Anybody remember Eliαn Gonzalez? The little boy who, in 2000, came with his mother and several others across the waters from Cuba to Florida on a small boat -- whose mother died (as well as 10 others) during the crossing. The little boy who was traumatized not only by the death of his mother but by the tug-o-war game played by his Florida relatives and the federal government. The little boy who now lives, once again, with his father in Cuba.
It's always a child that grabs our attention to these matters.
Saul Arellano, an American-born citizen of an illegal immigrant mother, is the latest posterchild for the debate of what to do about the illegal population in the US. Saul's mother, Elvira Arellano, walked across the border with Mexico illegally in 1997. (Twice - once caught and the second time was not caught.) She's used a false social security number to work in Chicago. She was convicted for this crime and served three years probation for it. She was to appear at the immigration office in Chicago. Rather than do this, she and her son have been living in Chicago church since August 15th, claiming sanctuary. Legally there is no provision for this in the US and authorities could take her into custody whenever they felt like it but they've opted, so far, not to do that.
Elvira's 7 year old son, Saul, was sent to Mexico (without her) to speak to the Mexican congress -- asking for help in getting the US to allow his mother and other's in the same situation (illegal parents/legal children) to stay in the US legally.
Of course, Mexico's government is all for this. They have called for the US to suspend Elvira's deportation and any others like her. An article states that this would benefit more than 4.9 million children living in the US as legal citizens whose parent(s) just happen to be illegal.
Rock and a hard place? This is why deportation laws should not be hampered by red tape, paperwork, and lack of detention facilities throughout this country. Had this particular woman, Elvira, been detained when it was first noted that her social security number was false we might not be hearing about this, if in fact she's been using it since she first got here. It is extremely likely that when her son was born it was known that she was illegal. The US consistantly absorbs the cost for hospitalization and medical care to low-income illegal women giving birth and the cherry on top of that marvelous sundae is that the child is born a US citizen... and they will not seperate and deport at that point in time. Yep, this a rock and hard place... all over the place. (Personally, I've never understood why citizenship is automatically granted to these children. Having lived on the border for many, many years I've known of countless numbers of children born to illegals just this side of the border for the sole purpose of creating this conflicting scenario. And it works! Those children are then eligible for every right a citizen has coming to them, including but not limited to: WIC, foodstamps, free education, free healthcare, etc. It's hard to look at those little children and think of denying them those things... but it's the planning on the illegal parent(s) part that makes this tax-paying American citizen's blood boil regarding it all.)
What do you do with these laws that the government doesn't have the backbone to enforce? Because they don't have the backbone to enforce them does it mean these laws are not good/workable laws? Laws are meant to serve and protect the citizens of this country. Laws stating that illegals should be deported may not be warm and fuzzy kinds of laws but they serve a purpose. Without them, anyone can come here and do as they please, like Elvira. Oh wait, even with them anyone can come here and do as they please. So what do we do? Enforce the laws, finally, and say pbthth to the brotherhood of man... or don't enforce the laws, as usual, and live with the problems that come with being lax.
You know, somehow, I think if all the politics were stripped from the matter it would be far easier to figure a solution. People, for the most part, are willing to help others. It's the sneaking in and using false documents and such, along with the various country's demands of how their citizens should be treated on our soil that make it into you're being taken for a ride. I don't mind helping someone out if they ask me for help but I don't take kindly to someone helping themselves to the contents of my wallet and then telling me I should be kind about the theft, know what I mean? |
