Artifact 3: Children at the Border

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/15/us/questions-about-the-border-kids.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C{%222%22%3A%22RI%3A18%22}&_r=0

This interactive article is purely based on facts, without nearly any opinion. It is about the border crisis. This is taking place along the U.S.-Mexico border, although it clearly affects the entire country. The article has many different visual aids, including graphs, diagrams, and maps, which helps the reader understand this crisis through a different perspective.

To give some background on the border crisis, in the past few years, millions of children have attempted to cross the border. This has lead to drastic measures having to be taken, including the construction of several temporary shelters, each with 1,000 beds. This spike in teens trying to cross the border has also sparked argument over whether we should do what is morally right, or what is lawfully right, as the two aren't necessarily the same in this case.



According to the article, the border crisis started in 2012, and the amount of teenagers crossing the border has continued to increase exponentially. Unlike Reyna, most of the immigrants are from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, which is most likely the case because of the poverty state in each of them. The teenagers are reportedly mostly boys who are between the ages 15 and 17, but the ratio of girls and even younger children is increasing.

Aside from all of the straightforward demographic facts about the potential immigrants, the article also mentions what is being done about the border crisis and what happens to the children after they are caught. For example, the Obama Administration has tired to put in 3.7 billion dollars for emergency funds, used for border security and quick deportations. But others think that this is "a result from Mr. Obama's policy problems and law enforcement at the border." This is an example of how indecisiveness is a major issue when trying to deal with the border crisis. Many argue that it is morally wrong to send back a bunch of kids to poor countries, or use military to keep them from coming to the United States.

Even when given the simple facts about the border crisis, it is hard not to let personal feelings and biases affect how we choose to deal with it. Reyna and her siblings all lived on the edge of poverty, with an emotionally abusive grandmother for part of her life. The law says that, if caught by herself crossing the border, she should be sent back to Mexico. (It is important to note that the outcome would be different if she were from Honduras or Guatemala rather than Mexico.) However, many believe that we should let her come to the United States because it is important to give children an opportunity for a happy life.

From this arise questions of whether or not we should treat minors differently from adults, or how situation should affect whether or not someone is allowed into the country, given that they aren't considered refugees, which makes this border crisis even more complicated.

~Rose Domonoske