go through the criminal process to which they will be subject under the "zero tolerance" policy. After that process, which may take years, what would happen to the children?

The executive order of the president leaves unresolved, the fate of more than 2,000 infants who are in detention centers established in the last six weeks, which have caused a total repudiation of the US president. Trump did not give any solution to all the children locked up or when they will reunite with their detained parents. News reports have revealed that many of these children have been moved to unknown places, with unknown people, far away from the southern border of the country.

This has caused that, even airlines, knowing that their aircraft have been used to transport these children to different parts of the country, have now said that their companies would not participate in the transfer of immigrant minors even if they’re escorted by federal officers.

Now as a measure, one could say legal and even desperate, the Trump administration has asked the Department of Defense to allow military lawyers to be trained in immigration court and take cases on behalf of the government against immigrant families who are already in the process of exclusion or deportation. These military lawyers will have to commit for periods of six months to litigate in favor of President Trump in U.S. immigration courts along the border with the Mexican Republic.