America’s Forgotten Humanity

Summary

The article discusses the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border, where migrants, including children, face sexual assault, physical abuse, family separations, and forced medication, while the Trump administration's policies and rhetoric exacerbate the situation, diverting attention from these issues with other news cycles.

Abstract

The United States is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis at its southern border, where asylum seekers are subjected to inhumane treatment, including sexual assault, physical abuse, and forced separation of families. Despite initial media coverage and public outcry, the situation has been overshadowed by other news stories, allowing the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy to continue causing irreparable harm. This policy, intended as a deterrent, has led to the separation of families and the potential permanent loss of children within the U.S. immigration system. The article underscores the systemic nature of immigration issues, which predate the current administration, and criticizes the lack of effective action by Congress and the profit-driven existence of migrant detention facilities. It calls for sustained attention and support for legislators, particularly women of color, who are actively working to address these human rights violations.

Opinions

The article expresses a critical view of the Trump administration's handling of migrants, characterizing the treatment as cruel and inhumane.
It suggests that the U.S. media and public have been complicit in allowing the crisis to continue by shifting focus away from the border situation.
The piece highlights instances of racial profiling and misconduct by law enforcement, including the case of Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, a U.S. Marine and combat veteran.
The author argues that the U.S. immigration system is not broken but is functioning as intended, with policies designed to deter migration through harsh measures.
There is a strong opinion that the U.S. has a history of oppressing marginalized groups, and the current treatment of migrants is a continuation of this pattern.
The article points out that while some detention facilities have been shut down due to public pressure, the government simply relocates them, suggesting a systemic issue that is resistant to change.
It emphasizes that the crisis is being perpetuated by profit-driven interests in operating migrant detention facilities.
The author calls for non-partisan action and sustained pressure on Congress to address the immigration issues, with particular support for women of color in legislative roles.

America’s Forgotten Humanity

Michael Cohen, Venezuela, North Korea, El Chapo, and a fake crisis at the border are all part of the non-stop news cycle that continues to draw attention away from the humanitarian crisis created here in the United States by the Trump administration.

Photo: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Handout

The news cycle is such that there can be no singular focus at any given time which in turn keeps drawing America’s attention away from a much more serious situation: the handling of migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Sexual assault, physical abuse, family separations, and forcefully injecting children with psychoactive drugs are just a few of the worst issues we’re dealing with today. Yet the mainstream media seems to have already left that story behind as has most of America.

Prior to the start of 2019, we saw almost non-stop coverage of how our government is treating the very people who came to the United States in search of safety and sanctuary. Knowing what they may face when they get here, migrants come anyway because the situation at home is so much worse.

Migrants travel thousands of miles, mostly on foot, only to arrive in the land of the free and the home of the brave to suffer at the hands of cowards. Agents who are supposed to ensure their safety and security are instead agents of suffering, abuse, torture, and death. It’s all part of the demonization and criminalization of humans in search of a better life. Driven by the rhetoric of the most hateful among us. Some of that rhetoric comes from agents themselves who have a complete disregard for human life. Unless of course, that life is of the pale variety.

Recently there have been many cases of misconduct and racial profiling of “Mexican-looking” people by local law-enforcement. One of the more recent cases that garnered very limited national attention was that of Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, a U.S. Marine and combat veteran who suffers from PTSD. Despite having his driver’s license, military ID, and his US passport, records show that local law enforcement used racial profiling to report him to ICE. After being released on his own recognizance for trespassing, ICE took him into custody anyway and held him for three days.

Naturally, his story got attention. But what about all the others who aren’t Veterans? What about those who come to us seeking a better life? If law enforcement can treat a Veteran like this, even mocking his disability, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to think how poorly migrants are being treated while in U.S. custody.

The United States is separating families and losing children in a system that isn’t broken, but rather functioning as intended. Trump’s zero-tolerance policy was to be used as a “deterrent” to keep migrants from coming to the U.S. as articulated by Jeff Sessions in September of 2018.

“We will send a clear message to the world that the lawless practices are over. The world will know what our rules are, and great numbers will no longer undertake a dangerous journey.” — Jeff Sessions

The idea was to separate families in order to deport the parents for illegal entry without having a system in place to track these separations. Therefore, all children are now being treated as unaccompanied minors with thousands that will never be reunited with their families either in their home countries or here in the United States. Instead, the parents may lose their children to adoption.

To many, it’s unfathomable that our country would do such things. But to anyone who knows their history, this is what America does. Throughout history, America has put a boot on the neck of anyone who is deemed a threat based on trivial standards. In 2019, it’s no different.

It has been recently reported that as many as 1,000 unaccompanied minors were sexually assaulted each year for the past four years while in U.S. government custody. While many of the current immigration problems can be attributed to the Trump administration, the United States has had systemic immigration issues for years and Congress continually fails to address them.

We can shut down certain practices at migrant detention facilities like we did in Taylor, Texas years ago or like the group in Tornillo, Texas was able to do recently. But the government just moves these child prisons and facilities to other locations. The Tornillo facility, for example, has moved to Homestead, Florida to a facility that isn’t licensed — and is allowed — because it resides on federal property. As long as there is profit to be made, these facilities (and all the problems that come with them) will forever exist.

An issue that should be non-partisan continues to get pushed aside. Unless of course, it’s an election year. Politicians will talk about it when their jobs are being threatened, but that’s it. No tangible action ever seems to be taken. This is an issue we can’t afford to kick the can down the road on. We need to keep the pressure on by driving the conversation and throwing our support behind those trying to address the issues. In Congress, those people are women of color.

Let’s not forget about migrant families.

Let’s not forget about the children.