Children and the Immigration Problem

As you are probably aware, the United States has taken more aggressive steps to prevent illegal immigrants from other countries (particularly Mexico) from entering the country from across the border and setting up residency here. There are many pros and cons to this permanent relocation plan, especially when dealing with the loss of the immigrant work force themselves as well as the effect that these activities have on the children of these families.

Since the beginning of this forced exile of these immigrants, the American economic system has worsened. Many farmers have lost their businesses due to the fact that they have lost the cheap manual labor that these people provided when the time to harvest came around. They simply could not afford the wages that they would have to offer to entice American workers to do this type of backbreaking work (not that many of them would even be interested in it).

Other American farmers have pulled up stakes and moved Mexico, where the cheaper labor can now be found. As a result of labor problems and the expense of importing produce that was once grown here from Mexico, our food costs are rising at an increasingly alarming rate.

On the other side of the labor issue, these immigrate workers came to this country in the first place to earn wages that were not available back home. Now many of these workers cannot support their families on the wages that they are forced to take in their own country.

Another problem that immigration officials need to address is that of the broken families that are left behind because of this enforced exile. In some cases, one parent may be an American citizen while the other is an illegal immigrant. The foreign parent is forcibly removed from the home, leaving the child and the other parent to fend for themselves. If the absent parent was also the breadwinners of the family unit, this can leave the child and remaining parent in dire straits.

There are also cases of two illegal aliens having a young child who is an American citizen. If both parents are deported, are they to leave the child here? While the government will gladly pay for the adults to go back to Mexico, transporting the child is not under their jurisdiction. Many of these parents have to leave their children behind until they can find the money to either rejoin them here or have them sent to them in Mexico at a later date.

There is also a whole generation of children who may be illegal aliens and not even know it. They have lived here for as long as they can remember and have been educated in American schools. These children are "American" as far as they themselves are concerned. Suddenly, the immigration agents arrive and inform them that they are illegal aliens and are going to be deported back to Mexico. These young people arrive in a country that is foreign to them, with no knowledge of the customs and many do not even know the language. Imagine their shock at discovering themselves in an alien, oftentimes hostile environment and losing everything that they have become familiar with their whole lives. As time goes by, officials should take a good look at what this type of forced upheaval will have on these children and their emotional well being in the future.

The questions and issues that are arising as a result of the United States' stricter immigration policy have already divided many families and are causing many unforeseen repercussions. While certain immigration restrictions are necessary, perhaps these officials should take the time to examine each case involving a child to choose the most humane solution for everyone involved.