For the past year, immigration has become a buzzword here in America. Some support open borders, while others want to close all borders and keep any immigrants out. In the contemporary moment of politics, there seems to be a divide in when we should allow immigrants to seek asylum or if they just need to flat out come here legally.
To begin, it's important to discuss why there is a larger influx of immigrants than the normal status quo. According to a report released from the Human Rights Watch that was covered by ABC News, asylum seekers are fleeing from "massive shortages of shelter, food and water and are exposed to serious crimes—including kidnapping, sexual assault and violence." These immigrants come to America in hopes of a beautiful future with little to nothing on their backs, but are turned away due to the Remain in Mexico policy that was recently set in place by the Trump administration. This policy has been implemented to ensure that immigrants "show up to their court dates." The fear that is spreading is that immigrants will seek asylum, enter the U.S., and then disappear under the radar. In all actuality, this policy blockades asylum seekers from entering the United States, which is legal under United States law. Therefore, they remain in detention centers along the border, or they are shipped back to the danger that they are fleeing.
Due to the Remain in Mexico policy, detention centers lining the United States-Mexico border have reached capacity. The New York Times has described the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a scrambling agency scouring their sources to house asylum seekers. They have observed prisons and even have resorted to considering Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as a place to house asylum seekers—a majority of those being children.
Now, Guantanamo Bay has been utilized in the past as a place to "store" asylum seekers; although, many have argued this: "Will the United States house immigrant children next to terrorists?" This question is an important one to be raised. Guantanamo Bay has been famously known as a facility to house those that threaten the United States, and often times citizens are unaware of the actual happenings within the facility. Some alleged incidents of torture in the Bay have included keeping prisoners without charge or trial, extended and continual physical abuse, dehumanization, and officers have even encouraged suicide. Past presidents have even discussed disbarring the institution due to uses of torture like force-feedings, waterboarding, and black hoods.
The concern amongst most Americans is that our current administration and government will allow innocent children to live in these conditions. There is no guarantee that they will be protected from these forms of torture or the exposure to it. Therefore, we have to ask ourselves as citizens: Will we allow our government to possibly exploit the innocence of children seeking asylum in the United States?
