One thing Democrats have done successfully over the years is demonstrate that Republicans are not the only ones who care about family. Democrats often showcase policies that allegedly help children, families, single mothers, and others in need. At the same time, they claim that the GOP is hypocritical because it’s solely focused on abortion policies and unborn babies.
But what’s happening to migrant children at the Texas border shows, at least when it comes to this issue, liberals don’t seem to care as much about children as they say they do.
THE REPUBLICAN BORDER POLICY DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT
The statistics are staggering. The Washington Examiner’s reporting shows that since President Joe Biden was elected, more than 250,000 unaccompanied children have walked across the U.S.-Mexico border. “Eight in 10 children were released into the interior of the United States, prompting new challenges at the border and in communities nationwide,” the report reads. In March 2021, 18,700 children crossed the border. These children have to be housed somewhere.
In 2019, before the situation had escalated, politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to Twitter to blame then-President Donald Trump for the surge of children and, particularly, for their housing. AOC likened the situation to concentration camps. However, since Biden has taken office, AOC has only mentioned the worsened situation a few times.
Biden told border officials that all children crossing the border alone had to be taken in, held and processed by the Department of Health and Human Services, and placed with a suitable adult sponsor as soon as possible. This is undoubtedly one of many policies that encouraged families to pay smugglers to push children across the border in hopes of eventually finding a better life. They knew their children would not be sent back. Within weeks of this decision, the government had over 20,000 children in its custody. That number remains high. Federal data show HHS has found homes for over 100,000 children. Texas takes in 16,000 alone. Often, many of those doing so are relatives of the children.
If adults in the United States are willing to house or even raise migrant children voluntarily, that is a beautiful thing. But the policy that created this need has a dark side: The migrant death toll from these policies, which includes children, is dizzying. Not all children make it here alive. Creating open border policies that incentivize smugglers to take advantage of desperate parents is unethical too. It shows a clear disdain for federal immigration law.
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The U.S. is simply not equipped to handle the massive number of people crossing the border. Caring for them once they’re here and in need of aid is the right thing to do. Still, we have immigration policies that take time to process. This cannot be the best way to support children.
Biden, AOC, and other politicians who claim to care about families should be pleading for legal immigration and stronger border security. Until then, their hypocrisy will stand apparent.
Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota. She is an opinion columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
