For many, many years, the United States and Mexico have been peaceful neighbors to one another. Although there was obvious prejudice among some Americans closer to the border, nothing compared to the mistreatment and abuse they’ve been facing in recent years. Along the US-Mexican border, immigrant children and their families must suffer through inhumane conditions and poor treatment.
Migrant Caravan
In late 2018, a caravan was headed to the US-Mexican border from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Thousands of immigrant men, women, and children were heading to the United States in seek of refuge and to escape the horrible conditions of their home countries. A population of this mass heading to the border made the US Government nervous, with President Trump threatening to release military forces. But the caravan never made inside the US border and are instead being forced to seek sanctuary in Mexico.
With thousands taking refuge in Tijuana, Mexico, a city that lies beside the US-Mexican border, a major humanitarian crisis has developed.
Deadly Conditions
For months, immigrant families have made several attempts to infiltrate the US Border in hopes of finding a better life for their children and better living conditions. While immigrants should not be encouraged to enter the US illegally, the US needs to be doing more to give them better living conditions at the border. A very painful photograph was taken of a father and his daughter who had drowned in the Rio Grande. This has sparked uproar from US and Mexican citizens, demanding the US Government to do more to make sure tragedy like this doesn’t happen again.
Unfortunately, more images are surfacing of children suffering and being mistreated. It’s been found that migrant children are forced into processing centers with barely any room for them, while facilities intended for them have empty beds or house adults instead. This kind of treatment is unacceptable, but current US policy allows it.
US Policy
Although there have been many humanitarian outcries, not much has changed for the conditions of migrant children and their families. Instead of offering aid, more military force has been taken as President continues to push to build the wall across the US-Mexican border. Border officials are now accepting less and less of asylum cases and are now separating children from their parents at the border when they are found crossing illegally.
The conditions the children face are appalling and outrageous. Their conditions are a travesty and more needs to be done to help them.