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The Nightmare of Deporting Foreign Children

The Nightmare of Deporting Foreign Children

The Nightmare of Deporting Foreign Children

Introduction

The United States of America is a country built on the foundation of immigrants. However, in recent years, the country has taken a turn towards a more defensive approach to immigration. This has resulted in a staggering increase in the number of children who are being deported from the country. These children are being sent back to their home countries, where they may face extreme hardships, including poverty, abuse, violence, and death. The deportation of foreign children is a nightmare that haunts the United States, causing irreparable damage to the lives of innocent children and their families.

Background

Deportation is the formal process of expelling individuals from a country. It is a legal process that is used when an individual has violated immigration or criminal laws. Currently, the United States is the home of over 44 million immigrants, and the number is increasing every year. According to a report by Migration Policy Institute, there were 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States in 2016. Out of these, an estimated 1.1 million were children, which accounted for approximately 10% of the total unauthorized immigrant population.

Deportation is a traumatic experience for anyone, let alone children who often have no control over their legal status. According to a report by the American Immigration Council, between 2003 and 2017, more than 200,000 parents of American-born children were deported. This means that the number of children who were separated from their parents due to deportation was equally high.

Deportation of foreign children can lead to severe and long-term negative impacts on their mental and emotional well-being. It is a life-altering experience that can leave children with irreparable scars.

Why Children are Deported

Children are being deported from the United States for a multitude of reasons. The most common reason is that they are undocumented. In other cases, they may have entered the country legally, but their visas have expired, or they may have committed a crime or violated immigration laws.

The United States immigration laws are complex; therefore, many children who are deported have had limited access to legal counsel or support services. This often means that they do not understand their rights or have the appropriate legal representation.

The Process of Deportation

The process of deportation is a complicated and lengthy one. A child may be arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials for violating immigration or criminal laws. Once they are detained, they are put in a holding cell, where they await their hearing.

During this time, they may experience severe psychological stress due to the uncertainty and isolation they face. They are often held in cramped and unhygienic conditions, putting them at risk of contracting infectious diseases.

The hearing can take months or sometimes even years to be scheduled, during which time the child remains in detention. The child has the right to legal counsel, but many cannot afford it, leaving them without adequate representation and further increasing their chances of being deported.

The child’s case is then heard by an immigration judge who decides whether the child should be deported or allowed to remain in the country. The judge’s decision can be appealed, but this process can be lengthy and expensive.

Economic Costs of Deporting Children

Deporting children can have severe economic repercussions. According to a report by the American Action Forum, the deportation of all 1.1 million undocumented children living in the United States would lead to a reduction in GDP by $329 billion in the next ten years. This would also lead to significant losses in tax revenue, as many of these children may grow up to become taxpayers. Deporting children would also result in economic hardships for their families, who may lose their only source of income.

Risks and Dangers of Deportation

Deporting children can have severe negative impacts on their physical and mental health. Children who are deported may be sent to countries where they have no support network, no access to healthcare, little food, and may not even speak the language.

Deported children are also at risk of violence and exploitation. A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) states that children who are deported are vulnerable to trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse.

Additionally, deporting children can lead to long-term mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Government Action

The United States government has taken several actions to address the issue of deportation of foreign children. The Obama Administration issued a memorandum in 2011, outlining guidelines to be followed when deporting parents of American-born children. The guidelines instructed ICE officials to take into consideration the best interests of a child when making deportation decisions.

However, the current administration has taken a more aggressive stance on immigration, leading to a sharp increase in the number of children being deported. In 2018, the Trump administration implemented a zero-tolerance policy, which led to the separation of thousands of children from their parents at the border. The policy was condemned by the United Nations as a violation of children’s rights.

The Biden administration has taken several steps to address the issue of immigration and deportation of foreign children. In February 2021, President Biden signed an executive order to create a task force aimed at reunifying separated families. Additionally, the administration has introduced a bill, which proposes granting a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including children.

Conclusion

Deportation of foreign children is a nightmare that has haunted the United States for years. It is a traumatic experience that can have severe and long-term negative impacts on the mental and emotional well-being of children. The deportation of children is also an issue that has economic and societal repercussions. It is the duty of the government to take adequate measures to address the issue of immigration and deportation of foreign children, without compromising the rights and well-being of children and their families.


To some people, the thought of child deportation is a horrific one, even children that are classified as illegal immigrants. In fact, approaching the issue of the deportation of children of illegal immigration is much different from that of adults who illegally immigrated into America.

Some children come from foreign countries on their own, such is a very common theme for children immigrating from Mexico. Some of these children are in their teens and will often attempt to migrate as a result of the requests of other family members.

Other children are brought illegally to the United States when they are young by their families. Statistically speaking, most illegal immigrants who come to the United States as children are under the age of six. The United States, then, will become the only home they know or remember. Their schools and friends will be in the United States and the child will become immersed in American culture. Whether or not the young child wished to come to the United States is not only irrelevant, but rarely considered in regards to that child’s deportation.

Due to this fact, child deportation from America is decidedly complex. While the United States should not be expected to be a home to foreign-born children without legal status, the moral imperative that compels policymakers to act on their behalf may leave them conflicted in regards to those children who cannot be saved by a green card petition.