I noticed that almost none of them were talking to each other. The children looked traumatized and frightened. Tears flooded my eyes as I stood before them. They had no toys or dolls, except for a few items bought by compassionate border patrol agents. One tiny little girl clutched something that resembled a doll bought for her by an agent. There are few provisions made to accommodate the children.
The week before we were there, a delegation of agents went to meet with members of Congress, and begged them for additional money to buy Pampers, toothbrushes, and other necessities. They were turned down flat. These meager supplies have to be purchased with the border patrol budget, which is stretched to the limit.
My heart aches for these poor people. Lest I be misunderstood, let me make clear that I am among the majority of Americans who want the border to be closed to those who attempt to enter illegally. There has to be a better solution than this. I have wondered, with you, why the authorities don't just deny these refugees access to this nation.
Can't we just send them back to their places of origin? The answer I received was "No," for reasons I will explain. Only 10 percent of the detainees are Mexicans. This year alone, people have come to our southern border from 127 countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, India, China, Palestine, Albania, San Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and other nations around the world. They speak their native tongues, which means they can't be understood by each other or the staff.
What are we to do with them?
The Mexican government will not take them back, and there is no place to send them. Our current laws do not permit us to repatriate them to their country of origin. This is a disaster with no solution or projected conclusion.
Let me tell you how these desperate people come to be our responsibility. They are the lowest rung of many societies. They sell their shanties and any other possessions to scrape together $3,500 to $10,000 to pay "coyotes" to guide them. I don't know what happens to those who can't meet this demand. Apparently, most manage to pay the fee, and arrive penniless and profoundly needy.
I was told that some of the vulnerable children are "recycled" repeatedly to help men gain entry to this country.
An unknown number of these men are hardened criminals and drug runners, and they are difficult to identify. Most make their way across the border.
Here's something else you should know. I have been under the impression that these would-be immigrants try to cross the Rio Grande River and outrun or evade the agents. That is not true of most. They come in large groups, from 100 to 400 people at a time. As I write this letter, a record 1,200 people arrived together at El Paso.
The refugees quickly give themselves up to agents. That is why they have made this journey. They know they will be fed, medicated, and treated humanely, even if they are in holding areas while they are in our custody. Then they will be released on American soil.
This is the system set up by a liberal Congress and judges. It is a well-known fact that President Obama's administration established many of these unworkable policies, and Congress is steadfastly unwilling to change them.
Every effort at reform has been overridden or ignored. It is set in stone. Democrats want massive numbers of immigrants who will someday become voters. Some Republicans support the policies because they want cheap labor for agricultural purposes.
The border could be fixed, but there are very few in authority who seem to care. Getting back to my story, our group of national faith leaders and humanitarian organizations was taken to a grassy park underneath the international bridges where the "coyotes" bring the refugees ...AND THEN THERE'S THIS:
Tijuana Authorities Investigating Migrant Groups Trying To Buy Children To Cross Into The United States
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